H&M is investing in clothing made out of cow manure, and we have so many questions
There are many things that come to mind when we think of H&M. Sweden, classic basics, designer collabs. And although the fast-fashion retailer is making strides towards becoming greener, there’s one thing we really never expected; H&M is investing in clothing made of manure. Yes, that is right, it’s clothing made out of poop, but it’s not as rancid as it sounds, we promise.
The retailer already has a “Conscious” sustainable line, and they’re taking strides to make sure this is the norm for all their products. The brand is aiming to be 100% circular and renewable, which means using recycled materials and renewable energy exclusively, by 2040 and they’re taking a few unorthodox approaches to get there…and one may include cow poop!
To help speed up the process of making the brand more sustainable, H&M has started The Global Change Award, which is put on by the H&M Foundation. The second-annual awards gave five grants to new technologies that have the capability of shaping the future of fashion. One of the winners? Well, they go by the name of Manure Couture. According to Refinery29,
"Jalila Essaidi and her team have perfected a process to transform the abundant cellulose found in cow dung to create a hardy, soft fabric (that also doesn’t smell). The cleverest thing about it is that it takes the other components within dung — phosphates, water, etc — to actually fuel the process. Cow dung is a huge polluter of methane, and some of the only ways to get rid of it is to burn it (for fuel), or go through a toxic anaerobic respiration process in manure lagoons."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuhMIMs1gJs?feature=oembed
Don’t worry, it won’t smell. Essaidi has already made garments out of the fabric, so it can be done! Now here’s to hoping H&M picks up on it and helps to make the world a better (slightly less shitty) place, one piece of clothing at a time.
