Fashion giant H&M Group has signed a multi-year deal with Recover, a materials science company focused on the development of recycled cotton, which will see the introduction of its mechanically recycled cotton fibre, RCotton, into H&M’s product lines.
The deal builds on an existing collaboration agreement between Recover, which is backed by STORY3 Capital and Goldman Sachs, and H&M, which was signed in 2024.
‘Innovative solutions’
”At H&M Group, we want to grow our business decoupled from resource use and extraction, with products and materials circulating at their highest value,” commented Ulf Krigsman, head of material and components, H&M.
“To increase the availability and affordability of recycled and sustainably sourced materials, we invest in, test, and scale innovative solutions and infrastructure. Recover’s expertise and proven ability to deliver recycled cotton at commercial scale make them a valuable partner as we work toward our goal of using only recycled or sustainably sourced materials by 2030.”
Recover operates five recycling hubs located across Europe, Asia, and the Americas – close to major textile production streams – that apply mechanical recycling processes to produce traceable, consistent-quality recycled cotton at an industrial scale.
As the company said in a statement, these capabilities are ‘essential’ for a global fashion player such as H&M Group, which views transparency, fibre performance and consistency of supply as ‘crucial’ when integrating recycled materials.
‘Recycled fibres at scale’
Recover chief executive Anders Sjöblom said the company was “proud” to enter into partnership with H&M.
“Reliable access to recycled fibres at scale, with full traceability and quality consistency, is vital for the industry’s transformation,” he said. “Our collaboration demonstrates how innovators and leading global brands can work together to make circular fashion available to all.”
Recover, which is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, states that its mission is to ‘scale its proprietary technology, create lasting positive environmental impact, and collaborate with brands, retailers, and other change-makers to meet the industry’s sustainability targets’. Read more here.
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