Projects | H&M Foundation

Apr 2023 •Read in 3 mins

Waste pickers in the driver’s seat of new textile recycling initiative

H&M Foundation and Saamuhika Shakti are expanding on the inclusive circularity learnings and welcome two new partners that are developing Circular Textiles Waste Management Models (CTWM), with waste pickers playing the lead role.

Feb 2023 •Read in 2 mins

Promoting women’s entrepreneurship – experiences and learnings

During 2014-2022, H&M Foundation and its partner CARE supported over 270,000 women entrepreneurs from emerging markets. As part of the programme’s last phase two reports have been created with the goal to consolidate and integrate the lessons learned from the program both towards external stakeholders and internally within the confederation.

Sep 2016 •Read in 3 mins

A four year global collaboration to develop industrial solutions and new technologies for textile recycling

The non-profit H&M Foundation and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) have entered into a four year partnership to develop the required technologies to recycle blend textiles into new fabrics and yarns. The technology will be licensed widely to ensure broad market access and maximum impact. Apparel and textile products made from blended materials account for a high proportion of all textiles and apparel in the market today. As yet no commercially viable separation, sorting, and recycling technologies are available for many of the most popular materials, such as cotton and polyester blends.

Dec 2023 •Read in 9 mins

No one can achieve systems change alone: The case for the Collective Impact method

The Collective Impact method can help drive the systems change needed to address the underlying root causes of complex problems and tackle the drivers of poverty and inequality. We explore how two CI initiatives are delivering change for waste pickers in India and readymade garment workers in Bangladesh through deep collaboration.

Picture illustrating our Planet First program

Dec 2020 •Read in 3 mins

USD 100 million invested in partnership to reach a planet positive fashion industry

Cotton is certified, recycling is on the rise, value chain processes are improved – but it’s not enough. We need to look at the whole system and see how it can be changed from the ground up. With an ambition to find a truly sustainable solution for the fashion industry, non-profit H&M Foundation and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) extend their collaboration for five more years in a new initiative called the Planet First program. Ground-breaking technologies are already being tested.

Aug 2019 •Read in 1 min

Record breaking school attendence

A program to reduce children’s health barriers so that they can focus on learning in Harlem, New York, has been a great success. The attendance at the school has reached record numbers, and the initiative can be replicated by other schools.

Woman in Ethiopia who was part of our program with CARE.

Apr 2019 •Read in 2 mins

Women’s income increased by 500%

Women’s income increased by 500% thanks to our program with CARE in Ethiopia. Furthermore, at the end of our program only 3.6% of the target group didn’t have any savings – compared to 70% in the beginning of the project. The program focused women living in the slums of Addis Ababa, and the results after three years show that with the right support, women can significantly improve their lives by becoming entrepreneurs.

Apr 2018 •Read in 3 mins

War Child and H&M Foundation launch ‘Peace Circus’ in Colombia

Colombia’s internal conflict has raged for more than 50 years – leaving a generation of youth who have known nothing but war and violence. War Child and H&M Foundation have come together to boost the resilience of Colombia’s children with a new three-year initiative – the Peace Circus. The project will see Colombian children trained to become peace ambassadors.

Nov 2017 •Read in 2 mins

H&M Foundation and UNICEF launch new partnership to support children with disabilities

H&M Foundation and UNICEF have launched a new partnership to support young children, in particular those with disabilities. The initiative is worth 30 million Swedish krona (USD 3.7 million) and one aim is to reach more than 9,000 young children with disabilities and their family members with specialized early childhood development services over the next three years.

Sep 2017 •Read in 3 mins

Supporting Missing Children Europe to combat child disappearances

In 2016, over 60,000 children came to Europe without their parents or caretakers and in 2015, at least 10,000 unaccompanied migrant children disappeared within hours of being registered. The H&M Foundation has donated 11.3 million SEK over a three-year period to Missing Children Europe, the European federation for missing and sexually exploited children. The donation will be used to strengthen protection systems for children in migration.