Doing a big closet clear-out before move-in day, or just itching to switch up your style?
Odds are there are a few pieces buried in your wardrobe you'd happily part with. Here's the good bit: you can hand them over and get an H&M discount for recycling your clothes at the same time. Here's exactly how it works.
What's the real cost of fast fashion?
According to H&M, less than 1% of the material used to make clothing gets recycled into new clothing each year. That means a huge amount of fabric ends up in landfill instead of back in the loop. To help tackle that, H&M launched its Garment Collecting program back in 2013, and it's still running in stores today.
Want to shop a little greener while you're at it? These sustainable and second-hand brands are a solid place to start.
How does H&M garment collecting work?
It's about as low-effort as it gets:
1. Gather up any clothes or textiles you no longer wear — any brand, any condition, even odd socks and worn-out tees.
2. Take them to your nearest H&M store and hand your bag in at the register, or drop it straight into the in-store collection box.
3. Grab your thank-you voucher to use on your next H&M haul.
From there, your old stuff gets sorted into one of three buckets:
Rewear: anything still wearable is resold as second-hand clothing.
Reuse: pieces that aren't fit to wear again get turned into other products, like cleaning cloths.
Recycle: everything else is shredded into textile fibers for things like insulation.
What do you actually get for it?
Prefer to earn as you go? H&M Membership is free to join (you'll need to be 16 or older) and racks up one point for every $1 you spend in-store or online. Hit 200 points and you'll get a $5 voucher, and you can bag bonus points for recycling through Garment Collecting too.
Is it actually making a difference?
Short answer: yeah. In 2020, H&M collected around 18,800 tons of unwanted clothing worldwide — roughly the equivalent of 94 million t-shirts. Every bag you drop off keeps more textiles out of landfill, so it genuinely adds up.
Save on your next H&M shop
Here's the best part: you don't have to pick between saving money and shopping smarter. Don't forget you can grab a 10% H&M student discount through Student Beans on top, so your wardrobe refresh stays kind to both the planet and your bank balance.
Want more ways to shop consciously? Check out these fashion pieces you'd never guess were sustainable and the H&M designer dupes that look luxe for way less.
Unlock even more with Student Beans
All your favourite brands at your fingertips, from fashion and beauty to food and drink, available to college and uni students aged 16 and over. Dive into our blog to find tips and advice to help you navigate student life, from applying to college to life after graduation.
- Sign up for a Student Beans account or log in to start saving on the biggest and best brands.
- Download the Student Beans app to unlock exclusive app-only discounts.
