The Fibr Audit: H&M — How Much of Your Wardrobe Is Actually Plastic?

H&M is the world's second-largest fashion retailer. They sell billions of garments per year across 75+ markets. They've also positioned themselves as leaders in sustainable fashion — with organic cotton commitments, recycled polyester targets, and a green-tagged "Conscious Collection."

But what are H&M clothes actually made of? We looked at the data.

Overview

H&M's numbers look better than much of fast fashion. Cotton is their primary material, and their polyester rate is lower than Zara's. But the headline figure — 22% polyester in the total mix — masks the reality that most individual garments still contain some synthetic content.

How H&M Compares

H&M sits in the middle. Better than Zara and dramatically better than Shein, but nowhere near brands like Reformation (2.56% synthetic) or Gap (~5-10%).

What H&M Is Actually Made Of

Based on H&M's sustainability reports and our product analysis, the material breakdown looks like this:

• Cotton — H&M's single largest material. They're one of the world's largest users of organic cotton, though organic cotton still represents a fraction of total cotton used. Cotton dominates their basics: t-shirts, jeans, underwear, and simple knitwear.
• Polyester — Present in approximately 65% of garments, though not always as the primary material. Dominates dresses, activewear, and outerwear. 94% is now recycled polyester (rPET), sourced from post-consumer plastic bottles.
• Viscose — Common in dresses, blouses, and summer pieces. Semi-synthetic — made from wood pulp but through chemical processing.
• Elastane — Blended into jeans, underwear, and anything with stretch. Usually 2-5% but makes garments harder to recycle.
• Acrylic — Found in cheaper knitwear and sweaters. A fully synthetic alternative to wool.

The Conscious Collection Problem

H&M's Conscious Collection (now labelled "Conscious Choice") carries a green hang tag and implies sustainable materials. Here's what it actually means:

• A garment needs at least 50% "more sustainable" material to qualify
• "Recycled polyester" counts as a sustainable material — even though it still sheds microplastics, traps heat, doesn't breathe, and takes centuries to decompose
• Many Conscious items are still majority synthetic — a dress that's 55% recycled polyester and 45% conventional polyester qualifies for the green tag
• The label tells you the source is better (recycled vs virgin petroleum), not that the material is natural or safe for your skin

This is the core tension: recycled polyester is genuinely better than virgin polyester from an environmental source perspective. But it's still plastic clothing with all the same problems for your body — heat trapping, bacterial growth, microplastic shedding, and chemical treatments.

Category Breakdown

Like all fast fashion brands, H&M's fabric composition varies enormously by category:

The Good

• Basic t-shirts — often 100% cotton, especially in the core range. H&M's cotton basics are genuinely competitive.
• Denim — primarily cotton-based (80-98% cotton with elastane for stretch). H&M jeans are among the most natural items in their catalogue.
• Underwear — cotton options widely available, though synthetic options exist too. Check the label.

The Bad

• Dresses — overwhelmingly polyester. Even "linen blend" dresses often contain majority polyester. This is H&M's biggest synthetic category by volume.
• Outerwear — coats and jackets are heavily synthetic. Even wool-look coats are frequently polyester or acrylic-dominant.
• Activewear — 100% synthetic across the board. Polyester and elastane, no natural fibre options.
• Sweaters — often acrylic (cheap wool substitute) rather than actual wool or cotton. Check the label carefully.

The Premium Brand Gap

H&M Group owns several brands at different price tiers, and fabric quality correlates directly with price:

• H&M (core) — ~22% polyester mix. Cotton-heavy basics, synthetic everything else.
• COS — significantly higher natural fibre content. More linen, wool, and quality cotton. Fewer synthetics.
• Arket — consistently uses higher-quality natural materials and heavier fabric weights.
• & Other Stories — mid-tier, better than core H&M but still mixed.

If you like H&M's aesthetic but want better fabrics, COS and Arket are worth the premium. The difference in fabric quality is real, not just marketing.