As avid proponents of alternative materials and sustainable fashion, H&M is no stranger to the topic of animal welfare. In fact the company is proudly a fur free retailer, and when they do opt for animal-derived textiles and textures such as leather, animal hair and even down, they try to enforce a strict standard so that the retailer and all of their customers can openly know where their products are coming from and how they are sourced. It’s a feat that requires quite a lot of collaboration and responsible sourcing on behalf of the company, but it’s one that they’re determined to accomplish.

Photo Courtesy of H&M.

“Animal welfare is important to H&M. Animals must be treated with respect at all times” spokespersons for H&M say. “Our Animal Welfare policy guides us and our suppliers to act responsibly and transparently.”

“Our ambition is to improve animal welfare in our supply chain and in our industry. To help us succeed with this bold ambition we have decided to also partner with the well-known animal welfare organization, Humane Society International.”

With a shared aim to help improve animal welfare within the industry across the board, H&M and the Humane Society International (HSI) are working together to globally promote the humane treatment of animals and even achieve a global ban on animal testing within the beauty industry. But that doesn’t mean that the company is going entirely vegan for its upcoming collections. By responsibly sourcing their materials and clearly outlining what sort of practices H&M will and will not accept, their Animal Welfare policy creates a code of ethics that the company hopes to continue to uphold with the use of wool, down, leathers and other animal hairs. It’s a unique course of action, but H&M hopes to make it an industry-wide standard with the help of HSI.

“It is always exciting to partner with a company that shares our passion for animal protection” CEO for Humane Society International, Andrew Rowan says. “Working with H&M to end cosmetics animal testing, and improve the lives of animals on farms, will set a high standard for others to follow. It will show that it not only makes good ethical sense to treat animals with kindness and compassion, but it makes good business sense too.”