H&M became a prominent target of the backlash against fast fashion after sustainability advocates and media reports challenged the gap between its ethical branding and its high-volume business model. The company promoted garments marked with green “Conscious” tags, presenting them as made with more sustainable materials, while continuing to manufacture vast quantities of inexpensive clothing driven by rapidly changing trends. Critics argued that highlighting a limited sustainable range could create the impression of an environmentally responsible company without addressing the broader environmental cost of mass production.
The controversy intensified around allegations that H&M’s internal policy required some unsold clothing to be destroyed or incinerated rather than resold or redistributed. That accusation became a particularly damaging symbol of fast fashion’s contradiction: garments marketed as affordable and disposable could be treated as waste even before reaching consumers. The release of documentaries including The True Cost and RiverBlue further amplified public criticism of the industry. According to the source, H&M’s brand image and stock performance declined by 2018 amid growing consumer awareness of environmental and ethical concerns, although the text does not provide the underlying investigative documentation or establish that every allegation was legally proven.
