H&M Destroys Unsold Clothing, Gets Caught, Repents

by Josie Raymond · 2010-01-07 07:48:00 UTC
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Photo credit: Suzanne DeChillo/New York TimesThe New York Times gave the Swedish clothing giant H&M a chance to explain why unsold clothing is sliced up before it's disposed of in giant trash bags outside its store on 34th Street in New York City. Actually, the Times gave the company ten chances, in the form of requests for comment. It got none. So on Wednesday it ran a story slamming the company for the practice and pointing out that destroying winter coats rather than donating them is strange behavior for a company with a big fat "corporate responsibility" tab on its website.

"It is winter. A third of the city is poor. And unworn clothing is being destroyed nightly," the author of piece, Jim Dwyer, wrote. He was even kind enough to locate the nearby New York City Clothing Bank, which has a method of marking donated apparel to remove its black market value but not its ability to keep needy people warm.

Cue the PR disaster. The story spread, the Twitter masses were appalled. The company's "responsibility" posturing unraveled faster than an H&M sweater you accidentally put in the dryer. Within hours, an H&M spokesperson got in touch with Dwyer, said that the company normally donates unsellable merchandise and pledged, "It will not happen again."

Photo credit: Suzanne DeChillo/New York Times

Josie Raymond has reported from the streets of the South Bronx, written for several magazines that folded (not her fault) and fixed thousands of typos.
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