H&M has opposed Sweden’s proposed tax on substances of very high concern in clothes and footwear as it is not likely to improve work health, the environment or product safety

The Swedish government plans to implement a tax on clothes and shoes containing SVHCs under REACH. The proposal would see a tax of SEK40 (€3.66) per kg for all clothing and footwear, with the possibility of deductions of up to 95 per cent for products that do not contain the targeted chemicals. It aims to increase public finances and cost-effectively reduce the incidence or risk of exposure to, and spread of, substances in clothing and footwear that are harmful to the environment and human health

However, H&M believes the tax targets all clothes and shoes, even though it is based on deems that most of those products do not contain these chemicals. This means H&M and other brands would have to prove that these chemicals are not in their products even though this is already known.