Hugo Boss has launched Eightyards GmbH to recycle surplus materials, aligning with its sustainability goals. But it faces criticism over waste reduction strategies.
Hugo Boss has announced the establishment of Eightyards GmbH, an independent entity dedicated to recycling and repurposing surplus materials, with operations set to commence in January 2025. This initiative aligns with the company’s broader sustainability goals, including achieving climate neutrality by 2030 and throughout its entire value chain by 2045.
Eightyards GmbH, headquartered in Metzingen, Germany, is wholly owned by Hugo Boss AG. The company aims to position itself as a key facilitator in recycling and reusing surplus materials across various industries beyond fashion. Initially, Eightyards will focus on managing Hugo Boss’s surplus materials, with plans to expand its recycling and reuse efforts into other sectors over time.
The leadership team of Eightyards includes Marketa Miltenberger as director and Placido Klitzke as co-director. Both bring extensive experience from within Hugo Boss; Miltenberger previously served as vice president of product excellence for outerwear, coats, and leather garments, while Klitzke was team leader for global brand product management at Hugo Menswear.
This move is part of Hugo Boss’s comprehensive sustainability strategy, which encompasses five key pillars: increasing circularity, driving digitization and data analytics, leveraging nature-positive materials, combating microplastics, and striving for zero emissions. The company has set ambitious targets, such as achieving 80 percent circular products by 2030 and sourcing 100 percent of its natural materials in alignment with regenerative farming principles or through closed-loop recycling by the same year.
In 2023, Hugo Boss reinforced its commitment to sustainability by backing a €100 million venture capital fund with Zurich-based Collateral Good, aimed at investing in startups and technologies that accelerate sustainability in the fashion industry. Additionally, the company introduced a capsule collection titled “The Change,” featuring outerwear crafted from HeiQ’s AeoniQ fabric, a sustainable, circular, closed-loop cellulose yarn developed in partnership with Swiss innovator HeiQ.
Despite these efforts, the launch of Eightyards has attracted criticism from industry experts. Brittany Sierra, founder and CEO of the Sustainable Fashion Forum, expressed skepticism in a LinkedIn post, questioning the necessity and effectiveness of creating a new entity for recycling surplus materials. She raised several concerns:
“How exactly will Eightyards facilitate the recycling and reuse of materials? Are we talking about chemical or mechanical recycling — or just downcycling and upcycling?,” she asked, question whether Eightyards will build its own recycling infrastructure, or rely on third-party partnerships.
“Why create a whole new company instead of partnering with the plethora of organizations already established in recycling and circularity?,” Sierra asked. “How much surplus material does Hugo Boss generate to justify this initiative, and how much does Eightyards plan to process in its early years?”
And she said, “most importantly,” if Hugo Boss is generating enough surplus to warrant a whole new company, “shouldn’t their first priority be redesigning their production system to minimize waste? Recycling is important, but it feels like they’re skipping a step.”
Sierra’s critique underscores a broader debate within the fashion industry about the balance between recycling initiatives and the imperative to reduce waste at the source. While recycling plays a crucial role in sustainability, many advocates argue that companies should prioritize redesigning production processes to minimize surplus material generation in the first place.
Hugo Boss’s sustainability strategy does address waste reduction through its focus on circularity and the use of nature-positive materials. The company aims to extend the longevity of its products, close material loops, and prioritize recycled and renewable materials. By 2030, Hugo Boss plans for 80 percent of its products to be circular, adhering to principles of recyclability, use of renewable or recycled raw materials, and design for longevity.
Furthermore, Hugo Boss is exploring circular business models such as repair and resale and has developed a Circular Product Policy to guide design and development processes. The company also provides training for employees in circular design and product development, emphasizing the shared creative potential of its design and product development departments.
Earlier this month, Hugo Boss became the first company to invest in Collateral Good Ventures Fashion I, a climate-first venture capital fund designed to accelerate sustainability in the fashion industry. The Fund will use the contribution over five years as part of efforts to subsidize several portfolio companies that are in the startup, early growth, and potential stages.
The Luxembourg-based venture capital fund is classified as a “Dark Green Fund” under the E.U. Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation, and pursues a clear sustainable investment objective as a result. Hugo Boss has contributed ten percent of the total target volume of €100 million.
“Our Claim 5 strategy defines our growth trajectory, but at the same time, it is guided by our commitment to be sustainable throughout”, Daniel Grieder, Chief Executive Officer of Hugo Boss, said in a statement. ”The partnership with Collateral Good perfectly complements our sustainability strategy ‘For a bold and better future’, which strives for a planet free of waste and pollution. Through this new form of investment, we will look for new solutions to target areas such as increasing circularity, using only nature-positive materials, eliminating microplastic pollution, and achieving zero emissions.”
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