Climate Changed

A Power Plant Is Burning H&M Clothes Instead of Coal

Trash burning utility uses discarded clothes as fuel
Plant’s last coal delivery arrived on Tuesday by boat

Fashion clothing including t-shirts decorated with a "Burger & Fries" motif sit on display rails inside a Hennes & Mauritz AB (H&M) retail store in Stockholm, Sweden, on Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2017. Hennes & Mauritz AB provided some much-needed good news for Europe’s struggling clothing retail market, reporting profit that topped estimates and setting a new annual growth target.Photographer: Johan Jeppsson/Bloomberg

Provide news feedback or report an error

Confidential tip?

Send a tip to our reporters

Site feedback:

Take our Survey

By Jesper Starn

November 24, 2017 at 12:01 AM UTC

Updated on

November 24, 2017 at 8:21 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

Burning discarded clothing from retail chain Hennes & Mauritz AB is helping a Swedish power plant replace coal for good.

The combined heat and power station in Vasteras, northwest of Stockholm, is converting from oil- and coal-fired generation to become a fossil fuel-free facility by 2020. That means burning recycled wood and trash, including clothes H&M can’t sell.