55% of products are environmentally friendly

At ba&sh, we consider that a product is environmentally friendly if it comprises at least 70% of so-called responsible materials*. 

*Except for recycled fibres. We consider a ba&sh product to be environmentally friendly if it is made of at least 40% recycled materials.

55% of the spring-summer 2021 collection is made up of environmentally friendly products (clothing, accessories, jewellery, etc.), compared to 22% for the spring-summer 2020 collection and 1% for the spring-summer 2019 collection. By 2023, our collections will be made up of 95% environmentally friendly products.

In our global approach to sustainable transformation, all the teams in our product chain (our stylists, our model makers, as well as our production, purchasing & quality teams) have been trained in the social and environmental issues surrounding the materials we use.

Materials at the heart of the matter

We estimate that 70% of the negative externalities in our industry are related to the different product manufacture stages*. 

To limit our footprint, we choose materials that are certified organic, recycled and which guarantee ethical practices, especially when they are of animal origin. We select the most stringent of labels. 

*McKinsey. (2020). Fashion on Climate. How the fashion industry can urgently act to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

66% of the world's viscose production comes from China*. Our viscose comes from sustainably managed forests (FSC) as a minimum. Whenever possible, we use Lyocell, an alternative material to conventional viscose. Lyocell has several trade names: TENCEL®, Lenzing Modal® and EcoVero®. It is a 100% cellulosic fibre made from wood pulp and a natural solvent. It is therefore entirely ecological and natural ! 

ba&sh x Canopy: preserving threatened forests

At ba&sh, we are committed to protecting forests around the world when sourcing paper, cardboard and viscose. How? By partnering with Canopy, an environmental NGO that works with more than 750 companies to transform supply chains and preserve forests around the world. As part of our partnership with Canopy, we have joined the CanopyStyle and Pack4Good initiatives in order to evolve our supply chains, preserve forests and provide next-generation alternative solutions. "Responsible forest management contributes to the preservation of biodiversity, ensures respect for the rights of indigenous peoples, while providing a safe and fair environment for workers."

*Water Footprint Network

The majority of sheep wool production used in the textile industry comes from Australia, China and New Zealand. Conventional wool has a strong environmental impact, including greenhouse gases, intensive use of insecticides, and even soil degradation. Even worse, some conventional wool producers perform cruel practices on the sheep, such as mulesing. This is a cruel and painful practice that involves removing part of the perianal skin of the sheep to reduce the risk of fly larvae developing under the skin. 

We strive to select wool certified as organic or Responsible Wool Standard (RWS). These certifications prohibit such practices that are cruel to the animals and harmful to the environment. 

94% of the world's polyester production comes from South East Asia. Polyester is a petroleum by-product, which is non-biodegradable and comes from polluted areas. This is why we opt for recycled polyester, and by 2023 ba&sh will eliminate the use of virgin plastic, by which we mean the basic raw material derived from petroleum. 

Synthetic textile fibres are also responsible for 35% of the plastic micro particles found in the oceans.* In order to fight against this phenomenon, we provide a wash bag that limits the leakage of these micro-particles during machine washes. 

*McKinsey. (2020). Biodiversity: the next frontier in sustainable fashion.

Almost 2/3 of world cotton production comes from China, India and the United States. Its cultivation consumes a considerable amount of water and pesticides. It is responsible for 25% of the pesticides used in the world, for just 2.5% of the world's agricultural surface*. 

For this reason we have turned to organic cotton. We select labels certifying compliance with high environmental and social standards and we are increasingly integrating organic cotton into the manufacture of ba&sh clothing. We do not consider items made from BCI cotton (Better Cotton Initiative) to be environmentally friendly.

In our opinion, it is insufficiently demanding. It authorises the use of pesticides and this label is more an obligation of means rather than of result. 

*Weltrowski, M. "Ecology: a criterion to take into consideration when buying clothing?" In Dion, M. & Julien, M. (2010). Ethics of women's fashion. University Press of France. 

The dyeing or tanning processes used in leather production can require the use of many chemicals that are harmful both to the health of artisans and to the environment. We are members of the Leather Working Group (LWG), which oversees the world's largest leather sustainability programme. This international non-profit organisation identifies best practices in the leather tanning industry in order to rate the environmental performance of tanneries. We source as much as possible from Italian or Portuguese tanneries certified by the LWG. Also, most of our bags are made from vegetable tanned leather. In 2022, 100% of our leathers will come from LWG certified tanneries. 

Animal wellbeing

At ba&sh, we believe that responsible fashion is also cruelty-free fashion. 

All of our suppliers undertake to respect our animal welfare charter which guarantees respect for the Five Freedoms for animals. These 5 universally recognised principles have been defined by the Farm Animal Welfare Council and are included in the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) definition of animal welfare.

We have not found any label that meets our requirements for fur, angora, raccoon and exotic leather. We have therefore banned the use of these materials from our collections.

For our animal fibre products (wool, cashmere, mohair, alpaca, etc.), we rely on the RWS, RMS and RDS international labels. In particular, they prohibit mulesing, a cruel and painful practice inflicted on sheep in conventional farming, and also live feather plucking. In addition, these labels guarantee a complete traceability system. 

We are a member of the Leather Working Group, which references the most responsible leather suppliers and keeps us informed of animal welfare best practices in the leather value chain. 

We use innovative materials that replace animal fibres wherever possible. The padding of all our down jackets from the Winter 2020 collection used Sorona®. This plant based fibre is as warm as feather and friendlier to the planet. It is made from the fermentation of corn, requires less energy and reduces our greenhouse gas emissions. 

A new jewellery line : bold, solar, responsible

A new strong link in the brand's looks, ba&sh recently launched its jewellery collection. Like all the new lines that we have launched over the past 3 years, we have opted for responsible development and production. 

All of the silver used in our collections is 100% recycled. It was at the request of ba&sh that our supplier switched to a supply that consists exclusively of recycled silver. Our supplier is a member of the RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council). Created in 2005, this organisation promotes ethical and responsible sourcing, respect for human rights, and high social and environmental standards in supply chains. 

Our diamond supply respects the Kimberley Process which guarantees so-called "conflict-free" diamonds. This means that they do not come from illegal activities used to finance rebel groups and therefore conflicts. 

We are working on the use of synthetic diamonds for our future collections. 

All of our recycled jewellery is handcrafted in Thailand. Our partner is subject to our code of conduct, which it has signed and undertakes to respect. Employees are paid above the legal minimum wage in force in the country. We will physically visit the site to carry out a comprehensive audit during 2021.

ANY QUESTIONS ?

Our customer service team is ready to help.

BY EMAIL : help@ba-sh.com