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FOOTPRINT
To walk on the bright side means working to reduce our impact on the climate, biodiversity and water all at once, since these environmental issues are intrinsically linked - and our business depends on all three.
It means better understanding, mapping out and measuring our impacts.
It means taking action to reduce our impact, starting where we have the most room for improvement.
It means seeking and contributing to the development of innovative solutions to do better.
To walk on the bright side means working to reduce our impact on the climate, biodiversity and water all at once, since these environmental issues are intrinsically linked - and our business depends on all three.
It means better understanding, mapping out and measuring our impacts.
It means taking action to reduce our impact, starting where we have the most room for improvement.
It means seeking and contributing to the development of innovative solutions to do better.
#Justfacts
ba&sh's carbon
footprint in 2022
Since 2019, ba&sh has assessed its carbon footprint yearly, using the GHG Protocol methodology across all its direct and indirect activities.
In 2022, ba&sh's activities generated 63,328 tonnes of CO2e, equivalent to driving around the world 7,200 times or flying 31,500 times between Paris and New York.
Between 2021 and 2022, ba&sh reduced its carbon footprint by 15%, or 11,461 tonnes of CO₂.
This reduction has been made possible thanks to 3 key action levers: increasing the proportion of certified materials in the composition of our products, reducing our use of air transport by 10% and finally using renewable energies for part of our shops and our warehouse.
Breakdown of CO₂e
emissions by category
Focus on transport,
our second greatest impact
On the road to progress with FRET21.
In May 2023, ba&sh joined the voluntary FRET21 scheme, which supports companies in reducing their transport-related greenhouse gas emissions.
Our targets by 2025
38% reduction in emissions for all segments directly managed by ba&sh (equivalent to 82% of all transport)
58% of production relocated to medium-haul import regions with transport split between road (58%), sea (28%) and air (14%)
25% reduction in air transport compared with 2022
- 4 000
Tonnes of CO₂e between 2022 and 2021 despite an increase in volumes transported.
CARBON FOOTPRINT REPORT 2023 Adapting our infrastructures and practices
Adapting our infrastructures and practices
Headquarters
Our offices around the world are powered by electricity with varying carbon-intensity depending on each country's energy mix. For example, France's energy mix is less carbon-intensive than that of China or the United States, as it relies more on nuclear power than on coal.
4.6 tonnes.
That's the amount of waste collected and recycled from our Paris headquarters by our partner Lemon tri in 2023.
Lemon Tri is a certified B Corp™ from the social economy sector that collects and recycles waste in France.
Our Target:
100% of ba&sh offices powered by renewable energies by 2025.
Stores
Our points of sale account for 8.5% of our carbon footprint. Between 2022 and 2021, ba&sh has achieved a 36% reduction of associated emissions (i.e. around 2,600 tonnes of CO2e) by switching to renewable energy supply contracts.
In Europe, 93% of ba&sh stores are now powered either by renewable energies (over 87%) or nuclear power. As for our points of sale in Asia and the United States, where reliance on coal remains prevalent, we're actively exploring alternative solutions.
Our target:
100% of our points of sale powered by renewable energy by 2025.
* Countries featuring a low-carbon energy mix: Switzerland, Norway, France, Sweden.
Countries featuring a high-carbon energy mix: China, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, UK, USA, Canada.
Warehouse
ba&sh's worldwide logistics hub is located in a warehouse north of Paris. The building has been awarded the "Excellent" level of High Environmental Quality (HQE) certification and has been powered entirely by renewable energies since 2023.
All waste generated at the warehouse is collected and recycled by Paprec and Lemon Tri.
Our target:
0% virgin plastic in logistics packaging by 2025.
At ba&sh, we advocate a holistic approach that simultaneously addresses climate and biodiversity, which are themselves interdependent. The production of raw materials and the manufacturing and processing of ba&sh garments have a major impact on biodiversity. ba&sh strives to reduce associated impacts in the following areas
In 2021, ba&sh worked with a specialized consultancy to assess the company’s impact on biodiversity. A specific action plan was established to complement our climate strategy.
Our actions focus on the following themes:
Production of materials:
Transformation processes (washing, dyeing, tanning, etc.)
To walk on the bright side is to confront the crucial issue of water in the textile industry, which both consumes significant amounts of water and can contribute to polluting it.
It means doing our part to reduce water consumption and the pollution of water that can occur along our supply chain.
We are already taking decisive action concerning our most water-intensive materials and transformation processes:
Choosing certified or alternative materials, such as Ecovero®, which requires 50% less water than conventional viscose, or organically grown cotton, which requires 91% less water than conventional cotton (source: HIGG MSI).
Choosing Leather Working Group (LWG) certified leather: 95% of our tanneries will be LWG certified by 2023. This certification is a guarantee of good environmental management - particularly with regard to water. ba&sh also prioritizes sourcing leathers tanned in Europe, which upholds higher standards in terms of water and chemical product management.
For our Winter 2023 collection, 53% of our denims were washed in an eco-responsible way, scoring low (less than 53) on the EIM (Environmental Impact Measurement). Each piece required less than 35L of water to be washed - down from 80L for a conventional wash. A low EIM score also implies less chemical use, and therefore less risk of water pollution.
60% of our denim laundries feature a valid environmental audit.
In 2024, we carried out a comprehensive assessment of water consumption and pollution in our supply chain in order to establish a more ambitious action plan.
Our packaging
Packaging accounts for 3% of ba&sh's carbon footprint. Though not the most significant source of emissions, and because any progress is good progress, we are also seeking to improve on this front: ba&sh has joined the Pack4good initiative led by the environmental not-for-profit Canopy and is phasing out virgin plastic while gradually getting rid of superfluous packaging. We're also prioritizing recycled and certified materials (sourced from sustainably managed forests) for all packaging.
E-commerce
Our e-commerce packaging is made from 100% recycled paper, using wood pulp from sustainably managed forests, and is 100% recyclable.
In 2023, we broadened the scope of our circularity strategy to include packaging, in partnership with Hipli. Designed to be reused 100 times, the Hipli parcel is made from polypropylene, resulting in a significantly lower environmental impact than conventional packaging - its carbon footprint is 83% lower than that of a cardboard parcel. The Hipli parcel is now available for all e-commerce deliveries in France.
Stores
Our shopping bags are made from 80% recycled paper, are 100% recyclable and made from wood pulp from sustainably managed forests. Unfortunately, for reasons of strength, they cannot yet be made from 100% recycled paper.
As for our tissue paper, it is 100% recycled, made from wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed forests, and fully recyclable.
Warehouse
Polybags, those little pouches designed to protect your ba&sh items during transport, are evolving too! In the past, they were made from two different types of plastic - which made them very difficult to recycle.
Now, our polybags are made from the same material, LDPE, which is 100% recycled and recyclable. We looked into the possibility of using 'bio-sourced' plastic, which is considered compostable, but ruled this out as the environmental benefits have yet to be proven. What's more, there are no large-scale composting facilities.
Our targets for 2025:
0%
virgin plastic in all our packaging
100%
of packaging made exclusively from recycled paper and cardboard, using wood pulp from sustainably managed forests
Frequently asked questions
Raw materials account for 57% of our carbon footprint. Hence, they constitute an essential lever for reducing our impact. To reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and help preserve biodiversity, we select our materials with care, always choosing the best possible option, such as organic or recycled fibres, or certified materials that guarantee animal welfare and sustainable pasture management, based on labels with the highest standards.
And when the best option is not possible - due to lack of supply, for instance - we select the next best alternative.
To find out more, visit the “Materials” section of our website.
Since 2019, ba&sh has assessed its carbon footprint yearly, using the GHG Protocol methodology across all its direct and indirect activities.
In 2022, ba&sh's activities generated 63,328 tonnes of CO₂e, equivalent to driving around the world 7,200 times or flying 31,500 times between Paris and New York.
Between 2021 and 2022, ba&sh reduced its carbon footprint by 15%, or 11,461 tonnes of CO₂e.
This reduction has been made possible thanks to 3 key action levers: increasing the proportion of certified materials in the composition of our products, reducing our use of air transport by 10% and finally using renewable energies for part of our shops and our warehouse.
To find out more, visit the "Planet" section of our website.
ba&sh has established a strict social compliance policy, which is appended to the General Terms and Conditions signed by all suppliers.
We require direct suppliers to conduct a social audit every 2 years. We recognise only the most demanding international standards: BSCI, SMETA, WCA, ICS. Suppliers are assessed on social performance criteria including: working conditions, remuneration, decent working hours, health and safety, rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, environmental protection... Following the audit, ba&sh works together with suppliers in implementing corrective measures to address any non-compliance.
Since 2021, ba&sh has been a member of Amfori, a business association that helps companies improving working conditions in their supply chains. As of this year, we will also be conducting environmental audits in our denim laundries.
In 2023, 82% of our tier 1 production sites had been audited.
Our objective? By 2025, 100% of tier 1 and 2 production sites audited, and 30% of tier 3 sites.
To find out more, visit the "Partners" section of our website.
In 2023, 51% of our production came from medium-haul import regions (Europe, North Africa, Turkey) while 49% came from long-haul import regions (China, India). Between 2021 and 2023, 10% of our production was relocated from Asia to Europe and North Africa.
We have no intention of stopping here: by 2025, we aim to have 70% of our production sourced from medium-haul import regions (Europe, North Africa, Turkey) and 30% from long-haul import regions (China, India).
To find out more, visit the "Partners" section of our website or read our sustainability report.
B Corp™ certification is based on an assessment of a company's overall impact in five key areas: governance, the environment, employees, customers and community. This assessment is conducted using a comprehensive questionnaire which the company must complete itself, providing documents to support each claim.
To achieve certification, a company must score over 80 points. The evaluation process is demanding and rigorous. In the case of ba&sh, it lasted 18 months.
As a B Corp™, we’re part of a global community of businesses that meet high standards of social and environmental impact.
Our animal welfare policy has recently been updated in line with the recommendations of animal welfare nonprofit FOUR PAWS, who has also reviewed our policy. This document is appended to our General Terms and Conditions, which are signed by all suppliers. In concrete terms:
- ba&sh is committed to sourcing only certified animal materials by 2025 (RWS, RMS, GRS) - by 2027 for alpaca (RAS).
- The RWS, RMS and RAS labels guarantee animal welfare and sustainable pasture management at certified suppliers. The GRS label guarantees the recycled origin of recycled textile fibres.
- ba&sh has banned the use of fur and is a member of the Fur-Free Retailer Program.
- ba&sh prohibits the use of exotic leather (e.g. crocodile, snake, etc.).
- ba&sh has banned the use of down and feathers. Down jackets are now padded with a more eco-responsible alternative (REPREVE: recycled plastic bottles).
- ba&sh has banned the use of angora.
- ba&sh prohibits the practice of mulesing and is a signatory to the Brand Letter of Intent initiated by FOUR PAWS.
- ba&sh only uses recycled cashmere.
To find out more, visit the "Materials" section of our website or read our sustainability report.
