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MATERIALS

MATERIALS

Choose materials that have less impact on humans, nature and animals.

From day one, we have chosen to work with quality materials to create pieces that not only stand the test of time, but also age beautifully.

To walk on the bright side means choosing high quality materials with the least possible environmental impact, ensuring animal welfare and sourcing only recycled synthetic materials.

By 2024

81%

of ba&sh items were made from a minimum of 70% certified or less environmentally impactful materials such as linen, raffia or hemp*

78%

of the materials used in our collections will be certified

* With the exception of recycled fibres, which achieve a rate of 40%

By 2024

88%

of cotton will be organic or recycled

85%

 of viscose will be alternative (LENZING™, LENZING™ Lyocell, TENCEL™ Modal) or made from wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed forests

72%

of wool comes from certified sources (guaranteeing animal welfare and sustainable pasture management, recycled or certified organic)

55%

of synthetic materials are recycled

Sheep in a field

Our target: 

80% certified materials by the end of 2028 

Raw materials account for 58% 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. For example, the distinct style and fit of certain pieces can only be achieved using synthetic materials. In such cases, we use recycled synthetic fibres wherever possible (see polyester section).

Our commitments

concerning materials

1 - WOOL

We strive to prioritize wool from organic farming, or from certified sources that guarantee animal welfare and sustainable pasture management. Our animal welfare policy strictly prohibits the practice of mulesing in our supply chain, as well as any other type of lamb cutting. ba&sh is a signatory to the Brand Letter of Intent launched by Four Paws, an environmental not-for-profit we have been working with since 2023.

In our 2024 Summer collection, 70% of wool is either sourced from certified farms that guarantee animal welfare and sustainable pasture management or is recycled or organic.


2028 target:

70% of wool certified RWS, recycled, or regenerative

Wool

2 - POLYESTER

We are actively working to reduce the use of synthetic materials in our collections - except where they are required to guarantee the style and durability of our pieces. We prioritize the use of recycled polyester, and wherever possible, we increasingly incorporate post-consumer recycled polyester, i.e. polyester that has been recycled from consumer waste or used textiles.


In our 2024 collection, 44% of the polyester used is of recycled origin.


2028 target: 50% of synthetic materials recycled (GRS, RCS)


In addition, since 2019, we provide our clients with a Guppyfriend, a wash bag that captures more than 90% of all microplastics released with each machine wash. It was developed based on recommendations by the Plastic Soup Foundation.

Pink polyester

3 - COTTON

Wherever possible, we source cotton fibers from organic farming, in conversion to organic, or from recycled sources. In our 2024 collections, 84% of the cotton is organically grown and 4% is recycled.


2028 target: 90% organic, recycled, or regenerative cotton in our collections.

White cotton

4 - CELLULOSE FIBERS

Since 2022, ba&sh partnered with the environmental not-for-profit Canopy and joined the CanopyStyle Initiative. As part of this commitment, ba&sh identifies and screens viscose suppliers to ensure the wood they procure does not contribute to deforestation.


In our 2024 collection, 46% of all viscose used is made from wood pulp procured from sustainably managed forests and 38% from alternative viscose (such as LENZING™, LENZING™ Lyocell or TENCEL™ Modal). Made from wood pulp and diluted with a natural solvent, these fibres feature lower environmental impact than conventional viscose, both in terms of CO2e emissions and water and energy consumption. For example, manufacturing LENZING™ Viscose generates 50% less CO2e emissions and consumes 50% less water than conventional viscose. 


2028 target: 90% viscose made from wood pulp sourced from sustainably managed forests, including 40% alternative viscose such as EcoVero®, Tencel™, Modal™, Circulose, Refibra, Enka, Naïa, etc.

brightly printed ba&sh fabric

5 - LEATHER

At ba&sh, we are committed to doing our utmost to respect the environment and animals by banning the use of exotic leather in our collections. All leather we use in our collections is a by-product from the meat industry. ba&sh also prioritizes sourcing leathers tanned in Europe, where regulatory standards for the use chromium are the highest.

ba&sh works with tanneries that are Leather Working Group (LWG) certified - a guarantee of good environmental performance (water and energy consumption, chemical use, etc.). 

By 2024, 100% of tanneries will be LWG certified (including 42% Gold, 26% Silver, 2% Bronze, and 30% Audited) and 70% will be located in Europe.


2025 target: Any new tanneries we partner with must be LWG Gold or Silver certified. 100% of tanneries in India and China will be LWG Gold or Silver certified.

Brown leather
Fabric samples
Fabric samples

ba&sh committed to preserving forests

ba&sh has partnered with the environmental not-for-profit Canopy and is a signatory to both the CanopyStyle Initiative and Pack4Good programmes.

Since the 2021 Winter collection, ba&sh works together with Canopy to identify viscose suppliers in our supply chain each season. By guaranteeing that no ba&sh product made from viscose contributes to deforestation, this project contributes to our goal of preserving forests. It reflects our commitment to making enlightened choices in selecting our materials: always prioritizing the best possible option.

94%

of viscose sourced from viscose producers classified as "Canopy-friendly" in 2024 according to the Canopy’s Hot Button (in quantities produced).

Graph showing how ba&sh has improved on the Canopy rating bewteen 2023 and 2024
Canopy logo

The Canopy Hot Button is the leading fiber sourcing analysis tool for the fashion industry that focuses on forest preservation. Viscose producers labeled “Canopy-friendly” have been rated “Dark Green,” “Green-Dark Green,” or “Green.” This refers to producers who, through their practices, do not source cellulose fibers from ancient and endangered forests.

2025 target

100% of the viscose fibers used in our collections come from “Canopy-friendly” viscose suppliers

Sheep in a field, man riding a horse
Sheep in a field, man riding a horse

ANIMAL WELFARE

ba&sh has committed to never using materials that result from the suffering or killing of animals.

Furthermore, we actively support agricultural methods that prioritize animal well-being. Consequently, we have phased out several materials from our collections over the years, including some that featured in several of our best-selling items.

We work closely with NGO Four Paws - an animal welfare nonprofit - to continually improve our animal welfare policy.

2028 target

70% of materials and animal fibers certified according to standards that include animal welfare and sustainable pasture management criteria, or are organic or recycled

Feather pictogram

A ban on fur: ba&sh is a member of the Fur Free Retailer Program

Pictogram

A ban on exotic leather, feathers, down and angora

Animal friendly pictogram

A ban on mulesing - a cruel and commonly practiced mutilation of lambs - mainly from Australia. ba&sh is a signatory to the Brand Letter of Intent initiated by Four Paws.

Wool pictogram

100% recycled cashmere

Sheep pictogram

ba&sh is also supporting sheep farms in their transition towards more regenerative farming practices

ba&sh committed to regenerative agriculture

ba&sh is committed to developing and funding regenerative agriculture projects. In Uruguay, 3 sheep farms are currently transitioning towards regenerative farming practices, equivalent to 8 hectares in the process of regeneration.

 

Regenerative agriculture has the potential to fundamentally transform farming: regenerating soils, protecting biodiversity, eliminating synthetic inputs, ensuring social equity & improving the economic situation of farmers as well as animal welfare.

Nativa x ba&sh logo

2028 target

Increase the proportion of regenerative wool in our collections

Frequently asked questions

Raw materials account for 58% 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 2024, ba&sh's activities generated 65,576 tonnes of CO₂e, equivalent to driving around the world 7,528 times or flying 37,020 times between Paris and New York.

Between 2023 and 2024, ba&sh reduced its carbon footprint by 5%.

This reduction has been made possible thanks to 4 key action levers: increasing the proportion of certified materials in our collections, reducing air transport, cutting our production volumes and switching to less carbon-intensive, renewable energy for our infrastructures (sales outlets, warehouse and head office).

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 2023, 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 2024, 94% of our tier 1 production sites had been audited.

Our goal is to have 100% of our Tier 1 production sites audited by 2025, and 30% of our Tier 2 sites by 2028.

To find out more, visit the "Partners" section of our website.

In 2024, 53% of our production came from medium-haul import regions (Europe, North Africa, Turkey) while 47% came from long-haul import regions (China, India). Between 2021 and 2024, 7% of our production was relocated from Asia to Europe and North Africa.

We have no intention of stopping here: by 2028, we aim to have 60% of our production sourced from medium-haul import regions (Europe, North Africa, Turkey) and 40% 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 seven key areas: Mission & Stakeholder Governance, Climate Action, Human Rights, Fair Labor, Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Environmental Management & Circularity and Public Affairs & Collective Action. 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 increasing its share of certified animal raw materials (RWS, RMS, GRS) to 70% by 2028. 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 as 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.

- ba&sh has banned the use of angora.

- ba&sh prohibits the practice of mulesing as 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.