Bamboo is an inherently lower impact crop than hardwood trees because it needs little to no irrigation or pesticides, grows rapidly so needs less land, can be harvested without damaging root systems and surrounding habitats, and even has the potential to store carbon and regenerate soil health. We've mapped the sources of our bamboo and we're actively working to ensure responsible cultivation practices and as well as assessing the exact benefits of bamboo cultivation.

Organic cotton is grown without pesticides, uses less energy and significantly less water than conventional cotton. Cotton farms are often small holdings with the cotton sold on to processing companies. We can't identify each of the hundreds of small farms who likely supply BAM's cotton. Instead, we rely on transaction certificates to trace back to country level and guarantee our cotton is organic.

Synthetic fibres are generally made from petroleum, which is made from non-renewable fossil fuels. We've used a small amount in this product to give your garment better performance and durability. As of 2022, virgin synthetic fibres make up less than 5% of BAM's total fibre usage. We aim to eliminate them completely by 2030 and are actively exploring recycled or lower impact alternatives that we can use without compromising on performance.

Jigao Jilin were the first company to produce viscose from bamboo and continue to lead the way as a responsible viscose producer in China. They are rated joint 3rd best on the Canopy Hot Button Report which ranks viscose and MMCF producers on environmental performance and commitment to protecting ancient and endangered forests. They also hold OekoTex Step level 3 certification – one of the most rigorous industry audits assessing the use of chemicals, quality management, environmental and social impact. They have completed an EU BAT assessment and are in the process of completing the ZDHC MMCF module.

Cotton plants need to go through a process called ginning, where the seed is removed from the fibre. This usually happens in the same region as the farms, before the bales are sent to yarn mills to be cleaned, carded (combed), and spun into yarn.

Elastane comes from petroleum derived from fossil fuels. In addition to being an unsustainable material it can also contaminate textile recycling streams and won't biodegrade in landfill. We are actively searching for lower impact alternatives, in the meantime strictly limiting our use of elastane when needed for performance – to improve fit, allow the garment to retain its shape over time, prolong the life of the garment and keep it in use longer.

We identified this supplier as part of our supply chain mapping. Our goal now is to build up a better picture of the mill, understand their practices and processes as well as the environmental and social governance in place. In this way we can assess their impact on our products. 

This facility is a wet processor using water and chemicals in their processing. They are already following best practice in many areas and transparent in their reporting their wastewater and chemical management policies. They are already certified to Foundational level on the ZDHC Supplier to Zero programme. They rank as “best” on our scale of “good, better, best".

This facility is a wet processor using water and chemicals in their processing. They are already following best practice in many areas and transparent in their reporting their wastewater and chemical management policies. They are already certified to Foundational level on the ZDHC Supplier to Zero programme. They rank as “best” on our scale of “good, better, best".

We've been working with Narkonteks since 2018 and last visited their fantastic factories in Manisa and Izmir in 2023. They have invested heavily in renewable energy and efficient machinery. All fabric and packaging waste from their production gets recycled through a specialist company. They also plant a tree for each employee's birthday through a local afforestation project.

BAM are a certified B-Corp. We launched the Employee Ownership Trust in 2021 which means our employees now equally share ownership of 10% of the company. BAM is a living wage employer in the UK and is accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.