Our take on Bonobo’s ethical and sustainable approach

Eco-friendly materials used by Bonobo:

*Non-exhaustive list

Percentage of eco-friendly materials:

Information published by Bonobo :

Among the eco-friendly materials most often cited by Bonobo is cotton. Under the name "eco-friendly cotton", the brand groups together "organic cotton", "recycled cotton" and "BCI cotton". According to the brand, this "eco-friendly" cotton makes up nearly 75% of the cotton it uses. The so-called "organic" cotton is backed by no label and no explanation. The brand gives no detailed figures on the share of each category of cotton (organic, recycled, BCI). And when you use the "organic cotton" filter, you can't tell whether it means organic cotton in the strict sense or "eco-friendly cotton" containing BCI and/or recycled cotton (so not organic).

Lyocell, linen and recycled fibres are also used. Between 2017 and 2018, the brand says it multiplied its products made from recycled fibres by 6, even though their share remains fairly limited (in terms of product references at least: in October 2020, these references made up only 8% for women and 9% for men).

Since 2012, Bonobo has offered INSTINCT, an "eco-friendly" range whose items are made from "sustainable, eco-designed fibres" (at least 50% eco-friendly materials or at least 30% recycled fibres, according to the brand). Some products in the INSTINCT range can therefore be made of 50% BCI cotton (a controversial cotton as it may contain GMOs and pesticides) and 50% polyester. A proportion that raises questions.

According to Bonobo, the INSTINCT range makes up 30% of the brand's total products. However, going strictly by the references (a product's identification number) offered by the brand, only 15% of women's references are considered eco-friendly, compared with 35% for men, in October 2020. Across the whole website, only 24% of references are considered "eco-friendly".

As for the eco-friendly products, the brand flags them with a mention in the catalogue and a banner on the product page. However, if a "recycled" garment contains cotton and elastane, for example, you can't tell which material is recycled, or whether both are, and in what proportions.

Some product pages are also incomplete: sometimes synthetic fibre is listed in the composition without specifying the type, or Lyocell is mentioned in the banner but can't be found in the finished product's composition.

When it comes to manufacturing processes, Bonobo offers innovative washing techniques (airwashed, laser, seedwash, earth color), detailed on its website, and has banned sandblasting. However, no information seems to indicate a ban on chrome tanning.

Finally, Groupe Beaumanoir, which Bonobo belongs to, has banned fur and angora rabbit hair for all its brands. As for mohair, Groupe Beaumanoir set itself the goal of no longer using it by 2020.

💬 Our view :

✅ Bonobo seems to be starting to commit to using eco-friendly materials: lyocell, linen, some organic cotton if it is certified, and recycled cotton. The brand is also investing in more sustainable techniques and bans the use of animal materials.

🔴 However, Bonobo mostly uses non eco-friendly materials (conventional cotton, elastane, polyester, viscose). Bonobo could go further by raising the threshold of eco-friendly materials across its whole collection, and in its INSTINCT range too. Product pages could be clearer and more detailed for the sake of transparency. The brand could clarify its vocabulary overall, and especially regarding "eco-friendly cotton".

Approach to environmental labels

Information published by Bonobo :

Bonobo is a member of the BCI (between 2017 and 2018, 26% of the conventional cotton used by the brand was replaced with BCI cotton). The BCI aims to offer more responsible cotton farming, but it also allows GMO seeds and pesticides.

Since 2015, the brand has been a member of the Amfori Business Environmental Performance Initiative, which helps companies improve their energy performance.

Groupe Beaumanoir's 2017-2018 CSR Report mentions that since 2017 Bonobo has taken part in the European Clothing Action Plan, funded by the European Union's Life programme. It "brings together many European players in the textile industry who want to improve the environmental performance of their products throughout their life cycle and commit further to a circular economy".

In 2015, Bonobo received the Label Enseigne Responsable® awarded by the Club Génération Responsable (whose audits appear to be independent), of which Groupe Beaumanoir is a member. It is aligned with ISO 26 000 and consistent with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

💬 Our view :

✅ The brand seems to be committed to obtaining labels to improve its supply chain from an environmental point of view, and to gaining independent recognition for its approach.

🔴 On the other hand, when it comes to material certification, the brand could really go further. The cotton doesn't seem to be certified (apart from BCI cotton, whose environmental commitment and reliability are controversial).

Other eco-friendly initiatives

Information published by Bonobo : In terms of transparency, you can download Groupe Beaumanoir's Non-Financial Performance Statements for 2018 and 2019-2020. You can also access the CSR Reports for 2015-2016 and 2017-2018.

Bonobo carried out a Carbon Footprint assessment for the first time in 2016, which allowed the brand to set up a policy to reduce its GHG emissions.

On the recycling side, for several years the brand has offered collection boxes for used clothes in its shops in France and Belgium. The idea is simple: for each clothing donation, the customer gets a five-euro voucher to spend on a pair of jeans. The collected clothes go to Le Relais (France) or Groupe Terre (Belgium).

As for packaging, the plastic mailing bags for online orders are gradually being replaced with cardboard boxes, and the group states that all staff involved in developing packaging have been trained in eco-design since 2018.

Various measures have been put in place to reduce the brand's energy consumption in its shops, warehouses and offices. Renewable energy is used for Bonobo shops and the head office. The brand set itself the goal of switching to 100% renewable energy for its sites in France (offices, warehouses and shops) by 2020.

On the waste side, the brand has introduced the reuse of suppliers' cardboard boxes in its warehouses in China and France for shipping products to shops, double-sided printing, recycling of furniture from its French shops, etc.

When it comes to protecting water, the brand seems to have introduced a policy of monitoring wastewater treatment and optimising water use in factories, without giving precise figures.

💬 Our view :

✅ The brand seems committed to reducing waste, cutting GHG pollution, protecting water and using renewable energy.

🔴 This information was found on the Groupe Beaumanoir website. For the sake of transparency, it would fully deserve a place on the websites of the group's various brands.

Support for environmental NGOs or charities

Information published by Bonobo :

The Bonobo Fondation has supported various charities, including Awely and its bonobo conservation programme in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Bonobo has also supported Planète Urgence, which works on reforestation and biodiversity conservation, for its project to restore and protect the wildlife-rich mangrove forest on the island of Borneo in Indonesia.

💬 Our view :

✅ The brand seems committed to a broader environmental approach that goes beyond action on its own production.

R&D efforts and laboratory testing

Information published by Bonobo : Bonobo products are tested by independent international laboratories before going on sale. The brand also refuses to use chemical substances, even permitted ones.

💬 Our view :

✅ The brand seems committed to testing the durability of its products.

🔴 The brand could publish the list of banned chemical substances and the reasons behind the ban. It would also be good to know what the product and durability testing process is based on, what durability criteria the brand has set, and what the findings are for each product.

Transparence des lieux de fabrication

Informations publiées par Bonobo : Aucune information n’est mentionnée par la marque à ce sujet que ce soit dans les fiches produits ou sur le site. Les pays de confection ne sont même pas mentionnés.

Seule l’obligation pour les partenaires du Groupe Beaumanoir de signer le Cahier des Charges et le Code de Conduite est mentionnée.

💬 Notre avis :

🔴 La marque ne semble absolument pas s'investir dans la transparence de ses lieux de production. La marque pourrait publier la carte de ses lieux de production et des informations plus précises sur les lieux de fabrication.

Démarche autour des labels et audits sociaux

Informations publiées par Bonobo : Les fournisseurs de la marque doivent adhérer au Code de Conduite de Amfori Business Social Compliance Initiative, initiative rassemblant des entreprises engagées dans l’amélioration de leurs conditions de travail.

Le Groupe Beaumanoir travaille avec 341 fournisseurs et 868 usines de rang 1 réparties dans 23 pays et mentionne le fait que des audits sociaux sont réalisés “dans les usines identifiées comme prioritaires au regard des volumes de commande, du pays de production, de la typologie de produits fabriqués, etc.”. Les audits en question sont effectués en interne par des auditeurs sociaux basés en Chine, en Turquie, au Bangladesh, au Maroc et en France, ou par des prestataires externes accrédités par Amfori BSCI. Le Groupe Beaumanoir donne des conclusions sur les audits des usines de rang 1, avec 78% des usines auditées. Sur ces usines, 35% obtiennent des "résultats bons".

💬 Notre avis :

✅ La marque semble s'investir dans une vérification, en partie externe, de ses lieux de production.

🔴 Ces informations ont été trouvées sur le site du groupe Beaumanoir. Dans un soucis de transparence, elles auraient entièrement leur place sur le site des différentes marques du groupe. La marque pourrait aller plus loin en publiant les audits de chaque usine de façon publique, et en éclaircissant son système de notation ("résultats bons", "à améliorer", "insuffisants"). La marque pourrait également s'investir sur d'autres questions comme l'obtention d'un salaire vital pour les ouvrier.es (avec la certification Fair Wear Foundation par exemple).

Traçabilité de l’ensemble de la chaîne d’approvisionnement

Informations publiées par Bonobo : Aucune information n’est mentionnée par la marque à ce sujet. Il n’est en effet pas possible de connaître la provenance des matières premières utilisées par Bonobo. Par ailleurs, la marque ne communique pas sur les types de fournisseurs avec lesquels elle est en contact direct.

La seule information dont nous disposons provient du Groupe Beaumanoir qui dit poursuivre son travail de cartographie des usines de rangs 1 et 2.

💬 Notre avis :

🔴 La marque semble dire qu'elle s'investit dans la traçabilité de sa chaîne de production, sans pour autant que nous ayons accès à ces informations de façon transparente. La marque pourrait aller plus loin en renseignant la provenance des matières premières ainsi que le nom et la localisation des usines de la marque sur chaque produit. Par ailleurs, la marque pourrait publier une liste des fournisseurs avec lesquels elle est en contact direct, et la cartographie des matières premières qu'elle semble développer.

Soutien à des ONG ou asso en rapport avec l'amélioration des conditions sociales des travailleurs

Informations publiées par Bonobo : Bonobo a collaboré à diverses reprises avec l’Arrondi Solidaire, dispositif permettant d’arrondir ses achats à l’euro supérieur, cela afin de faire un don à l’association de son choix. Par ce biais-là, Bonobo a permis à ses clients d’effectuer des dons auprès des Restos du Coeur, ainsi qu’auprès de l’ONG Eau et Vie,engagée auprès des populations en situation de précarité, afin de leur permettre un accès à l’eau potable. En 2019, 43 445 euros ont ainsi été collectés grâce à 530 966 dons.

💬 Notre avis :

✅ La marque Bonobo semble s'investir en dehors de son champ d'action.

Gouvernance

Informations publiées par Bonobo : Le groupe Beaumanoir publie un certain nombre d'information concernant le travail et le bien-être des salariés en entreprise. Cependant nous n'avons pas vu d'information concernant la gouvernance en tant que telle, la mise en place de comité, de conseil, ou autres démarches incluants actionnaires et parties prenantes.

💬 Notre avis :

🔴 La marque pourrait aller plus loin en publiant son système de gouvernance : Comment sont prises les décisions du groupe ? Quels poids ont les actionnaires et les parties prenantes dans ces décisions ?

Capital

Informations publiées par Bonobo : La marque fait partie du groupe Beaumanoir, qui gère également les marques Morgan, Cache-Cache, Bréal, Scottage et Vib’s. Le groupe est présidé par Roland Beaumanoir.

Sales and marketing

Information published by Bonobo : The brand holds sales (up to 60% off) and lots of promotional offers. Donating clothes is encouraged with an extra voucher.

💬 Our opinion :

🔴 The brand doesn't seem committed to a slow fashion approach. Discount vouchers, sales and promotions all encourage people to buy.

Raising awareness and educating about overconsumption

Information published by Bonobo : The brand directs consumers to the website www.clevercare.info/fr, which offers tips on caring for your clothes.

The brand invites consumers to drop off their jeans at a collection point so they can be recycled.

💬 Our opinion :

✅ The brand seems to be starting to invest in teaching people how to care for their clothes and make them last. It could go further by making this information easy to find on its own website.

This article was written by: Anna Demont, Sawsane Djazouli, Victoria Adjanohoun and Marie Nguyen.

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