our mission
We are committed to using our business as a force for good by taking responsibility for our impact on the planet, people and products we create.
Becoming a B Corp is an important step in our conscious journey, but it does not end here. We continually learn and take action to reduce our footprint while maximising social impact. By being transparent about our journey and conscious choices we make, we aim to create positive change and hope to inspire others to do the same.
We focus on three key pillars — Planet, People, and Product — to guide you on our conscious journey. As we learn and grow, our practices will evolve. We will update this page with any news, so keep an eye on us.
“We are committed to minimising our impact, by making conscious choices and by offering high-quality styles for a wardrobe that will last.” — Barbara Brenninkmeijer, founder by-bar
Embracing transparency
At by-bar, transparency is at the heart of everything we do. By sharing our product journey and conscious choices we make, we aim to inspire positive change and invite you to join us in shaping a more mindful future.
We believe every piece in our collection tells a unique story, from its origins and craftsmanship to the people that brought it to life. By sharing these stories, we hope to strengthen the connection between our products and those who wear them, making conscious choices easier and meaningful.
From this collection, we are taking a bold step forward. We’re introducing QR codes on a first selection of items, allowing you to trace the journey of your product. From its origins to your wardrobe.
Together, let’s create a more conscious world.
our commitments
Reducing our impact by increasing the use of low-impact materials
Mapping our entire supply chain to ensure maximum transparency
Ensuring our supply chain meets our social and environmental standards
Embracing a more circular approach to extend the lifespan of our products
Giving back to the community through donations to charities and social projects
Measuring and reduding our carbon print
our milestones
In-house sustainability team
Since the beginning of 2022, we have established a dedicated sustainability team solely committed to realising our sustainability objectives.
B Corp™
Since July 2024, by-bar has officially become a B Corp-certified company. B Corp-certified companies are committed not only to profit but also to making a positive impact on people and the planet.
learn more about our B Corp journey
black friday cleanup initiative
Instead of Black Friday, we celebrate Conscious Friday. This year, we’ve partnered with B Lab and Sumthing for a global cleanup initiative with the B Corp community. For every person in our global team, we donated €5. Each euro contributed to remove 1 kg of plastic from the Ganges, one of the world’s most polluted rivers. Through this initiative, we helped to remove 600 kg of plastic.
Product journey
We introduced tex.tracer https://www.tex-tracer.com, a transparency platform that assist us in mapping our supply chain, enhancing our transparency efforts. From this summer, 50% of our products will have a QR code, enabling you to follow its full journey.
Measure CO2 emissions
We measure our CO2 emissions from our air travel and Scope 1 and 2 emissions. To offset our impact, we invest in a Climate Neutral Group project that provides sustainable cookstoves for low-income households in India.
antic jackets
Since 2012, we have offered the Antic Collection, featuring unique, upcycled and handmade styles crafted from old Indian blankets. These traditional blankets, worn by Indian women for generations, are carefully selected by Barbara and her team before being upcycled into new by-bar pieces
discover here
renewable energy
We switched to renewable energy sources in our warehouse, resulting in a 35% decrease in our CO2 emissions.
Code of Conduct
In 2023, we launched our code of conduct, which has been signed by all our tier 1 suppliers.
fiber index
In 2023, we introduced our fiber index to help our design and production team make more responsible choices. For instance, we have shifted to incorporating more recycled materials.
mission-led company
Since 2023, by-bar is a mission-led company, prioritising responsible practices. We see it as our responsibility to make a positive impact on the planet and people through everything we create.
Becoming B Corp marks an important step in our journey toward high social and environmental standards, and we are incredibly proud of this. Being a B Corp embodies the essence of our conscious journey: working together to create positive impact, always seeking responsible alternatives, and collaborate with our partners to become more sustainable. Together, we can make a difference.
meet the people behind by-bar
At by-bar, we choose not to participate in Black Friday; instead, we celebrate Conscious Friday. This initiative aims to raise awareness and inspire our customers to make conscious choices.
Our commitment goes beyond products. We see it as our responsibility to make a positive impact on the planet and people through everything we create. By being transparent about our journey, we aim to inspire positive change and invite you to join us on our conscious journey. Together, we can make a difference.
our pilars
We are comitted to provide more insights and transparency into our journey towards becoming a more sustainable brand. We focus on three pillars, which will guide you on our conscious journey: Planet, People, and Product.
Our carbon footprint
In 2023, we successfully reduced scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 35% compared to 2022. Our main challenge is measuring Scope 3 emissions, which represent the largest portion of our footprint, especially within our supply chain. To address this, we have set a goal for 2025 to measure our entire Scope 3 emissions. This will enable us to monitor and reduce our impact more effectively.
Chemical management
Our suppliers adhere to our Restricted Substances List, aligned with REACH guidelines to eliminate harmful chemicals. We test selected products, with our partner Bureau Veritas, for assurance and update this list annually to prioritise environmental and worker safety.
Low impact denim washings
We are committed to reducing denim’s environmental impact by using Jeanologia’s innovative washing technology. This sustainable method reduces water, energy, and chemical usage while prioritising worker safety. Currently, 80% of our denim achieves a low Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) score, and by 2025, we aim for all our denim to meet these low-impact standards.
Lower impact cotton
We are reducing denim’s environmental footprint by increasing our use of lower-impact materials. Most of our jeans are now made with certified organic cotton, which uses less water and avoids harmful chemicals. We have also introduced regenerative cotton, which restores soil health and recycled cotton, made from production waste from our NOOS collection.
Renewable energy
At our headquarters, we currently use over 35% renewable energy sourced from GreenChoice. Our goal is to eventually transition all our office energy consumption to 100% renewable sources.
Packaging
We have replaced traditional shipping boxes with compact paper bags to reduce packaging weight and encourage reusability. Our poly bags are reused in our warehouse and responsibly recycled through our trusted waste partner Van Happen once they are no longer needed.
Transport
We prioritise boat and truck shipping over air transport and aim to eliminate or significantly reduce air shipments. Currently, all orders from Portugal, Turkey and Italy are shipped by truck, and we are working to eliminate air transport for orders from India.
Long-term relationships
Personal, long-term relationships with our suppliers and partners, such as agents, retailers, photographers and of course our own employees, are very important to us. We work closely together and visit suppliers regularly to strengthen these connections. Together, we pursue ambitious sustainability goals, always seeking responsible alternatives and collaborate to become more sustainable.
Good working conditions
Ensuring good working conditions across our supply chain is a top priority to us. Currently, 85% of our partners meet third-party standards such as Sedex, BSCI, SA8000, ICS, and Fair Wear. We are actively collaborating with the remaining partners to improve their practices, as we believe in collective growth to make a lasting positive impact.
Transparancy
At by-bar transparency is key. Beginning of 2024, we introduced Tex.tracer, a platform that maps our entire product supply chain and centralises all product and social certificates. This platform helps us set clear goals and uphold social responsibility with our suppliers. From next summer, 50% of our products will have a QR code, enabling you to follow its full journey.
Onboarding audited suppliers
We select new suppliers only from audited factories that meet third-party standards (Sedex, BSCI, SA8000, ICS, Fair Wear) to ensure fair working conditions and effective environmental management. This enhances our supply chain management and promotes responsible practices in the fashion industry.
Code of conduct
Ensuring good working conditions across our value chain is a top priority. All our tier 1 suppliers have signed our code of conduct, committing to uphold our social and environmental standards.
Female led company
As a company founded by women, we take great pride in our commitment to promoting equality and empowering women. Our aim is to foster a culture of feminine strength, sparkling and joy among all the women we collaborate with and serve.
Creating a wardrobe that last
By using durable materials and timeless designs, we create pieces that can be cherished for years. We provide care tips and encourage repair over replacement whenever possible.
Product journey
Transparency and traceability are integral to our approach. Beginning of 2024, we introduced Tex.tracer, a platform that maps our entire product supply chain and centralises all product and social certificates. This platform helps us set clear goals and uphold social responsibility with our suppliers. From next summer, 50% of our products will have a QR code, enabling you to follow its full journey.
Growing our use of low-impact materials
We are committed to increasing our use of lower-impact materials, like organic and recycled fabrics, to reduce our footprint while ensuring quality. Our current autumn/winter collection includes 39% lower-impact materials, and we are committed to increasing this percentage each year. By 2025, we aim for 50% lower-impact materials, with an ultimate goal of 100% by 2030. These materials are detailed in our fibre index.
Mono-materials
Currently, 46% of our autumn/winter collection and 57% of our upcoming spring/summer collection is crafted from mono-materials, enabling more efficient resource use for textile-to textile recycling within a circular system.
Circularity
We are actively exploring circular business models for by-bar, with a focus on taking greater responsibility for product maintenance, reuse, repair, and recycling. Stay tuned for updates!
Conscious choice items
Empowering our customers to make more responsible choices is important to us. Look out for our green brand logo, which indicates items made from at least 50% low-impact materials or produced using eco-friendly manufacturing methods, as outlined in our fibre index. Explore our more conscious choices and join us in making a positive impact.
Antic styles
Since 2012, we have offered the antic Collection, featuring unique, upcycled and handmade styles crafted from old Indian blankets. These traditional blankets, worn by Indian women for generations, are carefully selected by Barbara and her team before being upcycled into new by-bar pieces.
We are blessed with a dedicated team of talented and passionate people who work with the same passion and always give the very best they’ve got. Together, we make things happen.
most asked questions
This means we meet high standards for social and environmental impact across five key areas: governance, environment, workers, customers, and community. Additionally, it reflects our commitment to using business as a force for good. Being a B Corp is a milestone we are very proud of, but it is certainly not the end goal. It provides our team and our partners with a shared purpose and motivation to continually improve.
by-bar’s commitment to reducing our environmental footprint starts with measurement. Each year, we track our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, covering direct emissions from our office, stores, and business travel. To offset these emissions, we invest in a Climate Neutral Group project and have made additional improvements, such as switching to renewable energy for our warehouse.
Our roadmap includes plans to measure our Scope 3 emissions, our main challenge, at both total and product levels. Scope 3 covers emissions outside our direct control, primarily from our supply chain. In preparation, we are already taking meaningful steps to reduce these emissions, such as reducing air shipments, increasing our use of low impact materials, and implementing low-impact packaging.
Since the beginning of 2024, we partnered with Tex.tracer, a transparency platform that enables us to map the entire journey of our products, from cotton field to the final item, working closely with our suppliers at each stage. Starting next summer (2025), many of our products will feature a QR code, allowing you to trace their journey. This approach lets us share our transparency efforts and gives you an inside look into each product's story.
We are committed to ethical and responsible production at every stage of our supply chain. We work only with suppliers who meet our social and environmental standards, with all partners signing our Code of Conduct for fair working conditions. Larger suppliers undergo third-party audits by organisations like Sedex or BSCI, while smaller suppliers complete our self-assessment. Tex.tracer enhances transparency, helping us monitor compliance closely and drive continuous improvements.
Each season, we set goals to increase our use of low-impact materials, such as recycled, organic, and upcycled fibres. We use a fibre index to identify the most sustainable options, allowing us to make conscious choices that reduce our environmental footprint. Currently, 31% of our collection is made from lower-impact materials, and our upcoming Spring/Summer collection will raise this to 46%. We are committed to increasing this percentage annually.
At by-bar, we measure our Scope 1 and 2 emissions, those are our direct emissions. This includes emissions from our office, brand store, warehouse, and business travel. Our main challenge is measuring Scope 3 emissions, which represent the largest portion of our footprint, especially within our supply chain. To address this, we have set a goal for 2025 to measure our entire Scope 3 emissions. This will enable us to monitor and reduce our impact more effectively.
We are committed to sourcing wool and leather responsibly, with greater transparency through our partnership with Tex.tracer. To enhance our practices, we are increasing the use of certified Responsible Wool in our collections. As of November 2024, we have obtained certifications under the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS), and Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS). While not all our wool products are certified, this step allows us to expand our use of Responsible Wool and ensure a fully certified and traceable supply chain. For leather, we collaborate with certified tanneries and are focused on continually improving our standards in this area.
Yes, we actively support charitable causes. We regularly contributing to social projects and community initiatives that reflect our values, aiming to give back and make a positive impact beyond our business. Over the past two years, we have donated around €45.000 to organisations such as Quiet Breda, the local food bank, and Ukraine relief efforts and to sponsoring a sports club in our hometown. Recently, our team also participated in a SUP Cleanup event in the Breda canals, collecting 75 kilos of waste while paddleboarding.
We believe sustainability is a shared responsibility and encourage our team to engage in our environmental and social goals. Employees participate in projects like clean-up events, sustainable practice workshops, and responsible consumption initiatives. Our sustainability specialists have set goals for each team, ensuring accountability in reducing our collective impact. By fostering a culture of sustainability, we empower our employees to make a positive impact within the company and beyond.
Customers can contribute to sustainability by choosing quality, conscious made clothing and extending each item's life through care, repair, and recycling. At by-bar, we offer tips to make products last. Look for our 'conscious choice' logo online for lower-impact items and use our size guide to reduce returns. When it is time to part with a piece, consider reselling, donating, or passing it on to someone who will enjoy it. Making conscious choices can make a big impact.
Tex.tracer is a transparency platform that enables brands to trace the full journey of their products, from raw materials to finished goods, supporting transparency and sustainability. With Tex.tracer, customers can access detailed information about the materials and processes behind each product. From next summer (2025), many products will feature a QR code, enabling consumers to make informed choices about the environmental impact of their purchases.