A UK sustainable clothing brand is hoping to prove that transparency in the textiles industry is possible.
Plymouth-based BAM will the first brand globally to pilot new technology giving consumers access to the whole story behind their clothes.
The technology called BAM DNA has been created in collaboration with sustainability platform Green Story and is believed to be the "most detailed public-facing" traceability effort to date, by any clothing brand. It has taken five years of forensic work to put the initiative in place, which will launch across BAM's entire clothing range this month.
BAM’s sustainability and technical manager Merryn Chilcott said: “It’s taken years and a huge amount of effort but we’re delighted to be launching BAM DNA in collaboration with Green Story, making the journey of our garments as transparent and accessible as we can for the people who buy them.
"Other brands talk a lot about what fabrics they use and where they’re sewn, but often there’s nothing about the fabric processing, how the raw materials are harvested, who and what turns that crop into a yarn, or even what the raw materials are. They’re telling only a small part of the story, whereas we’ve got nothing to hide and don’t shy away from the tricky stuff. This total transparency means our customers can hold us to account."
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BAM was founded in 2006 by David Gordon when he discovered soft and sustainable bamboo. Today the company employs a team of 70 and is committed to nature, people and climate.
To create BAM DNA, BAM’s sustainability team traced every layer of their supply chain, allowing customers to explore and understand each step, and person, in their garment’s creation, and the potential impact of that. Customers simply scan the QR code printed on their item to access the data.
Ms Chilcott added: “It’s only through this level of transparency that we – as consumers - can all understand the incredibly complex journey of how our clothes are really made and all the elements that go into it, including the people who make them.”
Akhil Sivanandan, president at Green Story, commented: “BAM has long set the standard on the level of traceability they want to achieve. They have gone above and beyond in engaging with their supply chains and working with us to understand each step. And with our pioneering impact assessment system, they are able to measure the impact of each of these steps. We’re excited to develop this even further with our pioneering Brand Development Partners.”
BAM’s product and brand director Helen White said: “This is a game-changer for the fashion industry. Consumers are confused and exhausted, trying to work out if something they want to buy is really 'sustainable' or not in an opaque industry rife with greenwash. BAM DNA takes out all the guesswork, giving our customers simple, reliable, accurate information across our whole range to help them make conscious choices."
She added: “With EU legislation in the pipeline that will dramatically change what green claims can be made - and with France already putting the AGEC law in place demanding traceability from clothing manufacturers - it’s only a matter of time before others will need to follow suit regardless.”
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