Sustainability Q+A with Bobo Choses

WHAT IS THE BOBO CHOSES ETHOS?

At Bobo Choses we have always been responsible for our social and environmental footprint. We strive to create products that are friendly to our environment and constantly work to improve the sustainability of our production processes.

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED/HEADQUARTERED?

In Mataró, 5 minutes walking from the Mediterranean sea, Barcelona.

WHERE ARE THE COLLECTIONS PRODUCED?

93% of production is made locally (74% Spain and 19% Portugal)

HOW DO YOU ENSURE YOUR MANUFACTURERS ARE MEETING BEST ETHICAL PRACTICES? ARE YOU ABLE TO CLOSELY MONITOR YOUR PRODUCTION AND DO THEY HAVE ANY CERTIFICATION?

We are constantly in contact with all our suppliers in order to assure that they are meeting Bobo Choses ethical standards. Production and finish factories are certified with Oeko Tex, so we have the guarantee of the process chain.

WHAT KIND OF FABRICS DO YOU MOST USE? ARE YOUR FABRICS GOTS ORGANIC OR OEKO-TEX CERTIFIED?

90% of the collection is made of natural fibers, such as lyocell or organic cotton, and the 62% is made of Organic Cotton. The organic cotton yarn is GOTS certified and fabrics used are Oeko-Tex certified. The fabrics are selected from different suppliers, always thinking in the needs of the collection marked from design, and also thinking to improve our footprint mark, using organic cotton and sustainable fibers to decrease water consumption such as waste and carbon. The importance of thinking in the environment is one of our main priorities. Synthetic fibers are being reduced every year to recycled fibers.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT HOW YOUR FABRICS ARE DYED?

At Bobo Choses, we are very conscious about the global environmental problems and how textile production and the clothing sector impacts the planet negatively. We work with companies that are improving their production chain, reducing waste of water and energy and managing all the waste produced.
We have garment dye collections, this means that after finishing the confection of the garment it's sent to dye and gets the unique and special vintage look, with irregularities or imperfections to make it singular.

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE FABRICS YOU USE AND WHERE DO THEY COME FROM?

Our materials come from different places. For instance organic cotton, the fiber is from Pakistan or India, where most of the organic cotton fiber is produced globally, but the fabric is made locally (Spain & Portugal).

98% of the fabrics we use are produced in the same location where our production process is. The remaining 2% of the fabrics used in production may be from China or Europe due to the technical nature of the fabric, but the garment is produced locally. The fabrics are made especially for us. We always produce once the sales team has finally confirmed all their orders, to avoid overstock.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH YOUR OVERSTOCK OF MATERIALS AND FABRIC SCRAPS?

All the scraps are donated for re-use. We donate to a local foundation and to a waste and recycling company that recycle and/or give the scraps a second chance. Now, we are developing a project to recycle organic cotton scraps. We'll mechanically bring the pieces back to fibers and blend them with new fibers to make a new fabric. At the moment, we are working on a *dedicated project to expand the lifecycle of our overstock materials so hopefully we'll be able to share some more information and details in the near future.

*This project, The Iconic Collection, was launched in March 2021.

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR PACKAGING FOR SHIPMENTS TO CUSTOMERS?

To guarantee all garments arrive to our clients in the correct quality and without any damage, we pack individually all the garments. Each garment has a polybag and Our shipping bags are made of resistant kraft paper that is 100% recyclable and biodegradable.

DO YOU USE INDIVIDUAL BAGS FOR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS WHEN YOU SHIP TO RETAILERS? IF YES, ARE THEY RECYCLED AND/OR COMPOSTABLE?

We use Polybags that have d2w® biodegradable plastic additive. The additive accelerates the natural process of oxidation until the product is no longer a plastic, but a material which can be bio-assimilated (i.e. used as a food source) by bacteria and fungi on land or sea.

DO YOU WANT TO SHARE ANYTHING ELSE WITH OUR READERS ON YOUR EFFORTS IN SUSTAINABILITY AND ETHICAL PRACTICES?

At Bobo Choses, we want to be responsible for our social and environmental footprint and we strive to create products that are kind to our environment, especially knowing how textile production and the clothing sector impacts the planet negatively. Although producing good will always have an impact, our challenge is to try and make it minimal.

We are working to replace conventional materials with sustainable ones that have a lower impact on both nature and human health, such as organic cotton and recycled polyester, or our outerwear garments that have water-repellent treatment by BIONIC FINISH ECO, an ecological water-repellent impregnation.

We also love to work hand in hand with our local suppliers and our Code of Conduct helps us share our mutual responsibility for fair labour and a safe working environment, and we usually collaborate with summer camps, foundations and other social projects.