Environmental charter
agnès b., committed to the environment.... since 1976 !
The designer agnès b. has always been touched by nature and has always fought for the protection of the planet. This is not an easy task, as fashion is a very polluting sector! More than ever, in the face of the climate emergency, we want to defend a fairer world, more respectful of nature, biodiversity and humans.
Our commitment to the environment
CLOTHES DESIGNED TO LAST
The agnès b. «style» is a timeless style, clothes that can be worn for years and have several lives.
The agnès b. «style» is also the use of quality and tested materials, mainly natural, and with considered finishing. Agnès’ wish is to offer clothes that last and can be worn «to the hilt»: what could be more ecological!
PASSION FOR THE OCEAN AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE
agnès b. has a passion for the ocean, passed on by her father Ado, with whom she sailed even as a child. In 2003, Agnès and Etienne acquired the schooner Tara, a floating laboratory in the service of scientific knowledge of the ocean. Tara has carried out numerous scientific and artistic expeditions in collaboration with internationally renowned laboratories. The Tara Ocean Foundation is also a partner of many international institutions such as UNESCO. We want to make our employees and customers aware of her actions in order to raise awareness of ocean protection and encourage them to take action.
THE FIGHT AGAINST WASTE
To avoid waste, agnès b. limits its production to two collections per year (men’s, women’s and children’s) and reduces the number of models per collection. Our leftover stock is never destroyed, but donated to charities. Our surplus materials are sold in our shop, donated to schools or transformed into bags offered to our customers.
We encourage all employees to print only when necessary, not to use disposable products (cups, cutlery, etc.) and to reuse envelopes, boxes and objects as much as possible! For a few years now, we have not been distributing plastic bottles and have installed water fountains in Paris.
COMMITTED RETAIL OUTLETS
In our shops, we have always valued the existing architectural heritage, for example in an old butcher’s shop, a garage, a stable, or a post office.
The furniture, minimalist, is reused in a loop in order to extend its life. Our wooden hangers are now FSC certified, i.e. from responsibly managed forests. In some shops, we install «boutique gallery» spaces in order to optimize the use of the space and to promote the work of artists. Since 1993, we have been offering free condoms and selling solidarity products within our spaces. However, there is still one difficult point: waste water air conditioning, which will be phased out as soon as possible.
MADE IN FRANCE AND LOCAL MANUFACTURING
agnès b. has always kept the design workshop in Paris and favours products made in France and Europe to protect local skills and jobs and limit the Carbon footprint of the pieces.
We also seek to preserve traditional and local know-how, by having certain pieces produced in countries that have developed very specific techniques, such as embroidery in Madagascar or cashmere in Mongolia. We support the added value of the manufacturing of our pieces to the craftsmen of these countries, all the steps being carried out locally.
STOP THE PLASTIC!
For the past ten years, Tara has been conducting research on plastic pollution in the ocean and has shared her expertise with us. agnès b. is committed to completely eliminating the use of plastic for packaging for our customers in stores and online by 2025. We are nearly there! For transport packaging, where plastic is more difficult to replace, we have already reduced the weight by 20%, saving almost 200 kg of plastic per year. Furthermore, we are committed to using only recycled and recyclable plastics and to continue our efforts to study less polluting alternatives, thanks to internal working groups or in collaboration with associations active on these subjects and within the textile industry.
THE DESIRE TO INVOLVE OUR SUPPLIERS
We have been working with most of our suppliers for a long time, sometimes for decades, and have developed relationships of trust and loyalty with them. Our suppliers sign the agnès b. ethical charter, which includes our social and environmental commitments. We are part of the Initiative for Compliance and Sustainability (ICS), a collective of companies that are committed to asking their suppliers to respect universal human rights principles and local social and environmental regulations in their production units. The objective is to promote social and economic progress in the world.
RESPONSIBLE MATERIALS
To go further, we are progressively orienting our choices towards less polluting materials and processes with the guarantees provided by certifications.
We have always banned «exotic» furs and leathers from our collections, and more recently angora wool, in order to protect the species concerned. We also want to move towards dyes that have less impact on the environment, or natural dyes.
OUR ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS FALLING: LET’S CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS
Since 2022, 100% of our stores in France, headquarters and warehouse use renewable energy. We continue our actions to reduce our consumption, by turning off our window lights in the evening, throughout the night and in the morning, by better regulating the heating and air conditioning, by closing the doors when they are on, by gradually equipping our stores with LED lights and presence sensors in the stock rooms. Energy savings targets will be set and monitored regularly.
We encourage employees to turn off their lights and electrical appliances, adjust the temperature, etc.
WASTE SORTING AND SECOND LIFE
We are committed to reducing waste at our headquarters, in the warehouse and in our stores using the mantra «reduce reuse recycle». Our goal is to sort all recyclable materials, such as paper, plastic, tin and glass, so that they can be given a second life. For this purpose, appropriate bins have been provided.
THE INVOLVEMENT OF EACH OF US
Agnès, Etienne and the Management Committee regularly monitor the progress of these various commitments. Through the intermediary of the department heads, they encourage the employees to integrate these different actions on a daily basis for a collective and participative commitment. Thanks to our CSR department, this environmental policy is developed in each subsidiary, with referrals throughout the world. Quantified objectives are gradually being set up and monitored. Through our Green Committee, created in 2004, all departments can participate in these initiatives. Through meetings, a newsletter, events and training, agnès b. seeks to raise awareness among our employees and to engage them in increasingly responsible actions.
agnès b. and her teams: an abiding passion for people and the environment, and a commitment to pioneering, at the forefront of mission-based business !