bonprix continues to focus strongly on sustainability: launch of 3rd sustainable collection | introduction of Grüner Knopf baby collection | pilot project for greater transparency in the supply chain

Sustainability remains an important focus for international fashion retailer bonprix in 2020, with the Otto Group company announcing three new developments in the area of corporate responsibility. Firstly, the third ‘Sustainable Collection’ goes online today, offering bonprix customers in the United Kingdom and 19 other countries sustainably produced fashion styles for the spring/summer season. Secondly, bonprix is presenting its new baby collection, certified with the Green Button, which has been available since mid-January at www.bonprix.de, Germany's second-highest-grossing online fashion shop*. In addition, the vertically integrated fashion brand has stepped up its activities to achieve even greater transparency in the supply chain and also launched a pilot project with the Fashion for Good start-up TrusTrace in January.

Sustainable Collection enters its third round

Following its launch in April 2019 and its second edition in August last year, the Sustainable Collection is now entering its third round. Once again, bonprix is focusing on resource-saving manufacturing processes and high-quality, sustainable materials such as organic cotton, cotton from the Cotton made in Africa initiative, TENCEL™ Lyocell, recycled polyester and the innovative and environmentally friendly viscose fibre LENZING™ ECOVERO™. The 25 styles for the current spring/summer season range from modern denim items and light summer dresses to classic cardigans. Highlights of the third Sustainable Collection include shirts made from 100% GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified organic cotton, which, like some other items in the collection, have been awarded the Green Button textile seal, and the denim skirt made from recycled polyester, including sustainable accessories such as a woven label and zip with tape also made from recycled polyester. In addition, bonprix is presenting jeans made from organic cotton and a printed woven dress made from LENZING™ ECOVERO™ for the first time. The large-scale campaign was created in a greenhouse in Amsterdam. The collection is now available online in Germany and 19 other countries.

‘We are increasingly observing how important responsible corporate behaviour has become to consumers, and the response from our customers also shows that sustainability is becoming increasingly important,’ says Rien Jansen, Managing Director of Purchasing, Marketing and Retail at bonprix Handelsgesellschaft mbH and responsible for the corporate responsibility strategy. ‘We at bonprix have been active in this area for a long time and are continuing to promote sustainability in our collections. This makes our commitment even more visible to our customers.’

New baby collection with Green Button certification

The latest addition to the bonprix range is the Green Button-certified baby collection, which has been offering ecologically and fairly produced fashion for very young customers since mid-January. Around 90 items from the collection, which comprises a total of approximately 160 items, are currently available online. Grüner Knopf is a government seal initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, which requires companies and their products to meet strict social and ecological criteria and due diligence obligations. As a kind of ‘meta-seal’, Grüner Knopf is intended to offer consumers more guidance when purchasing sustainably and responsibly produced textiles. bonprix has successfully completed the testing and certification process for its new GOTS-certified baby collection and is now promoting it with the Green Button label in addition to its own established ‘Sustainable Product’ label.

‘The Green Button is a wonderful addition to existing labels, seals and certifications and provides our customers with additional guidance,’ says Jansen. ‘We welcome the initiative to raise public awareness of sustainable products with a meta seal.’ The Green Button can only be awarded in Germany, but the new sustainable baby collection is of course available in all bonprix country webshops. Outside of the baby collection, bonprix has already received the Green Button certification for items in the Sustainable Collection, among others, and will gradually apply for it for other products.

Pilot project for greater insight into the deeper supply chain

bonprix is also stepping up its activities in terms of supply chain transparency and launched a pilot project with the Fashion for Good start-up TrusTrace in January. ‘As part of the pilot project, we want to examine how we can create even greater transparency in the supply chain,’ says Stefanie Sumfleth, Head of Quality Management & Corporate Responsibility at bonprix. ‘In our view, TrusTrace offers a promising solution for analysing various sustainability data in the supply chain. This includes, for example, filing and validation of material certificates.’ The company, which is supported by Fashion for Good, uses blockchain technology, among other things, to systematically promote transparency and traceability in the fashion industry. With an initially small selection of styles and suppliers, bonprix will be testing the traceability of individual products and specific orders through the supply chain over the next few months. Since 2018, bonprix has been a member of the global initiative Fashion for Good, an innovation platform that brings together large companies and sustainable start-ups.

Further links: www.bonprix.de/corporate/verantwortung www.gruener-knopf.de https://fashionforgood.com https://trustrace.com