B Corp ba&sh is pledging to reduce water consumption and pollution, here's how it will do it
Ba&sh, the contemporary French fashion brand that recently secured B Corp status, has set its sights on reducing water consumption and pollution as part of an ambitious sustainability strategy that stretches to 2030.
This strategy is based around fie key pillars climate and biodiversity, certified materials, traceability, circularity and empowering women. Its recent B Corp certification was not "the end destination" for its sustainability strategy but "one step", explained CEO Pierre-Arnaud Grenade.
"Managing water resources is one of our biggest challenges when it comes to ba&sh processing methods. We are aware of the significant impact that the textile industry has on this precious, vital resource. We have always placed sustainability and respect for the environment at the heart of what we do. Our goals are ambitious but necessary, if we are to help preserve our planet's biodiversity and natural resources," Grenade said.

Pierre-Arnaud Grenade, CEO, ba&sh
In 2023, ba&sh decided to calculate the water footprint (in terms of consumption and pollution) of the brand’s activities throughout its entire supply chain (producing raw materials, processing, product usage), supported by consultancy firm I Care & Consult. Geographical data relating to the procurement and processing zones for our products was collected using the traceability app Fairly Made and incorporated into this study. Its plan to reduce water consumption and pollution are based on the findings of this study.
It plans to focus in particular on processing methods that use a considerable amount of water, such as tanning, dyeing and washing denim. Key measures break down as follows.
Tanning leather
Tanning leather is a step that requires a lot of water and leads to significant water pollution, mainly due to the chemicals used to tan the hides. In 2023, 97% of the leather used by ba&sh came from tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG), which assesses the environmental performance and compliance of tanneries in terms of their use of energy, water, chemicals, etc. LWG tanneries are classified as Gold, Silver or Bronze according to their degree of conformity in these areas. By the end of 2025, ba&sh is aiming for 100% of the tanneries it works with to be certified – 80% as LWG Gold and 20% as LWG Silver.
Washing denim
In denim it is working to reduce water use and pollution in the washing stage. For the SS24 collection it used 97% organic cotton, which required 20% less water than conventional cotton. In the same collection, 79% of the denim used by ba&sh was washed in an environmentally responsible way. Some 79% of the denim used has a low EIM (Environmental Impact Measuring) score. This means that, when it is washed, it requires less than a minimum of 22.5 litres of water, compared with the average 90 litres needed for other denim. The aim for 2025 is to achieve an average EIM score of between 0 and 33 for all ba&sh denim.
The brand is also mapping all of its denim-washing facilities and carrying out environmental audits of them. In 2023, 60% of the washing facilities had a valid environmental audit according to the requirements specified by ba&sh. By 2027, ba&sh is aiming for 50% of its level 2 partners (washing facilities, dyeing facilities, etc.) to have an environmental audit that meets its requirements.
Certified materials
To limit its water impact further, ba&sh is turning to certified materials, which allow it to reduce water pollution and consumption. In the AW23 collection, 95% of the viscose used was 'forest-friendly', indicating sensible management of the use of chemicals. To go one step further, ba&sh is opting for alternatives to viscose. By using EcoVero®, for example, ba&sh is reducing its consumption of water by 50% compared with conventional viscose. By using Tencel® and Modal, ba&sh is also decreasing its water pollution by promoting the efficient recycling of waste water. By 2025, ba&sh hopes that all of its viscose will be FSC-certified and forest-friendly, with 50% of it comprising viscose alternatives.
Organic and recycled cotton
The brand is committed to using organic and recycled cotton, which, respectively, use 20% and 100% less water than conventional cotton. On average, 10,000 litres of water are needed to produce 1 kg of cotton, or 2,500 litres of water to make a t-shirt. By 2025, ba&sh aims to use 100% organic and recycled cotton.
Infrastructure
The ba&sh warehouse, which is certified to the Haute Qualité Environnementale (HQE – High Quality Environmental) standard, uses rainwater harvesting tanks to supply its bathrooms and irrigate green spaces. Reservoirs and plants treat the rainwater from roads and car parks, thereby improving the quality of the discharged water and promoting the development of biodiversity.
Its key medium-term goals in summary
- Launching environmental audits at dyeing and printing factories.
- Introducing an RSL (Restricted Substances List).
- Promoting the installation of water-recycling systems on supplier premises.
- Increasing the proportion of items certified to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100 in its collections.
- Introducing dyeing and printing techniques that require less (or no) water.

ba&sh Covent Garden
Ba&sh was established in 2003 by founders Barbara Boccara and Sharon Krief, with the backing of Dan Arrouas and Vog Group. Today the brand is present in 70 countries and has more than 320 stores, including several in London covering locations such as Covent Garden, South Molton Street, Wimbledon, Marylebone High Street, Soho, Hampstead, Coal Drops Yard, St John's Wood, Westbourne Grove and Brompton Road. It also has a presence in Selfridges and Harvey Nichols, while outside of London it has a store in Guildford, Surrey.
In 2015, investors L Catterton and Groupe Arnault acquired an entity interest in the business helping to fuel international expansion and in 2022 it received investment from French firm HLD alongside existing shareholders and the executive team, to further pursue its growth plans. It achieved B Corp status in June of this year with a 98 point assessment score.