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Barbour | Leading The Way In Sustainable Clothing Brands!
We all know Barbour for their quality, durability, and attention to detail, but what people may not know is about their commitment to sustainability. Whether this be in the form of extending the life of the garments they make, minimising their impact on the environment or supporting charities and other good causes! Find out how Barbour are continuously improving their sustainability efforts below.
WAX FOR LIFE
The most effective way you can reduce your impact on the environment is to extend the life of your garments for as long as possible. We have met many #BarbourPeople whose Barbour Waxed Jackets have been handed down from previous generations, which always have our most favourite stories behind them!
Click here to read our blog on how to re-wax your jacket at home or how to send your jacket to the Barbour factory for repairs and reproofing!
MATERIALS
Across the Barbour range you will find hundreds of garments created with sustainable materials including the fabrics featured below! You will also find below, some of our favourite Barbour pieces that have been lovingly made with these fabrics. As well as the garment materials, Barbour are also phasing out single use plastic in their packaging. Re-designing their shirt packaging by replacing the plastic with recyclable cardboard has already saved over 4 tonnes of single use plastic packaging!
1. LEATHER WORKING GROUP
As a member of the Leather Working Group, Barbour now source 90% of their leather from this organisation who work to promote environmental best practice within leather manufacturing.
2. BETTER COTTON
This initiative helps cotton communities survive and thrive, whole protecting and restoring the environment. Barbour aim to source 90% of their entire cotton usage through Better Cotton by the end of 2023. In 2021, an estimated 744 million litres of water were saved and an estimated 473kg of pesticides were avoided, thanks to the sourcing of Better Cotton.
3. BAMBOO
Garments made from bamboo are naturally breathable, thermo-regulating and can be machine washed. The manufacture of bamboo uses none or less harmful substances than cotton or synthetic fibres and is more environmentally friendly to harvest.
4. LYOCELL
Lyocell is a cellulose fabric made from wood pulp, typically eucalyptus, oak or birch. Its manufacture is a closed loop process, meaning any chemicals used are not released back to the environment. Lyocell is super soft, naturally breathable and moisture wicking.
5. ORGANIC COTTON
Organic cotton is cotton grown in agricultural systems that work with nature, rather than against it. This is a more sustainable choice as it is produced using natural processes without the use of nasty chemicals, pesticides or GMO seeds.
6. RECYCLED MATERIALS
Across the Barbour range, you will find a number of items created with recycled materials such as pre- and post-consumer waste, including plastic bottles! Items such as Barbour buttons and rubber outsoles for footwear are also now created with recycled materials!
SUPPORTING CHARITIES, HABITATS AND ANIMAL WELFARE
THE BARBOUR FOUNDATION
Over £26M has been given back to charities and good causes primarily within the North East of England helping those in need and supporting research into the causes of chronic illness.
Barbour supports a range of charities including The Prince’s Countryside Fund which supports rural lives and keeps farming and village communities sustainable.
They also support Centrepoint who provide housing for young homeless people.
Since May 2010, Barbour has been a member of SEDEX, which is a not-for-profit organisation enabling our access to supplier factories’ independent third-party social audit reports and factory information. This supports the continuous improvement of Barbour’s supply chain.
Barbour are also partners with the National Trust to restore the Great British Countryside, supporting their efforts to plant new native woodland, as well as the restoration of three North East based properties following storm damage in 2021. Barbour have also pledged to plant a further 90,000 trees with More Trees!
In 2021, Barbour reduced their printed sales tools by 40% to help reduce paper waste. For all the printed range directories and look books, Barbour make a financial contribution to the World Land Trust who work to protect biologically significant and threatened habitats around the world. No Barbour products contain real fur, angora, mohair, shell, horn, alpaca or exotic skins or any products from any animals considered to be an endangered species.
We hope this blog has reassured you that buying Barbour is a good sustainable choice as well as a good style choice!