BAM
Drapers Award 2022
We won! The Drapers – Best Circularity Initiative Award
We’re proud (let’s be honest, we’re cock-a-hoop) to announce that BAM has won the Drapers Best Circularity Initiative Award which recognises our pioneering work, creating truly innovative circular clothing.
And although we’re not in it for the awards when something that’s taken you years to accomplish is acknowledged, you just have to shout about it. So yes, that’s us, up on the rooftops.
So what did we do?
A shocking 73% of clothing ends up in landfill or incinerated. That’s what inspired our first-of-its-kind, circular 73 Zero range and our very first circular item of clothing, the 73 Zero insulated jacket.
When we say circular, we mean we’ve used recycled materials to make a jacket that can, at the end of its use, be 100% recycled again. There’s no waste. And not a single thread has to go to landfill.
Turning our development process on its head
To make this happen we had to work backwards and start with how the jacket would be recycled. We believe collaboration is key to changing how our clothes are made and so we joined together with recycling processor Project Plan B who brought all of their recycling expertise to our process. They tested our designs, fabrics and components to guarantee these jackets could be recycled into high quality polyester.
Absolutely no compromise on quality
Our customers are passionate about the great outdoors so this insulated jacket had to be the very best it could be. And to be recycled, it had to be made entirely from polyester. We had to get creative. We used 100% recycled polyester Thermore® Ecodown® insulation and a PFC-free Teflon EcoElite™ finish for 6.5k water repellence. We couldn’t use elastic so we developed a soft and stretchy knitted rib. We swapped traditional bungee cord for rigid cord with adjustable toggles. Apart from the removable metal trims, used for increased durability absolutely every element of our jacket is made from polyester. And because it’s made from a single material, the whole thing can be melted down and made back into polyester fibres again, ready to be used in another garment.
Paying up front for the recycling and making it easy
We offer a free take back scheme for our 73 Zero range. Our jackets have a QR code printed on the inside so even if you buy it second hand (and we hope our jackets have many happy owners), you can send it to the right place to be recycled. This matters because a garment is only recyclable if a recycling processor knows how to handle it. We haven’t just ensured our jackets can be recycled; we’ve invested upfront with Project Plan B to ensure the cost of recycling is covered. This is what makes this jacket truly ground-breaking. No other manufacturer has guaranteed its jacket can be recycled in this way.
Making it affordable
When it comes to creating a range with a difference, we’ve made another bold move which we think you’ll like. Our 73 Zero insulated jacket costs £165. It’s not the cheapest jacket on the market but similar jackets (that don’t close the loop) cost upwards of £400. Despite all the cost of development involved in this jacket we’ve fought to keep the price down because if we want circular clothing to make a difference, we’ve got to make sure as many people as possible can afford it.
We’re leading the way
In addition to the 73 Zero insulated jacket, you can now get a 73 Zero gilet and 73 Zero running jacket. And there’s more coming in AW22. Our goal is an entirely circular range by 2030. It’s ambitious but awards like the Drapers award really highlight the impact of what we’re creating. And while we may be the first, we really want others to follow – we’ve created a blueprint for other businesses to show them how it’s done. One day all clothing will be made this way.
So if you want to reduce your clothing footprint, buy BAM and our award winning insulated jacket.
Other BAM posts you may be interested in:
Why isn’t every jacket like our 73 Zero insulated jacket? A circularity story
The difference between recycled and recyclable and why it matters
