Animal Welfare
We are proud supporters of animal welfare; no animals should be harmed in the making of our products. We source materials of animal origin in a humane, ethical and sustainable manner with respect to animal welfare and species conservation. Being committed to strictly complying with all applicable laws, conventions and regulations is high on our agenda.
The animals that provide materials for our products must be treated responsible and raised on farms that preserve land health. At these farms, the ‘Five Freedoms’ guideline has to be maintained. We intent to only use animal-derived materials in our products with a certification to be sure it reaches our standards and to enable traceability.
In addition, we are continuously investigating sustainable alternatives for animal-derived fibers without doing concessions on the premium quality, comfort and look that the real material has.
Fur free brand
Due to concerns about the way animals are treated at fur farms, we are committed to being a 100% fur-free brand. In our collections we only use faux fur. We became a member of the Fur Free Retailer (Bont voor dieren) in 2019.
Leather
All leather we use is a by-product of the meat industry. We don't use skins from wild-caught animals or exotic animals in our products. For leather, we are actively exploring sustainable and commercially viable substitutes without doing concessions on the premium quality, comfort and look that real leather has.
Wool
The animals that produce wool for our products should be treated responsible and raised on farms that preserve land health. At these farms, the ‘Five Freedoms’ guideline has to be maintained. Only mulesing-free wool shall be used.
Angora & Mohair
We don't use Angora and Mohair in our products due to concerns about the circumstances in these industries.
Materials Policy
All of our standards about animal welfare are written down in our Materials Policy. The Materials Policy serves as the basis for monitoring the use of raw materials in our products. It contains restrictions and requirements with respect to the use of raw materials for our products, and which certifications are mandatory. It applies to all our suppliers as it is referred to in the BARTS® Code of Conduct.
You can download our Materials Policy here.