For several years now, Besson Chaussures has been taking concrete action in terms of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), with a strong desire to make fashion more ethical and sustainable.
To make it easier to identify these commitments, we have created the Besson For Change label, recognisable by its green dot. This label highlights :
- Committed partner brands such as Natural World, Boatilus and Love Our Planet.
- Products incorporating at least one verifiable responsible criterion, such as :
- Leather from certified Leather Working Group (LWG) tanneries.
- Soles containing a minimum of 25% recycled materials or natural rubber.
- Packaging made from recycled cardboard.
- Our eco-designed brand Alter-Native: Born of a collaboration with MAOBI (eco-design specialist) and the support of ADEME. Prior to its creation, we carried out life cycle analyses (LCA) on several shoes to identify the stages with the greatest impact and create products that prioritise these stages (such as the raw materials manufacturing stage).
Alter-Native's concrete commitments :
- The choice of leather: leather from tanneries certified according to the auditing standards of the Leather Working Group (LWG).
- Use of recycled materials: minimum 50% recycled polyurethane, minimum 50% recycled polyester, for example.
- Sole design: soles must be made from at least 25% recycled materials or natural rubber. For cork soles, a minimum of 10% is required.
- Assembly: Assembly is carried out using water-based glue and/or wire made from better-disposing materials. Plastic tips are eliminated. Laces are made from better-quality materials such as recycled polyester or organically grown cotton. Metal parts are eliminated wherever possible, or replaced by recycled materials. For example: eliminating metal eyelets or replacing a raw metal zip with a recycled metal or plastic zip.
- Shoe boxes: made from recycled cardboard.
Our commitment to leather :
Since 2022, Besson Chaussures has been a member of the LWG (Leather Working Group), a collective that promotes sustainable practices in the leather industry.
The group was set up in 2005 by brands and tanneries with the aim of improving the entire leather production chain.
The LWG audit standard assesses the environmental performance and compliance of leather manufacturing facilities. Aspects assessed include
- Water and energy use
- Waste and effluent management
- Air and noise emissions
- Leather traceability
- Health and safety
- Chemicals management
- Compliance with restricted substances.
For our part, we ensure that: 100% of the leather for our own brands comes from LWG-certified tanneries.
