Boody is an impact-driven, B Corp-certified men’s and women’s underwear brand, well-known for its ethically sourced bamboo lingerie and various sustainability initiatives, including membership of 1% for the Planet.
1. Environmental
Sustainability
Boody partners with CanopyStyle to eliminate ancient and endangered forests from its supply chain and sources FSC-certified, organically grown bamboo fibers for its viscose and lyocell production. However, disclosure around its brand-wide emissions is lacking.
IMPACT AREA 01
Materials
& Sourcing
- The item-level raw material composition in all Boody items is fully transparent and available online for all products in its current collection. However, it does not disclose a full fiber portfolio.
- Our data analysis shows that about 86.8% of Boody’s fibers are preferred fibers. Bamboo viscose is its primary material (68.6%), followed by organic cotton (7.3%), bamboo lyocell (6.8%), recycled nylon (2.6%), and recycled polyester (1.5%).
- The raw bamboo in Boody’s products is FSC-certified and ECOCERT-certified organic, but the finished garments are not classified as organic because the organic bamboo is converted into the final fiber through chemical viscose or lyocell processing.
- As for non-preferred fibers (13.2% of total fiber use), conventional nylon accounts for 6.9% of its fiber portfolio, while elastane (or spandex, Lycra), added for stretch, accounts for 6.3%. These two are synthetic, petroleum-based fibers that result in high greenhouse gas emissions and microfiber pollution.
- Boody has not set any publicly available materials or sourcing targets for replacing its non-preferred conventional fibers with preferred alternatives.
- Boody has partnered with the nonprofit organization Canopy Planet, participating in the CanopyStyle and Pack4Good initiatives to keep wood from ancient and endangered forests from their supply chain.
IMPACT AREA 02
Climate
& Emissions
- In an LCIA conducted by Green Story, Boody’s primarily fiber, its bamboo viscose, was compared against conventional cotton, and the results showed that its bamboo viscose had, on average, 27.4% lower GHG emissions and 48.8% less energy use than cotton.
- Boody does not publish regular sustainability reports, and no company-wide emissions data or reduction targets, such as a net-zero by 2050 commitment, could be found.
IMPACT AREA 03
Water
& Chemicals
- In an LCIA conducted by Green Story, Boody’s primarily fiber, its bamboo viscose, was compared against conventional cotton and the results showed that its bamboo viscose consumed 66% less blue water (freshwater) than cotton.
- Boody markets its bamboo viscose production as an efficient closed-loop system that recaptures solvents, recycles water, and cuts waste. However, it’s unclear whether this claim conflates capturing toxic CS₂ with the near-zero loss NMMO loop of superior lyocell processes.
- A significant share of Boody’s products are OEKO-Tex Standard 100 certified, verifying that every component, thread, fabric, and trim in the items meet strict limits for harmful chemicals.
IMPACT AREA 04
Circularity
& Waste
- Since 2023, Boody has operated a clothing take-back and recycling program called “The Goodness Loop” in partnership with UPPAREL, an Australian textile recycling organization. Participants receive Boody store credits equal to the $35 shipping costs.
- On its U.S. and Canadian websites, Boody mentions a recycling partnership with Retold via the “Second Life Bag,” but participants do not appear to receive any Boody credits or other incentives.
- Boody’s packaging is 100% plastic-free and made from recycled cardboard.
- Boody’s items are knitted in tubes, minimizing fabric waste compared to conventional cutting and sewing production methods.