From Assumptions to Insight: How Tricorp Steers Sourcing Decisions with bAwear Score

Tricorp is a Dutch workwear brand supplying corporate and protective clothing across Europe. As customer demand for transparent product impact data grew, Tricorp wanted to move away from assumption-based decisions and start steering its collections with credible environmental data instead.

Client Tricorp Dutch workwear brand, corporate and protective clothing

Building insight, then putting it to work in sourcing and design

Tricorp is a Dutch workwear brand supplying corporate and protective clothing across Europe. As customer demand for transparent product impact data grew, Tricorp wanted to move away from assumption-based decisions and start steering its collections with credible environmental data instead. To do so, Tricorp partnered with bAwear, working with the Expert tier of bAwear Score, an LCA-based environmental impact measurement and reporting tool, to build that insight and put it to work in sourcing and design.

Not enough insight, and data that was hard to get

Before working with bAwear, Tricorp lacked sufficient insight into the environmental impact of its products. Improving that impact in a data-driven way, rather than relying on assumptions, required a clearer picture, a need made more urgent by growing customer demand for transparent product impact data. Gathering and interpreting that data brought its own obstacles:

LCA-Based Impact Measurement with bAwear Score

Tricorp adopted the Expert tier of bAwear Score to measure the environmental impact of its products against ReCiPe 2016 Midpoint (Hierarchist), in line with ISO 14040/44 and the direction set by the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for Apparel & Footwear. Rather than relying on estimates, Tricorp now works with substantiated, comparable impact data, with bAwear's team available to provide additional context whenever results need further explanation.

From assumption-based decisions to data-driven ones

Since working with bAwear, Tricorp has moved from assumption-based decisions to data-driven ones. Concrete changes include:

Reliable, substantiated sustainability data also helps Tricorp work toward current and upcoming regulatory requirements. Impact reports play a role in tenders as well, giving Tricorp a concrete and credible way to substantiate its sustainability ambitions and performance to contracting authorities and customers. The underlying insights continue to inform strategic choices as Tricorp works to improve its products and processes over time.

Consistency of data,
and a team that thinks along

Tricorp chose to continue working with bAwear based on a track record of successful, pleasant and reliable collaboration. Consistency and comparability of data are essential to Tricorp: staying with the same LCA partner allows results to be compared meaningfully year over year, while switching providers would disrupt that comparability and reduce the value of the data collected so far.

Tricorp also highlights the guidance, onboarding and support it receives from the bAwear team, including Anton, Jesse, Prerana and Evie, as a strong part of the collaboration, describing a team that thinks along actively and delivers tailored support so Tricorp can get the most out of its data.

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"We used to steer our sourcing decisions on assumptions. Working with bAwear lets us steer on data instead, from shifting to recycled materials and organic cotton, to calculating our CO₂ emissions far more precisely."

Simone Snepvangers, CSR Specialist at Tricorp

"We used to steer our sourcing decisions on assumptions. Working with bAwear lets us steer on data instead, from shifting to recycled materials and organic cotton, to calculating our CO₂ emissions far more precisely."

"Our advice: look at the value impact data delivers, not the effort it seems to take. It gives you the insight and clarity to make better-substantiated choices and to steer more precisely toward real improvement. It also helps you prepare for future regulation and strengthens your position with customers and in tenders. Start building that knowledge now, even on a small scale. It pays off in the long run. In short: don't hesitate, just do it."

Simone Snepvangers, CSR Specialist at Tricorp

One collection at a time

Turn LCA data
into competitive advantage

Tricorp moved from assumption-based sourcing to data-driven sourcing, and uses its impact reports in reporting and to win tenders. Start with a Quick Score on your highest-volume products and see which choices move the needle.