Billabong

Rated: Not good enough

price: $$$$

location: United States

Billabong is not taking adequate steps to ensure payment of a living wage for its workers.

Billabong sustainability rating

Planet

2 out of 5

People

1 out of 5

Animals

2 out of 5

Overall rating: Not good enough

Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We avoid) to 5 (Great) How we rate


Billabong is owned by Boardriders.

Our “Planet” rating evaluates brands based on the environmental policies in their supply chains, from carbon emissions and wastewater to business models and product circularity. Here we rate Billabong “Not Good Enough”. These are a few issues influencing its score:

  • It uses some lower-impact materials including recycled materials.
  • There’s no evidence it minimises textile waste in its supply chain.
  • There’s no evidence it’s taking meaningful action to reduce its climate impacts.
  • There’s no evidence it’s taking meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals in manufacturing.

Workers’ rights are central to our “People” rating, which assess brands’ policies and practices on everything from child labour to living wages and gender equality. Here we rate Billabong “Very Poor”. These are a few issues influencing its score:

  • None of its supply chain is certified by crucial labour standards that help ensure worker health and safety, living wages, and other rights.
  • It received a score of 0-10% in the 2022 Fashion Transparency Index.
  • There’s no evidence it ensures workers are paid living wages in its supply chain.
  • During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not disclose adequate policies or safeguards to protect workers in its supply chain from the virus.

Brands’ animal welfare policies and, where applicable, how well they trace their animal-derived products are the focus of our “Animals” rating. Here we rate Billabong “Not Good Enough”. These are a few issues influencing its score:

  • It has a formal policy aligned with the Five Freedoms of animal welfare.
  • It appears to use leather and wool.
  • Responsible Down Standard certifies the down it uses.
  • It doesn’t appear to use fur, angora, exotic animal skin, or exotic animal hair.
  • It traces some animal-derived materials to the first production stage.

Based on all publicly available information we’ve reviewed, we rate Billabong “Not Good Enough” overall.

Last updated March 2023