We are Yumeko. A B Corp, Fairtrade and GOTS-certified bath textiles and bed linen brand based in Amsterdam. More than 750,000 Sweet Dreamers are now sleeping on or under our bed linen. As a Dutch pioneer in the sustainable bedding business, we’ve been on a quest for sustainability ever since our foundation. For us, sustainability is more than just lip service. It’s the heart and soul of our brand. Our main source of motivation. Always has been, always will be. For us, being an impact-driven brand goes beyond making products from organic or planet-friendly materials. We believe that companies and their customers can co-create positive social change. As a market disruptor, we inspire our customers to make more sustainable choices while encouraging our industry partners to do the same. That mission is encapsulated in our motto: change the world sleeping. We publish our annual Impact Report to provide insight into our activities and contribute to supply chain transparency. It’s an opportunity to assess our achievements, consider new insights and data, and seek ways to amplify our impact.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHT
First Dutch bedding brand to launch products made of regenerative organic cotton
In January, we launched our new pyjamas – and later bedding – made of regenerative organic cotton, the most sustainable means of growing cotton. In August 2024, we became ROC certified, showing that our operations meet the highest standards.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHT
First textile brand to take part in a Fairtrade Rightsholder Dialogue
We were the first textile brand globally to co-initiate a ‘Rightsholder Dialogue’ with Fairtrade, through which we engaged with our Indian cotton farmers at Chetna Organic Agriculture Producer Company Ltd. Alongside giving farmers a platform to discuss their needs and requirements, this initiative will improve Yumeko’s own position on human rights and our due diligence practices. The project is currently in the start-up phase. We expect to be able to disclose more information on the initial results in 2025.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHT
Debut of products made of offcuts, overstock and recycled materials
Yumeko is committed to circularity and combating non-recyclable waste. In autumn 2024, as part of our strategy to upcycle rather than destroy textiles, we added pyjamas made of our own overstock to our collection. * We also launched our very-first recycled wool product: a blanket made of offcuts from our hot water bottle covers. These offcuts are mixed with 30% organic merino wool to create strong new fibres.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHT
Actions to improve the down supply chain
For years now, Yumeko has used only DOWNPASS-certified down or recycled down in its products. Despite those efforts, substandard conditions in the Dutch duck farming industry persist, as revealed by the consumer investigative journalism programme Keuringsdienst van Waarde. We therefore took steps to improve animal welfare in the supply chain last year. Together with our down supplier, we set up a pilot with stricter guidelines and will continue to fight for better conditions for animals.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHT
Yumeko’s recycled down duvet voted best duvet on the Dutch market for second year running
Consumentenbond – the Dutch consumers’ association – awarded our recycled down duvet the ‘Best Tested’ [Beste uit de Test] label last year. This once again proves that a sustainable, circular product can be even softer and deliver even higher quality than a conventionally manufactured product. Yumeko is still one of the few brands offering a collection of recycled down products. Our top spot in the test allows us to raise awareness about recycled down and circular design, focusing on greater reuse, cutting waste and steering demand away from virgin down.
IMPACT HIGHLIGHT
Clean & Green Villages Project
Since 2020, Yumeko has been collaborating with Fairtrade and Chetna Organic in the Clean & Green Villages project, funded by donations from de Nationale Postcode Loterij. Active in 40 villages that grow our organic Fairtrade cotton, the project is helping to restore ecosystems, improving hygiene and access to safe drinking water, revive biodiversity and empower local communities. With over 80,000 trees planted, a decline in diseases such as malaria and diarrhoea and hundreds of women trained to be climate action leaders, communities can now grow in hope and confidence.
IMPACT GOAL
1. Improving soil, farming and biodiversity
Cotton has been our bestselling material for years. Since our foundation, we’ve used exclusively certified organic cotton that has been grown without the use of harmful pesticides. We pursue a policy of enhancing soil and water quality to boost biodiversity in cotton fields while improving farmer health. Intercropping – planting crops among the cotton – is just one way to enrich rather than deplete the soil.
Traditional cotton monocultures have a significant impact on biodiversity, resulting in soil degradation and increasing the crop’s vulnerability to disease and pests. Farmers use large quantities of pesticides and artificial fertilisers to address this issue, with harmful knock-on effects on insects, birds and soil life.
Cotton is also a water-intensive crop: irrigation activities can cause drought in the natural environment and lead to wildlife habitat loss. With only 1.4% of the cotton used on the planet classified as organic, we realise there’s still plenty of progress to be made.
Our actions in 2024
Last year, we introduced our first products made of regenerative organic cotton. Despite being considered a relatively new concept, regenerative farming is more or less a revival of centuries-old practices. It’s rooted in a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on improving soil and water quality, boosting farmland biodiversity and improving farmer health. Intercropping – planting crops among the cotton – is just one way to enrich rather than deplete the soil.
IMPACT GOAL
2. Natural materials only
Since our foundation, we’ve been committed to using only natural crops and materials. We know they’re better for the planet, are more easily biodegradable and contain no substances of concern or hazardous chemicals. It’s safe to say that 99% of the materials used in our current products are completely natural. That last 1% is down to the smaller components. For instance, it’s difficult to find a completely natural alternative to the metal springs in our pocket spring mattresses. We also use metal for our zips and polyester for our stitching, due to its strength. And our labels are partially made of polyester to ensure the text and washing instructions remain legible. These are minor exceptions, and our goal is for all these components to be made of completely natural materials.
Our actions in 2024
Although we couldn’t find 100% natural alternatives to these components in 2024, our constant search did lead to solutions for others. For instance, we replaced our wooden and coconut buttons with Corozo buttons, an ultra-sustainable and hardwearing material made of tagua nuts. This improvement has further extended the usable life of our duvet sets with buttons.
IMPACT GOAL
3. Ensuring good working conditions and a fair living income for more farmers and workers
Since our foundation, Yumeko has sought to eradicate exploitation in our supply chain by ensuring farmers and workers are paid fair wages and prices. While exploitative practices are still rife in the textile industry, we can help to continuously increase the proportion of safe, fair cotton farming by purchasing only Fairtrade-certified cotton in countries in which Fairtrade is active and by growing our business.
But Yumeko goes one step further: we purchase our cotton directly from the source. This gives farmers the confidence and security to take bold decisions, financial or otherwise, such as investing in new agricultural equipment or training. Our approach also eliminates the issue of storing cotton, a highly combustible crop. Many farmers are forced to store their harvest in their small houses – sometimes for months – before selling it. By purchasing the cotton immediately after harvest from the source, we improve farmers’ financial security and living conditions.
Our actions in 2024
In 2024, Yumeko was the first cotton partner globally to join Fairtrade’s international ‘Rightsholder Dialogue’ pilot. We’re engaging directly with our farmers and those living nearby the cotton fields in India, helping us to understand their needs and requirements so that we can enhance our positive impact on cotton farms. Fairtrade has begun this pilot as way of facilitating meaningful stakeholder dialogue between buyers and producers.
This represents the next step in our due diligence process, giving us greater insight into risks and potential negative effects on human rights and the environment in the supply chain. Fairtrade has assessed our due diligence process, and we’ve set out an action plan. Our rightsholder dialogue can now begin. We expect to be able to provide an update on the initial results in 2025.
IMPACT GOAL
4. Full supply chain transparency
As a company on a sustainable mission, Yumeko believes that supply chain transparency is non-negotiable. For years now, we’ve been committed to gaining the deepest possible understanding of our supply chain. As each supply chain consists of a confusing web of smaller links, many brands find themselves in the dark about the exact origin of their products.
That’s why Yumeko has a policy of engaging in direct dialogue with our suppliers and factories, many of which are long-standing partners who we trust and who trust us. We’re in contact with them every day, raise critical questions about their supply chains and processes, and encourage them to adopt sustainable business practices. At the same time, we realise we can take supply chain transparency one step further, which is why it’s one of our impact pillars.
Our actions in 2024
Last year saw a renewed focus on product life cycle assessments (LCA). An LCA is a method of calculating a product’s environmental impact. This calculation relies on supply chain transparency, being based on the manufacturing methods applied, the location of the manufacturing process and the raw materials used.
We have produced extensive LCAs for our product groups of linen bedding, linen duvets, down, goose down, recycled down and wool. This was a time-consuming process, given the huge number of variables and the fact that we must analyse every single detail and step in the manufacturing process. Gaining clear insights into all of our product groups not only provides us and our customers with detailed and transparent information, but also highlights potential improvements within the supply chain. The LCAs for other product groups are planned for 2025, during which we will also share our findings on improvements.
IMPACT GOAL
5. Pipeline of new sustainable materials and products
Yumeko frequently refers to itself as a textile industry pioneer. We dream big and don’t easily take no for an answer. We’re constantly looking for new, relatively unknown materials that take sustainability to the next level. That may result in a brand-new product or – just as good – a sustainable enhancement of an old favourite.
Our actions in 2024
In 2024, we were extremely proud to launch our first products made from the latest breakthrough in sustainable cotton farming: regenerative organic cotton. Just like conventional organic farming, this holistic method shuns the use of harmful pesticides as a matter of principle. But it goes one step further, focusing on improving soil health, water quality and biodiversity.
Read more about regenerative organic cotton;
We also released a plaid made of recycled merino wool. Organic wool was already part of our range, but our search for a more sustainable alternative eventually led us to this recycled material. We’re increasingly looking to find recycled alternatives to replace materials either in whole or in part.
IMPACT GOAL
6. Pursuing circular design: repairing, recycling and upcycling
Yumeko dreams of a circular economy. Our commitment to sustainable manufacturing is supported by our drive to maximise material reuse. This avoids textile product destruction and enables us to optimise our use of all raw materials.
Our actions in 2024
In 2024, our brand became more circular in a variety of ways. We introduced various products made of overstock, offcuts and scraps. Instead of destroying this material or leaving it to gather dust in factories, we’re eager to turn it into new and attractive items. Our upcycled velvet flannel pyjamas, released in 2024, are just one example.
We also sought new recycling and upcycling partnerships with designers and workshops such as Hul le Kes and textile artist Claudy Jongstra, who gave our overstock of linen bathrobes a second life with natural, flower-based dyes.
We perform thorough quality controls on all returns, checking each item by hand. If cleared, the items are steamed or ironed before being repackaged, so that they’re good as new. Imperfect goods (such as washed, stained or ripped products) are stored separately. We intend to sell them as ‘second chance products’ in 2025.
IMPACT GOAL
7. Improving animal welfare
We’re on a mission to create a better world for all living things – humans and animals alike. We realise this requires a keen focus, which is why animal welfare is embedded in our supply chain sourcing. We consciously source our wool from organic sheep farmers, and all of our down is certified. As pioneers, we believe that mainstreaming sustainable materials will encourage other brands to make more sustainable choices. Non-food animal products such as down and wool are often by-products of other industries. While animal welfare standards are good in some of them – at least in the organic sector – there’s still a lot of work to do at a global level. We won’t let this topic drop off our radar.
Our actions in 2024
Yumeko will never stop fighting for better animal welfare. We were shocked to discover that many duck farmers in the Netherlands, even those affiliated with the DOWNPASS label, are falling short of animal welfare guidelines.
We therefore decided to engage with our down supplier in order to improve animal welfare standards. Yumeko believes that remaining part of the down supply chain will enable us to deliver change and help the industry to become more sustainable. The majority of down is a by-product of the food industry, which slaughters animals for meat. While Yumeko could choose to stop selling down, this would have zero impact on the number of animals being slaughtered and would deprive us of a seat at the table with farmers and abattoirs. We therefore advise companies to only buy certified down, so that they know they’re getting the best possible option.
In 2024, we visited an organic goose down producer in Germany. During this trip, we had fruitful conversations about the welfare of organic geese.
Inspired by what we had learned, we engaged with our down suppliers in the Netherlands – a country home to very few organic duck and goose farmers – to explore ways to improve animal welfare.
IMPACT GOAL
8. Raising sectoral sustainability standards
For us, being a brand on a sustainable mission goes beyond making products from organic or natural materials. We want to transform the industry – by making our voice heard, by inspiring other brands and by helping them to make sustainable choices. That approach is bearing fruit: we’re proud to report a steady uptick in the number of brands selling recycled down duvets.
Our actions in 2024
In 2024, we once again focused on boosting our brand visibility, as we know this is the key to normalising sustainability. We enhanced our visibility thanks to large-scale social media advertising, achieving a reach of almost 23 million people in seven different European markets in 2024. We also launched our Yumeko muses. This campaign is centred on celebrity dreamers such as ‘forest girl’ Gisele Azad, entrepreneur Agnes Fox and artist Claudy Jongstra, each of whom focused on a different theme.
Behind the scenes, we’ve been campaigning to raise sustainability standards in the industry, including during visits to several of our suppliers. The aim of these visits wasn’t just to consolidate our partnerships, but to take stock of and encourage sustainable actions and transparency. Our CEO Rob van den Dool gave a keynote speech at the B Corp event and Fairtrade event, was a guest speaker in several podcasts and was interviewed by various magazines and platforms about Yumeko’s sustainable mission.
IMPACT GOAL
9. Truly caring for people throughout the supply chain
Yumeko believes that everyone in our supply chain is an integral part of our success. That’s why we aim to ensure fair pay and good working conditions for all farmers as well as office and factory employees. Our staff at our Amsterdam HQ are treated according to our Yumeko Habits philosophy, centred on ‘groei en bloei’ (grow and flourish) discussions with each employee.
Our actions in 2024
Our commitment to the people in our supply chains, fair wages and decent working conditions is steadfast. In 2024, we went a step further to promote our office team’s mental well-being by partnering with the OpenUp platform. Our staff and their family members now benefit from free access to short and long-term mental well-being support from OpenUp’s psychologists and lifestyle experts. We also developed the Yumeko Employee Handbook, setting out our mutual code of conduct.
If we achieve the same in 2025, what have we really learned?
Being a market leader means we don’t only bear responsibility for what we make, but also for how we seek to change the system in which we operate. We know all too well how polluting, wasteful and opaque the textile industry is. And although we’re proud of the changes we’re making, we know there’s still a long road ahead.
That’s why, in 2025, we’ll be focusing on the acute issues of raw materials, working conditions, production processes and transport. We’ll continue to create a chain that is profitable and efficient, but which is also centred on regenerative production, radical transparency and structural change. Not to big up our brand, but to improve circumstances on the ground.
We’re on a mission to make bed and bath linen that are softer on the planet. But one person’s comfort shouldn’t cause another’s discomfort. We’ll continue to make choices that may appear more trouble than they’re worth, but which lay the foundations for a textile industry that normalises respect for humans and nature. If you want to know about our latest activities, battles and the ways in which we’re disrupting the market, please subscribe to our newsletter. Because real change happens when you tell the whole story.
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