Yumeko

PRODUCTION LOCATIONS 

• India
• Germany
• Netherlands
• Portugal
• Pakistan
• Austria
• Turkey

WORKING CONDITIONS & WAGES

Yumeko is GOTS-certified as a company. Within the collection, only the cotton and wool products are fully certified.

Since 2011, Yumeko has held the Fairtrade certificate, which guarantees fair prices and safe working conditions for cotton farmers in India.

According to the brand, Yumeko purchases its cotton in India directly from the farmers. This gives the farmers purchase security and helps with the pre-financing of new cotton seed.

The Downpass certificate has applied to all down products since May 2021 and strictly excludes live plucking, force-feeding and cage farming.

As a B Corp with a score of 127.6 points, Yumeko ranks among the highest-rated textile companies in the world according to the company itself, with particularly strong results in the areas of workers and environment.

For materials without an available certificate, Yumeko uses its own label ​“Yumeko Says OK”, which guarantees full transparency about origin and production process.

In 2025, a Mutual Code of Conduct was additionally introduced. Unlike a traditional one-sided supplier code of conduct, both Yumeko and all suppliers mutually commit to the same standards, which strengthens transparency, collaboration and trust throughout the supply chain.

The company actively visits suppliers and maintains direct dialogue with them.

Yumeko is a certified Social Enterprise and B Corp, and works with The Creative Textiles India, an organisation that brings women from hazardous work in the fireworks industry into safe employment, including transport, health training and educational opportunities for children.

The company does not own its own production facilities, but collaborates with specialised partners and cooperatives based on high quality standards and without a fast-fashion approach.

Yumeko promotes inclusivity through training in connecting communication and mental health support via OpenUp for employees and their families. According to the company, within the supply chains, women in cotton cooperatives are treated equally, with equal voting rights and equal pay.

MATERIALS

• Organic cotton (GOTS & Fairtrade certified) 
• Regenerative organic cotton (ROC-certified) 
• Linen (from French flax) 
• Hemp 
• TENCEL Lyocell 
• Duck down (Downpass certified) 
• Organic goose down (Downpass and GOTS certified) 
• Eider down 
• Recycled down (GRS certified) 
• Merino wool (kbT certified) 
• Alpaca wool 
• Yak wool 
• Kempen Heath sheep wool 
• Recycled wool fibres 
• Kapok 
• Natural latex (QUL certified)

Do you know all the benefits of organic cotton?

PACKAGING

• Yumeko uses cardboard boxes made from certified, recycled and potentially recyclable cardboard for all customer shipments. Paper tape is used instead of plastic tape. Products are no longer shipped to customers in plastic packaging. The plastic is removed beforehand and collectively recycled.
• Regarding packaging within the supply chain, Yumeko states that products are partly protected with plastic during transport from production countries.

WATER USE & CHEMICALS

Yumeko addresses water consumption by using exclusively organically grown cotton, which relies primarily on rainwater. According to the company, 1.47 billion litres of water remained unpolluted in 2025.

Linen and hemp naturally require little irrigation, further reducing the water footprint.

The GOTS certificate sets strict requirements for the entire processing stage. For example, only oxygen bleaching is permitted, carcinogenic dyes and auxiliaries as well as heavy metals such as chromium and nickel are prohibited. In addition, residual water from dyeing facilities is captured and reused, meaning no water is lost during the production process.

Yumeko has introduced a strict Restricted Substances List (RSL) based on GOTS guidelines, with zero tolerance for PFAS. According to the brand, this list applies to all products, including those that are not GOTS certified.

Fairtrade maintains a list of prohibited chemicals and requires farmers to reduce their use of chemicals.

In 2025, the first lifecycle assessments were carried out for selected products in order to better understand the environmental impact along the entire production chain.

Around 99% of products are made from materials of natural origin. Yumeko largely avoids synthetic fibres, which fundamentally prevents the release of microplastics during washing. Only individual components such as labels and sewing threads are still of fossil origin. Yumeko is actively looking for alternatives here.

CIRCULAR PRODUCT DESIGN

90% of products are made from mono-fibres, which significantly improves recyclability. The remaining 10% consist of blended fibres made from natural materials. 

Yumeko’s plant-based fibres, such as cotton, linen, hemp and TENCEL Lyocell, are cellulose-based and therefore suited to chemical recycling. 

Yumeko offers a take-back service for down products and mattresses. Collected down duvets and pillows are checked, washed and processed into new products to 85%. The remaining 15% is used as natural fertiliser according to the company. The cotton cover is passed on separately to a textile processor. Old mattresses are recycled to 90 – 100% through the partner RetourMatras, with cotton, metal, latex and foam separated and reused across various industries.

Yumeko uses recycled down, upcycled wool blankets, pyjamas made from upcycled velvet flannel, and products made from textile remnants such as bags and wash bags.

CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL

Yumeko does not offer a repair service.

Yumeko offers two free take-back services. Old down duvets and pillows can be sent in: 85% of the down is processed into new products, while 15% is used as natural fertiliser.

When purchasing a new mattress, the old one is collected free of charge and recycled to 90 – 100% through the partner RetourMatras.

A second-hand programme for returned products was planned but proved difficult to scale in practice and is still being explored.

Returned products are thoroughly checked and returned to stock wherever possible. Materials that Yumeko can no longer use itself are passed on to Hul le Kes, which turns them into unique, upcycled garments and accessories. Each piece carries a Yumeko stamp in its clothing passport, so the origin remains traceable. Depending on the material, the alternative is donation to a good cause.

SUPPLY CHAIN DISTANCE & COMPLEXITY

• India
• the Netherlands
• Germany
• Portugal
• Peru
• Pakistan
• Austria
• France 
• China
• Turkey
• Headquarters: Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Note: Yumeko’s supply chains differ by product group:

• Cotton bedding: India – Netherlands
• Alpaca blanket: Peru – Netherlands
• Wool duvet: Austria – Netherlands
• Linen bedding: France – China – Portugal – Netherlands
• Cotton-TENCEL bedding: India and Austria – Portugal – Netherlands

TRANSPORT

• Sea freight has been offset with biofuel since 2019. Air freight is reduced to a minimum and, according to the company, CO2-compensated.
• E‑commerce orders are delivered via PostNL, either by van or by bicycle courier, depending on the delivery route and location.

• The company has a partnership with GoodShipping to reduce the CO₂e emissions of its shipping. Through insetting, fossil marine fuel is replaced with biofuel made from certified waste and residue streams, and the reduction is verified by an independent auditor (Normec Verifavia).

• Duck down: the Netherlands and Germany 
• Goose down: Germany 
• Recycled down: made from blankets and pillows collected in the Netherlands 
• Eider down: Iceland 
• Merino wool: Germany 
• Yak wool: Mongolia 
• Alpaca wool: Peru 
• Kempen Heath sheep wool: the Netherlands 
• Recycled wool fibres: Germany

All down products carry the Downpass certificate, which strictly excludes live plucking, force-feeding and cage farming, and requires regular inspections.

According to the brand, the goose down is organic and GOTS certified, and the recycled down is GRS certified.

A large proportion of the wool is GOTS-certified. The merino wool is kbT certified.

The alpaca wool is obtained using the Inca shearing method, which minimises stress and the risk of injury, and comes from farms operating according to the five internationally recognised freedoms of animal welfare.

The woollen blankets and plaids are kbT certified.

PRODUCT DESIGN

The range includes bed linen, blankets, pillows, mattresses, bath textiles, clothing and accessories.

SLOW FASHION PROCESSES

The brand maintains a permanent, timeless collection that is gradually extended with new designs and materials.

PRODUCT TRANSPARENCY

On Yumeko’s product pages, customers can find information about materials, certifications and country of production, providing a basic level of traceability.

PROCESS TRANSPARENCY

Yumeko enables basic traceability at product level. Beyond this, the company emphasises that it knows its production chains back to the source. Yumeko does not currently use a dedicated traceability tool or a Digital Product Passport. According to the company, its supply chains are tracked internally. 

Since 2012, Yumeko has published an annual Impact Report documenting the sustainability goals achieved. The sustainability strategy is anchored in its own Theory of Change, which encompasses three pillars: creating ethical and transparent supply chains, inspiring customers towards more conscious consumption, and transforming other businesses towards more sustainable production.