We use two different types of materials for our activewear, recycled polyester or recycled nylon. Recycled polyester is made up of reclaimed and upcycled plastic bottles and recycled nylon is made from pre and post discarded fishing net waste. Both of these textiles carry on the industry certificates of OEKO-TEX 100 and Global Recycling Standard so you can rest assured your activewear has been tested for harmful substances and has passed high product safety standards.

Yes, it is. With the rise of recycled clothing, a lot of concern regarding BPA’s started to come up. Mostly because people are concerned about those nasty compounds entering their bodies. So let’s put you at ease - these BPAs are often found in plastic products that have been created for reusable plastic bottles. Our activewear is, however, created from single-use water bottles (polyethylene terephthalate) which have been tested over and over in the last 30 years for safety.

Yes - although we aren’t able to certify the activewear as vegan because we use reclaimed and upcycled materials, our activewear is made from recycled polyester and recycled nylon and often dyed via a process called “sublimation” where the colour is transferred by heat (which leaves no water waste). Our dyes are also carefully selected so they don’t use any animal testing or parts and are also free from heavy metals and AZO’s (which are nasty compounds found in a broad range of dyes).

We use a lot of dead stock in our collections from other brands however, when we create something new and that requires the textile to be dyed, we tend to focus on using sublimation processes whenever possible (this means the colour gets transferred by heat instead of water, generating zero waste).

We have created our sizing by using standardised sizing - which means you are likely to be the sizing you usually wear on the day to day. If you, however, feel like you need help deciding which size to buy, please refer to our sizing guide or alternatively drop us an email at hello@gngrbees.com

You absolutely can - part of making a sustainable business sustainable is ensuring you are happy with what you have purchased or received! So if you need an exchange or to return an item before 30 days have passed since the original date of purchase, please use the returns form inside your order or alternatively email hello@gngrbees.com and our team will come back to you immediately with a resolution.

We only create one collection a year. Our capsule collection is made of a small number of items (between 5-10) and is created in small runs (between 30-100 per design). We adopt a specific issue of our planet that needs attention and then partner up with vulnerable communities and projects to reinvest the funds made from selling gngr bees into these.

Yes - we offer virtual gift cards. Once they are purchased through our website, they are sent via email so you can forward it to whomever you decide to gift it to.

Absolutely - we run monthly photoshoots in the UK and love for our community to be involved. We often ask whether you would like to be involved through our Instagram but by any means, if you would like to join us please connect with us on Instagram or just drop us a line at hello@gngrbees.com

Our intention and hope is that anything we produce will last a lifetime. Our products are based on slow fashion and made to last. Creating a product with the idea that one day it will be disposed of is the exact thinking we want to avoid — after all, we have rescued the materials to  make sure they themselves don’t end up in a landfill in the first place. 

However, we understand that accidents can happen and may damage the clothing. Thinking forward to avoid unnecessary disposal, we have introduced our own circular economy where waste becomes a product, and then if ever returned and unable to be fixed we further recycle it into another product with minimal to zero waste. 

What does this mean? It means we’re re-utilising the textile fibers to make new textile when possible or creating filaments from unrecycled textile. 

Finding a responsible manufacturer to work with was easier said than done. After extensive research, we found a company we are confident to have as our partner. Located in Guangzhou, China, the factory we work in has a total of 45 workers. We pride ourselves on the strong work relationship we have at every level of the team as well as the worker’s safety and rights that are put in place on a daily basis. 

Our production manufacturers have a BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) Certification, which makes them a part of a leading supply chain management system that supports companies to drive social compliance and improvements within the factories in their supply chains. Together we have researched the requirements for our manufacturers to achieve further certifications such as an SA8000 — which stands for a social management certification, an auditable certification standard that encourages organisations to develop, maintain and apply socially acceptable practices in the workplace. 

Last year, our partners also achieved an ISO9001 — which ensures the right management throughout the company including focusing on the satisfaction of customers and employees.

At gngr bees, we know each person involved in every step of our manufacturing process by name — and you can too! Check out The Hive.

Our factory has a full range of worker protections including measures to verify age and employer rights such as maternity leave, breaks, appropriate working hours, vacations and overtime remunerations. These rights are subject to third-party audit (BSCI) as well as a worker’s syndicate, a worker-led body where workers can express their thoughts, file complaints and be heard. 

We understand this is a problem brands need to help consumers tackle instead of shifting the responsibility solely into them. For this reason we have created laundry bags that are made from a monofilament materials (meaning it doesn't shed micro plastics itself) This bag was created for your gngr bees but can be used for any other synthetic textiles.

We source them from Taiwan (which get turned into recycled polyester textile) and source our recycled polyester thread from Sri Lanka. Taiwan has a fantastic community that sorts their waste into containers and Sri Lanka has several spots where people can put their bottles into these bins which in turn get collected by big trucks and taken to a recycling facility at Eco Spindles.

Thank you for asking this question! It is really important you understand that synthetic textiles shed micro plastics - this applies to everything synthetic: your dress, a jumper, underwear, swimwear, and also your gngr bees. So what can we do about it? There are a few different gadgets in the market that help you capture, filter and reduce the amount of micro plastics that shed when you wash your synthetic clothes. Some of them can be installed in your machine whilst others catch the fibers inside your wash. When we first started, we had created the plastikini, a washing machine bag with a fine mesh that would catch micro fibers as they shedded in the wash - this was received really well by our wonderful community but caused some confusion with another brand that sold a similar product (a real shame, as all we wanted was to save our oceans, together). We have since, developed a new washing bag which you will receive when you make your first purchase of gngr bees.

We support a range of development goals through our own initiatives and partners (all of which you can check out here). Our priority is to create pieces that are empowering to the planet, the people and everyone that lives here - and this takes a 360º approach to everything we do - from our manufacturing process to how we deliver our garments to you.

We support a wide range of projects - from wildlife projects to community work, mangrove planting, beach clean ups, coral, forest & ground conservation and indigenous rights as well as food security for communities and supporting our garment workers financially through our hive project.

As a small business that relies on a third party for production, we are unable to request that they are carbon neutral themselves however we have audited our suppliers to make sure they are mindful about their practices and choose greener ways of producing when possible (which involves textiles, dyeing, electricity and water). The work we do to offset our CO2 emissions is from a self-starting point of view. We work alongside our partners throughout our supply chain to plant trees + mangroves, support the preservation of forests and other environmental projects. You can check these under our sustainability page and projects. In addition, our packages are created carbon neutral and your packages are all delivered in carbon neutral shipping.

Once your order is placed, you will receive a confirmation email letting you know that our fulfillment team has received your order. Once your order is fulfilled, you will receive an email notification with your tracking information. Shipping fees are non-refundable in the case of returns.

If you are in the UK, 4- hour tracked shipping costs £5 for orders below £100. Any orders above £100 receive free 48-hours tracked shipping via Royal Mail. We are also able to offer 24-hour tracked delivery for national UK orders at an additional cost. European orders cost £12 for international tracked standard (3-5 days) shipping. For US, Australia, Mexico, and Bali orders, we offer international tracked shipping at £22 and orders to Canada cost £20 for tracked delivery.