Yes, Bench is a fast fashion brand. Its business model is built on high-volume production, low price points, and the rapid replication of current trends to serve a young, style-conscious audience.
The brand faces significant ethical criticism due to a severe lack of supply chain transparency and evidence suggesting its factory workers earn well below a living wage. From a sustainability standpoint, Bench demonstrates almost no meaningful effort, relying almost exclusively on conventional materials with no public environmental goals or circularity initiatives. Here’s a detailed breakdown of Bench's practices:
Bench's operations squarely align with the fast fashion model, prioritizing scale, speed, and affordability over longevity and sustainability. Though its collection drops are more seasonal than weekly, its core characteristics are quintessentially fast fashion.
Bench's ethical record is very poor, primarily due to an extreme lack of transparency regarding its supply chain and labor practices. The absence of verifiable information makes it impossible to confirm whether its workers are treated fairly.
Bench manufactures predominantly in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, China, and Vietnam - regions often associated with poor labor conditions. While specific data from Bench is unavailable, industry reports estimate that garment workers in these areas earn between $180-$250 per month, which falls significantly short of the estimated living wage of $350-$400 per month needed for a decent standard of living.
The brand offers no transparency into its supply chain. It does not publish a list of its suppliers, share the results of factory audits, or hold certifications like Fair Trade or SA8000. Without any third-party verification, its claims of adhering to local labor laws are unsubstantiated and impossible to trust.
Bench primarily uses common materials like cotton and polyester. Based on publicly available information, there is no evidence that the brand currently uses fur, angora, or exotic animal skins in its products, although its policies on wool or leather sourcing are not clear.
Bench demonstrates a near-total lack of commitment to environmental sustainability. The brand has not disclosed any meaningful initiatives, targets, or data related to reducing its environmental impact.
An estimated 70-80% of Bench's clothing is made from conventional, non-sustainable materials like standard cotton and virgin polyester. The brand provides no information on using recycled, organic, or other eco-friendly alternatives and does not hold any material certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI).
Bench has published no data on its carbon emissions, water usage, or chemical management. Given its reliance on factories in regions with often lax environmental regulations and its use of polyester and conventional cotton, its climate and water footprint is likely very high.
The company has no repair, take-back, or recycling programs to manage its products at the end of their life, contributing directly to the landfill crisis. Furthermore, it provides no information on how it manages textile waste or unsold inventory in its manufacturing process, and its packaging typically consists of single-use plastics.
When evaluated against industry standards for social and environmental responsibility, Bench fails to meet even the most basic benchmarks. Its business model prioritizes profit and rapid growth at the expense of its workers and the planet.
Bench earns a D for its profoundly inadequate ethical practices. The grade is primarily due to a complete lack of supply chain transparency, which prevents any verification of its labor conditions. Strong evidence suggests that its workers earn below a living wage. It avoids an F grade only because there are no widely publicized, major labor exploitation scandals directly linked to the brand name.
Bench receives an F for sustainability. There is no evidence of any meaningful effort to mitigate its environmental impact. The brand's reliance on harmful conventional materials, absence of climate or waste-reduction targets, and a total lack of transparency on environmental metrics demonstrate a complete disregard for planetary health.
If Bench's poor ethical and environmental performance is a concern, consider these alternatives that offer similar casual styles with a genuine commitment to sustainability and fair labor.
A pioneer in ethical fashion, People Tree is a certified B Corp that partners with Fair Trade artisans to create its collections. The brand primarily uses GOTS-certified organic cotton and sustainable materials, ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions throughout its transparent supply chain.
Shop now at peopletree.co.uk
Thought offers timeless, casual apparel made from natural and sustainable materials like organic cotton, hemp, and Tencel. The company is committed to supply chain transparency and works to ensure its partners pay a living wage, creating comfortable and conscious alternatives to fast fashion staples.
Shop now at thoughtclothing.com
Focusing on high-quality, durable essentials, Organic Basics is a certified B Corp that uses eco-friendly materials like organic cotton and Tencel. It maintains full factory transparency, operates on a low-impact website, and partners with factories that prioritize worker wellbeing and environmental responsibility.
Shop now at organicbasics.com
Famous for its sustainable sneakers, Veja applies the same ethical principles to its growing apparel line. The brand emphasizes transparency, fair trade materials like organic cotton and Amazonian rubber, and a business model that invests in ecological sourcing over traditional marketing.
Shop now at veja-store.com
A B Corp and leader in corporate activism, Patagonia specializes in durable outdoor and casual wear made with a high percentage of recycled materials. The brand is Fair Trade Certified, offers a robust repair and Worn Wear program, and donates 1% of sales to environmental causes.
Shop now at patagonia.com
Bench's low prices are a direct result of its fast fashion business model. The brand produces massive volumes of clothing in countries with low labor costs, uses inexpensive conventional materials, and prioritizes scale over quality, allowing it to sell trendy items for very cheap.
Based on all publicly available information, Bench does not have any dedicated eco-friendly or "conscious" collections. The brand has not disclosed any significant use of sustainable materials like organic cotton or recycled polyester, which is a major indicator of its lack of environmental commitment.
While Bench's product turnover rate (2-4 collections per year) is slower than ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein (thousands of new styles daily), its ethical and environmental performance is similarly poor. Like Shein and Zara, Bench lacks transparency, a commitment to living wages, and any meaningful sustainability initiatives.
