Our Journey to Build a Regenerative Economy 

RIMMBA’s sustainability goals are deeply rooted in Regenerative Economy Principles. Our promises for Social, Environmental and Economic net positive impacts include fostering economic prosperity with communities , using resources effectively and protecting and restoring planetary health for future generations to make a net positive impact through every aspect of our business.

(1). RIMMBA’s Brand CODE OF ETHICS for our Workers and Partners

We provide safe work conditions for our employees, paying living wages and fair compensation to our partners

• RIMMBA prioritizes the well-being of our team by providing safe working conditions, fair wages, nurturing meals and a healthy work environment. 
• We believe that our happy, healthy employees are integral to our success in creating high-quality products. 
• RIMMBA is committed to provide opportunities for personal and professional development for all workers involved in our supply chain. 

• RIMMBA partners with a Bali-based sustainability partner to audit the social and work conditions at the facilities of our partners and our own atelier to assure our Code Of Ethics are practiced. 

(2) Shared Economic Prosperity and Honoring Artisan Heritage 

RIMMBA partners with a diverse network of local artisans - dyers, weavers, tailors -each bringing their unique skills to the table. Community building is at the heart of RIMMBA's philosophy, fostering a sense of shared purpose and pride in our craft. 

We partner with skilled Balinese artisans who embody generations of knowledge and skill. By valuing their expertise, we celebrate and preserve the rich artisan heritage of Bali.

• RIMMBA's commitment to community goes beyond our atelier doors in central Bali. We actively engage with remote Balinese villages like Tejakula in North Bali and Desa Tenganan, in East Bali, establishing genuine connections with local artisans to preserve centuries-old traditions. Collaborations with village level ventures, cooperatives and SMEs not only empowers the communities but also infuses RIMMBA's designs with a unique cultural richness.
• RIMMBA has entered into a partnership with a local non-profit organization to focus on regenerating the local cotton textile industry including the regenerative agriculture, the weaving, indigo dyeing, and batik process. Our partnership supports 100% Balinese-made products, bringing work and vitality back to a community while keeping traditional dyeing techniques alive and preserving cultural heritage.
• As an active member of the Jiwa Garden, a non-profit Bali organization dedicated to regenerative agriculture education, RIMMBA is committed to giving back and fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable practices and inspiring others to embrace more regenerative options.

Photos: Dye house North Bali work conditions, at Jiwa in RIMMBA overalls with caption and quote, botanical dying and sewing at RIMMBA atelier

(3). Lifecycle. Zerowaste Fashion: RIMMBA aims to provide consumers an alternative to fast fashion. Therefore we design our garments to be timeless and cherished for a lifetime or longer. We start with durable, renewable, biodegradable fabrics and durable construction to ensure that our natural textiles are used effectively and will endure tests of wear and time. 

Zerowaste to Landfill Commitment: Each year, an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste are generated globally. Of this massive amount, a mere 12% is recycled, leaving the rest to languish in landfills, where it leaches toxic chemicals, releases greenhouse gases and takes centuries to decompose. 

Pre-loved or rejected garments should not go to landfill. RIMMBA designs garments to be forever loved. Our garments are made from renewable fabrics and designed to be timeless and durable to maximize the effective use of our fabric resources. 

How do we do this? RIMMBA garments can be repaired and delivered to us to be re-dyed between wears and then repurposed to be always loved, always cherished and always respected as a precious resource.  

Our Metrics: RIMMBA eliminates nearly 100% of waste fabrics by using 98% of our textile. Our key to preventing textile waste is well-planned pattern layout and creative use of all pieces of fabric. When cutting fabric for our dresses, we efficiently utilize the material by simultaneously creating smaller garments and accessories such as the Pevita halter top, the Frida crop top and a range of silk hair scrunchies. RIMMBA repurposes our cut-offs and scraps by using innovative techniques. Our most used method is to make entirely new textile by sewing multi-material fabric scraps together (linen, cotton, silk) and then over-dying with indigo, resulting in new raw material. This new fabric can be used for garments, helping us to not only minimize waste but more importantly to maximize resource utilization. 

(4).  RIMMBA’s commitment to a non-toxic Environment

RIMMBA uses botanical dyes and 100% natural fabrics as a cornerstone of our commitment to a non-toxic environment. In Bali we are preserving and revitalizing artisan heritage by partnering with dye houses in remotely located communities. One example is our dye house in North Bali and a community project we recently started in East Bali.  

RIMMBA uses certified organic cotton, traceable linen and Mulberry Silk. 

RIMMBA uses 100% botanical dyes, biomordants and non-toxic salt mordants and 100% natural fabrics; even our threads are natural to ensure our garments are fully biodegradable and made from renewable materials which support the regenerative economy. 

• Chemical textile dyeing and finishing processes release a cocktail of hazardous chemicals into waterways, devastating ecosystems and endangering human health. The fashion industry is the second-largest polluter of clean water globally and textile dyeing accounts for approximately 20% of industrial water pollution. 
• Indonesia's lack of stringent regulations on chemical waste from the textile industry poses a threat to waterways and the surrounding environment. The Citarum River, a major source of water for millions, has been dubbed one of the most polluted rivers in the world, largely due to textile industry discharge. The pollution has severe impacts on local communities, who rely on the river for drinking water and irrigation.

RIMMBA’s experience with regenerative nylon for swimwear. In the past, we sourced a 78% regenerative nylon/22% polyester lycra from Italy for RIMMBA’s swimwear line. Our experience was that although regenerative nylon fit our ethos for high quality and durability, at the end of life we were not able to recycle swimsuits which were no longer loved. 

RIMMBA’s journey with regenerative nylon: After a couple of years of producing a swimwear line, we partnered with a waste expert to determine if we could recycle our post-consumer swimwear made of 78% regenerative nylon and 22%polyester.  The waste expert visited the only nylon recycler in Indonesia which was operating at scale and maintained work conditions that aligned with RIMMBA’S Code of Ethics. The expert met with the recycling company’s engineer and owner to explore the full possibilities and viability of recycling nylon in Indonesia. It was determined that because our swimwear was a blend of 2 very different materials (nylon and polyester) that the 2 materials would have to be separated and this would be complicated. They also discussed the possibility of mixing discarded fishing nets or ropes with swimwear into the batches of swimwear to be recycled because the Italian textile company which produces the regenerative nylon claims that discarded fishing nets are included in their content. The recycler had experience working with an international non-profit org to recycle fishing nets washed up or discarded on beaches. His experience was that Indonesian discarded  fishing nets are made from both polyester and nylon and explained that the nets found on beaches can only be recycled if cleaned. The cleaning would be costly, time-consuming and possibly deliver poor results. He also explained that Indonesian fishing ropes were mostly polyester. In conclusion, it was determined that although there is little to no true nylon-to-nylon textile recycling in Indonesia, the recycler was willing to experiment but this would require us to provide 4 tons of post-consumer nylon. For RIMMBA, collecting 4 tons of PC swimwear was out of the question. It was also determined that the 22% polyester content complicated the goal of recycling the nylon for textile threads. The best expected outcome would have been a low quality recycled material which would not have been of quality to make nylon threads for new lycra. Therefore RIMMBA did not go forward with the experiment. This was an important learning experience for RIMMBA. We learned that the fabric marketed as regenerative and infinitely recyclable could not be recycled into new raw material due to mixed material and high costs. 

RIMMBA sources local botanicals to make our own natural, non-toxic, biodegradable dyes. Our brand’s commitment to natural dyes encompasses our vision of using the natural resources which are abundantly cultivated in Bali, rather than using toxic, synthetic, industrially-produced dyes which contribute to degradation of water resources and harm human health. 

Furthermore, Rimmba uses completely natural biomordants and has developed its own innovative techniques to ensure better fixation of the botanical dyes to improve longevity, decrease water use and elevate the overall sustainability of our production method. 

(5). RIMMBA Water Re-Use

Like many places on the planet, Bali is experiencing water scarcity.
Using water as a precious resource is a high priority for RIMMBA. Our small scale and custom order business model allows us to dye fabric in small batches, on an as needed basis. 

We don’t use any chemicals in our dye process, therefore we can reuse our wastewater in our gardens. 

RIMMBA seeks advice from water management experts to guide us on our regenerative journey as we scale up our operations.

As RIMMBA scales up our production we plan to build a waste water garden system. 

(6). RIMMBA’s journey towards a traceable supply chain. 

RIMMBA garments are made from cotton, silk and linen, all 100% natural fabrics. We do not use synthetic fabrics from petrochemicals or semi-synthetics. Therefore our current supply chain for silk, cotton and linen is as follows:

• Farm, (field), 
• Textile Mill, 
• Supplier in foreign country or Indonesia
• RIMMBA atelier for inventory/planning/botanical dying
• or partner dye house,
• RIMMBA atelier for cutting, sewing, waste management, quality control, packing, shipping. 

RIMMBA is seeking certified regenerative fabrics, straight from certified regenerative textile manufactures and their suppliers. 

Our current fabrics:

• 100% Cotton: At RIMMBA, we currently source certified organic cotton from the USA which assures our customers not only that the cotton was grown organically but also that safe conditions and a living wage was provided to all employees.  

• 100% Linen from Portugal. RIMMBA sources straight from the mill. 

• 100% Silk: RIMMBA currently sources genuine Mulberry Silk Satin and Chiffon. While certified regenerative silk is not yet widely available, we are actively seeking partnerships with a Chinese mulberry silk producer who shares our values and are committed to transitioning to regenerative agriculture practices. Bombyx is the only company in China producing a regeneratively grown Mulberry Silk and if we can import it then RIMMBA would be their first customer in Indonesia. 

RIMMBA believes that regenerative agriculture is the future of sustainable fashion, and we are committed to playing a leading role in this movement. Several leading sustainability brands have publicly expressed their commitment to sourcing regenerative materials and pioneering regenerative sustainability include Kering, Eileen Fisher, Allbirds and Patagonia. As certified regenerative textiles become more available, we will prioritize these sources to ensure that our garments are not only beautiful but also contribute to a healthier planet and thriving communities. 

• We are proud to support organizations like the Savory Institute and the Regenerative Organic Alliance, who are working to develop robust regenerative certification standards for textiles, including silk.

(7) Carbon Footprint: As a small scale start-up, RIMMBA currently uses little energy for our operations and production. 

We have determined our energy baseline for the electiricty to run atelier sewing machines and pump water from our shared well to our atelier and will monitor over time. 

• Our hand-washing and line-drying do not use energy. 
• Our largest energy use is during the transportation of our fabrics from foreign countries to our atelier in Indonesia and shipping our garment orders to other countries. 
• As we scale up our production, we are looking to decrease our carbon footprint by partnering with distributors in specific countries to represent our brand. This would allow us to make seasonal bulk shipments rather than many individual shipments.

o As importing fabrics and shipping abroad will likely stay our reality for the foreseeable future, we support Jiwa Gardens, a non-profit organization which is promoting regenerative agriculture.

(8).Our Packaging and tags

Organic cotton bags, recycled paper tags, low-impact dyes, natural plant twine

(9). Educating to inspire change

• RIMMBA believes that changing consumer mindsets begins with education and inspiration. 
• RIMMBA openly shares our sustainability journey, botanical dyeing experiments, and production processes on our social media platforms. Please check out our IG account here and join the conversations. We will be happy to engage with you in the replies or by DM. 
• RIMMBA also gives hands-on workshops upon request. Earlier this year we hosted a workshop which included dying pre-selected dresses for a group of women attending a goddess retreat in Bali.  

(10). RIMMBA’s policy on Animals: RIMMBA uses Mulberry Silk, a sericulture material. (See our (upcoming) article on why we choose Mulberry Silk and conversation on Vegan Silk). RIMMBA does not use fur, leather, skins or shells or conduct animal testing. In the future we would consider to use ethically sourced wool as it is a natural material, takes up botanical dyes beautifully and more sustainable wools are coming onto the market.