Café du Cycliste exists to create products for cycling and a life spent outside. Based between the sea and the mountains on the Côte d’Azur, our love of nature lives through everything we do.
 
We take our responsibilities to the landscapes that inspire us seriously. And we know that our actions as individuals and as a company must benefit all the people we touch – workers, customers and communities – as well as the environment.

With every decision we take and every product we make, we commit to improving our operations. These reports are a year-on-year record of our goals in key areas of our business and our progress towards becoming a better and more responsible company.

Read the 2025 report by clicking below, or check out other aspects of our commitment to becoming a more responsible company by following the other links.

Since 2024 we have been a certified B Corporation, meaning that we strive for the highest standards in environmental and social responsibility and are committed to improving our performance on these measures.

The bedrock on which our brand is built is our love of the outdoors, and we’re lucky to be based in some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world for cycling, running and hiking. But these home landscapes are vulnerable: the Alps are warming at twice the global average, glaciers are melting and violent storms are more frequent; by contrast, Nice and the Côte d’Azur now suffer from crippling drought most summers. Faced with such evidence in our own backyard, we have always recognised our duty to be more sustainable and minimise our impact on the environment.

More than that, we believe in B Lab’s vision to transform the global economy to benefit all people. We know that our actions as individuals and as a company must benefit all the people we touch – workers, customers and communities – as well as the environment. We’ve long been proud of our internal culture, our sourcing and our supply chains, and are delighted to have been recognised as a B Corp.

In our 2024 assessment, we achieved a B Corp rating of 85.2, and the process helped highlight ways in which we can continue to improve towards carbon neutrality, responsible business leadership and equitable practices. We are committed to improving our score when recertification comes in 2027.

Café du Cycliste is a proud member of 1% for the Planet, which means we give 1% of our annual revenue to charities and organisations that protect the environment or educate in matters of sustainability. Co-founded by Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard in 2002, the mission to protect the planet’s resources and improve responsibility of corporations around the world has grown with increasing membership and funding for those actively looking to protect the environment.

“The intent of 1% for the Planet is to help fund these diverse environmental organisations so that collectively they can be a more powerful source in solving the world’s problems.”

– Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia and co-founder of 1% for the Planet.

1% for the Planet is a step on the path to helping our business give back to the natural world. The organisations we are contributing to have been chosen because they reflect our values and DNA.

For 2025 we are supporting:

4MYPLANET.

4MYPLANET was founded by Alexia Barrier and works to advance science, in particular the study of the climate and the oceans. The organisation also works closely with schools in the south of France to educate children about protecting the oceans.

ABI06.

ABI06 is an accredited non-profit organisation based in the Nice region. Its primary mission is to promote the reintegration of marginalised individuals, particularly those receiving welfare benefits, back into the workforce. In its work, it focuses on collecting, sorting, and repurposing textiles. ABI06 gives old clothes a second life through its network of five solidarity shops. Open to everyone and offering fair prices, they work to make second-hand your first choice. Thus, ABI06 combines social inclusion, resource reuse and support for vulnerable people, contributing to both professional reintegration and waste reduction.

BICYCLES FOR HUMANITY.

Bicycles for Humanity (B4H) believes that lack of transportation is a fundamental barrier to access healthcare, education and employment in rural Africa. B4H operates 10 community-based bike shops in Namibia and Zambia whereby bikes donated and shipped from the USA are sold at reasonable prices to empower rural villagers. It is changing the world two wheels at a time.

BLEU GORGONE.

Bleu Gorgone works for the preservation of the Mediterranean marine environment. The organisation conducts underwater dives to collect waste in natural environments as well as in port areas. On average each year, volunteers retrieve, sort, and account for 30 cubic metres of waste. Raising awareness is also a key focus, and work includes sea outings and information and harm-prevention booths, and the exploration of underwater depths. Its main area of action spans from Nice to Cap d'Ail.

CYCLOTROPE: VELO-ECOLE.

Cyclotrope is a cycling and bike-maintenance school which aims to encourage the practice of cycling for everyone in and around Nice. Cyclotrope sets up activities and workshops to help people learn to ride a bike and travel independently and safely by bicycle, and offers repair workshops to support participants doing small repairs themselves.

MOUNTAIN RIDERS.

Mountain Riders is an ecological transition education association. They encourage children and young people to become the drivers of change, by inviting them to engage in a responsible approach, by involving citizens and elected officials in the implementation of responsible measures to preserve the mountains.

POW.

Protect Our Winters Germany is a collective of passionate athletes, creative pioneers, dedicated volunteers and responsible companies. Our goal is to raise awareness, share knowledge and take action together – through climate education, political advocacy, and collaborative initiatives within the outdoor community. Because only by acting together can we drive meaningful change in society, the economy, and politics.

TRAIL RUNNER FOUNDATION.

Trail Runner Foundation is an association promoting the protection of nature and eco-responsible behaviours, on a daily basis, particularly in the practice of running, walking or hiking in the natural environment.

WINGS OF THE OCEAN.

Wings of the Ocean acts to protect the oceans through the collection of waste and raise awareness with the public, children, businesses and local elected officials. The group carries out depollution and education activity in France and in Europe, with the goal of protecting marine biodiversity and the natural ecosystem of the coasts. Since its creation in 2018, it has collected more than 99,000 kilos of waste. Wings of the Ocean also supports the initiatives of companies and individuals who are working to find alternatives to plastic consumption.

As a retailer with both physical stores and online sales, packaging comprises a significant amount of our environmental footprint. Our priority is to get our products from factory to warehouse to shop or end customer in perfect condition, while using the most environmentally friendly, and least bulky, packaging possible.

Primary packaging.

Since 2023, the primary packaging for all our garments is Vela, a paper alternative to the single-use polythene bag. Vela products are durable, FSC-certified, transparent, weather-resistant and most importantly recyclable. Rather than heading to landfill, as millions of poly bags do every year, Vela bags can be put in with your normal household recycling.

Secondary packaging.

For our shipping, we’ve used Kraft cardboard envelopes and boxes since 2024. These are made from natural materials including wood pulp and do not contain any harmful chemicals. They are also biodegradable and can be easily recycled.

Tertiary packaging.

In our bulk freight shipments and deliveries, we use cardboard cartons as standard. While these are single use, they can be potentially reused, or recycled when sorted properly, which is a legal requirement in France.

All our products are built to go long, and we’re proud of the quality and durability of everything we make. Giving our garments a second life is an increasingly important aspect of how we’re making our business more environmentally and socially responsible. If clothing is enjoyed a second – or even a third – time around, it reduces textile waste.

RECYCLISTE is our resale platform dedicated to ensuring the longest possible life for our products, in line with our commitment to reducing our environmental impact. It provides a secure and easy-to-use interface via which cyclists can upload their unwanted garments for others to browse and purchase directly. Post-sale, the seller can choose to receive cash or enhanced credit to spend on our website.

As of 2025, it is available in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands, online and in Café du Cycliste stores, and we are extending it to further territories.

Discover Recycliste.

Since most of our environmental and social impact is spread along our supply chain, with manufacturers and suppliers across Europe and the world, we require the highest standards of them. Below is an explanation of the various certifications and accredited standards they work to.

amfori Social Audit – Manufacturing

amfori is an organisation that helps companies monitor and verify social and ethical standards from top to bottom in their supply chains. Its Business Social Compliance Initiative (BSCI) is a leading international supply-chain management system that improves working conditions, enforcing 11 core social principles based on International Labour Organization (ILO) standards. It mandates fair wages, safety, no child labour and ethical behavior, and requires audits for suppliers.

bluesign

bluesign ensures safer chemicals, healthier workplaces and reduced environmental impact across the entire supply chain, from raw materials to final products, by setting strict criteria for resource use, emissions, and consumer safety. It’s particularly pertinent to factories using chemical processes and lots of water. 

FAIR WEAR

Fair Wear is a non-profit organisation that works within the clothing industry to improve the lives and working conditions of the people that make your clothes. Its mission is to create a ‘world where the garment industry supports workers in realising their rights to safe, dignified, properly paid employment.’

FSC

The Forest Stewardship Council is an international non-profit organisation that sets standards for responsible forest management. It ensures that products like paper and wood are sourced sustainably, protecting biodiversity and supporting communities.

GOTS

The Global Organic Textile Standard defines globally recognised requirements for organic textiles. It includes ecological, human-rights and social criteria and is backed up by independent certification of the entire supply chain. GOTS certified products include yarns, fabrics and apparel.

GRS

The Global Recycled Standard is an international, voluntary full-product standard that sets requirements for third-party certification of recycled materials across the supply chain.

HIGG FEM / FLSM

Higg Facility tools are used to measure, evaluate and verify sustainability performance in manufacturing in a standardised way. FEM assesses environmental impact (energy, water, waste chemicals), while FSLM focuses on social/labour conditions (wages, health safety).

Imprim’Vert

The Imprim’Vert marque denotes printing organisations making concrete steps to reduce the impact of their activities on the environment. 

ISO

The International Organisation for Standardization is a Geneva-based body that sets some of the toughest manufacturing, management and technology standards around the globe. ISO14001 specifically provides a framework to manage environmental responsibilities, reduce resource consumption and mitigate risks.

Oeko-Tex

Oeko-Tex is a globally recognized, independent testing and certification system for textile and leather products, ensuring they are free from harmful substances and safe for human health. The most common certification, STANDARD 100, tests for over 1,000 chemicals in every component (threads, buttons, fabric). 

PEFC Ecocert

PEFC certification is awarded to organisations practising responsible forest management and the chain of custody of wood or wood-based products.

RCS

The Recycled Claim Standard is a system for tracking recycled materials through the supply chain to ensure claims are accurate, focusing on chain-of-custody verification from recycling to final product.

SA8000:2014

SA8000:2014 is an international, voluntary standard for managing social accountability in the workplace, focusing on fair treatment of workers, ethical working conditions and supply chain integrity. Independently audited, it covers nine core areas, including child labour, health &safety, working hours and remuneration. 

SEDEX PILLAR 4

Sedex is a supply-chain sustainability management platform. Its SMETA (Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit) four-pillar audit evaluates a company's responsible practices across four key areas: labour standards, health & safety, environment, and business ethics.

ZDHC

ZDHC is on a mission to detoxify the fashion industry. It is committed to safeguarding our planet by phasing out hazardous chemicals from the textile, apparel, leather and footwear value chains.

REPAIR, REUSE, REJOICE!

Café du Cycliste has partnered with Goodloop, a specialist repairer of outdoor sports clothing and technical material, to offer an approved repair service.

Now, snags, tears and unpicked stitching or broken zips don’t have to mean the end of the adventure. Simply complete the form, pay and send your clothes off or drop them at a parcel point.

Goodloop will return them, mended, within 15 days, so you can get back out there, somewhere. And, because Goodloop is certified by Refashion, you’ll receive a Repair Bonus of between €6 and €15 per repair, meaning that you’ll pay less and your favourite kit gets another lease of life!

Goodloop shares our vision of enjoying the outdoors in a more sustainable way. It was founded in 2021 and has a dedicated workshop in Lyon, with skilled machinists who can breathe new life into stretch fabrics, waterproofs, down… you name it!

THE SMALL PRINT.

• Goodloop accepts repairs for Café du Cycliste from the EU, Norway, Switzerland and the UK (customs tariffs may apply on parcels sent from outside the EU).
• Our partnership with Goodloop is over and above our crash-replacement and warranty services. Find out more about them here.
• The Repair Bonus is applied automatically to all eligible items at checkout.