Since our founding in 2018, we have grown from a small start-up with a simple idea into a team of over 70 people. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot.
Yet many of these milestones remain hidden from outsiders. When we rethink processes and make changes, it usually happens behind the scenes. In our new Impact Report 2025, we want to make this invisible work visible, share where we stand, what we’ve learned, and what we’re working on.
Our goal: transparency that allows you to understand our key activities and complex supply chains independently. We want to open doors for open dialogue—while clearly showing where challenges exist and where we face limits.
Kim Gerlach, Sustainability & Impact Manager and author of the Impact Report 2025, explains:
"It takes courage for an organization to be vulnerable. To openly show what isn’t perfect yet. But that’s exactly what enables real dialogue—and invites people to join our journey."
From Mission to Impact
You may have noticed: the new report is no longer called the Mission Report. We renamed it the Impact Report for several reasons.
The word “mission” sounds a bit like a heroic solo effort. But real change is not heroic—it’s measurable. We want to provide you with verifiable data: Greenproofing, i.e., evidence-based, transparent communication.
This is exactly where the term “Impact” comes in. It represents real data, clear facts, and full transparency.
Showing the Whole Picture
Our revenues fund the work of our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia, which runs a clean-up and education program on Java. Previous Mission Reports focused mainly on GOT BAG Indonesia’s work, which remains very important.
But that doesn’t show the full picture: real impact happens across the entire value chain. That’s why the Impact Report 2025 goes further. Here are some areas we introduce:
Climate: Measuring to Understand
GOT BAG started with a simple idea: turning plastic waste from coastal areas into something valuable. Protecting the oceans remains our driving force. Early on, we realized that ocean protection and climate protection are inseparable.
Since 2021, we have consistently measured our corporate carbon footprint—from internal operations to the entire supply chain. We’ve identified our biggest emission drivers.
We clearly distinguish between factors we can directly influence and those only indirectly controllable. Currently, an internal working group across teams is developing our climate strategy with concrete reduction targets. We are committed to publishing this comprehensive climate plan in 2026.
Certifications: More Than Just Seals
2025 has been an intensive year for certifications. We are on track for B Corp™ re-certification and have expanded our portfolio with additional certifications introduced this year. Two standards are particularly important:
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Global Recycled Standard (GRS): GRS audits recycled materials from source to end product. GOT BAG GmbH is GRS-certified. Absolute precision is required. As general product labeling is not allowed, our GRS certification always applies to individual components, such as main fabric or lining.
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Ocean Bound Plastic (OBP): Since November 2025, GOT BAG GmbH holds the OBP Scope Certificate from the NGO Zero Plastic Oceans. It is independent proof of our transparent practices and confirms that our processes meet the highest traceability standards.
The seal ensures that plastic waste is collected in regions without functioning waste infrastructure before it reaches the ocean—under fair conditions, with full traceability, and following social standards along the supply chain.
Hannah Knauer, responsible for Supply Chain Certification at GOT BAG, explains:
"Much of my work is invisible to customers. The focus goes far beyond the product itself and includes social audits within the supply chain, relying on established standards. When reviewing audit reports, I look closely at details. When we then change processes, it usually happens behind the scenes. But that’s where real impact happens for me."
Collective Action: Partnerships & Collaborations
We believe it takes many to make a difference. Beyond our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia, we collaborate with inspiring organizations contributing to ocean protection in their own ways. Some partners include:
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Coral Gardeners, restoring coral reefs through reforestation.
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Plastic Fischer, intercepting plastics in rivers before they reach the ocean using barriers.
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Team Malizia, using high-performance sailing to collect ocean data and raise global awareness of climate protection.
We also collaborate with artists and designers like Paula Votteler to create unique access points to complex topics like plastic pollution and translate them into engaging storytelling.
GOT BAG as an Employer
Our understanding of care doesn’t stop at the office door. For the first time, we have included a chapter on our corporate culture and daily work life at GOT BAG.
We see GOT BAG as a meeting space and a living system that continuously evolves, centered around shared purpose.
This includes regularly asking how we can act more fairly and transparently. For example, we didn’t just close our gender pay gap; we asked why it existed. Result: we reduced the gap from 6.6% in 2024 to -1.1% in 2025.
Our Goals: What’s Coming in 2026?
Founder and Managing Director Benjamin Mandos sums it up: "As an organization, we always want the honest drive to create projects that benefit the environment, people, and oceans. We never want to lose sight of this genuine care—it is and remains the core of GOT BAG."
This means: we will publish our climate plan with concrete reduction targets developed by an internal task force. We will advance our AI ethics guidelines. We will conduct lifecycle analyses for additional products to make their environmental impacts transparent. And we will start new collaborations with inspiring partners who share our values.
It’s not about perfection—it’s about honesty, small steps, and the courage to publicly set goals so we can report transparently in the next report.
Read more in the full Impact Report 2025: Impact Report 2025
