Image by NisoloImage by Pixie MoodHere at Sustainable Jungle, we’ve got sustainability in the bag… well, we’re doing our best anyway, partially by in search of essentially the most sustainable bags and purses that the eco world has to supply.
The handbag industry has more problems than most within the general fashion umbrella (thanks leather) so how can we make sure we’re buying one thing that doesn’t hurt anyone or anything?
Please hold our (sustainable) bag while we dish out the filth on where to purchase the most effective eco-friendly purses and purses.
Everything we suggest to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to verify their claims. To avoid waste, we take a look at products on an as wanted foundation. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy one thing by way of our links, we could earn a small fee. Learn extra about why we do thishere.
A Sample Bag Of The Most Sustainable Handbags & Purses
Deux Mains’ small batch manufacturing course of and charitable business model assist break the cycle of poverty.
For eco-friendly bags created from recycled materials and no PVC, Pixie Mood will put you in a positive mood.
Matt & Natt make use of frequent manufacturing unit audits to make sure they make the most moral handbags possible.
For extra on how we bagged up this list of ethical and sustainable bag brands, dig down—like you’re looking for your phone buried in your new handbag—to the bottom of the article.
The Full List Of Eco-Friendly Purse & Handbag Brands
1. Pixie Mood
Images by Pixie MoodAbout Pixie Mood
Price Range:$36—$130
Pixie Mood has been making PETA-approved vegan accessories for over a decade.
They have a number of sustainable vegan leather handbags, shoulder bags, clutches, and belt bags.
These include wallets and travel organizers with radio frequency identification (RFID) blocking know-how to protect your id and financial institution account—identity theft just isn’t something you need ne’er do wells bagging up).
Also out there are sustainable fashion purses made from recycled canvas and recycled vegan wool, if faux leather isn’t your speed.
Pixie Mood’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The brand uses a wide selection of GRS-certified recycled materials of their handbags, including recycled canvas and solvent-free vegan leather, wool, and linings produced from recycled plastic bottles.
They also use cork cloth that means all sustainable supplies are animal and PVC-free.
The hardware on their sustainable purses can be compliant with the European Union REACH standard, so their chemical utilization is monitored and regulated.
All supplies are tested yearly to verify they meet California Prop 65 standards.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Pixie Mood audits its Asian producers twice yearly to ensure its labor requirements are met, including no forced/child labor, no harassment or abuse, safe working environments, and fair wages and benefits.
Green business practices:
Putting the “eco-friendly” in eco-friendly vegan leather purses, their manufacturing uses water and energy-saving techniques.
Proud to name themselves a climate-positive company, Pixie Mood companions with TerraPass to offset carbon emissions, including purchasing.
Their biodegradable packaging is corn-based and any EPE foam is one hundred pc recyclable.
Community & charitable giving:
Pixie Mood partners with 1% for the Planet to be able to ahead environmental initiatives.
They additionally partner with One Tree Planet and the Humane Society, and are all the time open to new companions to further their change-making commitments.
2. Bellroy
Images by BellroyAbout Bellroy
Price Range:$39—$449
The final sustainable “carry firm,” Aussie-based Certified B-Corp Bellroy is the dream eco-friendly handbag brand for RFID-equipped sustainable wallets and eco bags and backpacks for everything from travel to daily use.
Each one is designed with each fashion and functionality in mind (lots of pockets, anyone?)—like the Cooler Tote, which capabilities as an insulated lunchbox, reusable grocery bag, and spacious tote multi function.
Need laptop computer sleeves or cellphone cases?
They’ve got that in the sustainable bag, too.
Bellroy’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Bellroy makes use of leather from LWG Gold-rated tanneries or ECCO Leather. The latter’s DriTan™ technique uses moisture already present within the cover to reduce water and chemical utilization.
If you prefer sustainable vegan bags, plenty utilize recycled polyester created from 100% recycled water bottles or recycled nylon created from 100% recycled industrial nylon offcuts.
Also current within the sustainable fabric line-up is TENCEL™ X REFIBRA™ and MIRUM® (a mushroom-based leather alternative).
Supply chain & labor practices:
Information on their labor practices is tough to find outdoors their sourcing of leather from the Netherlands.
While product prototype sustainable bags have been made in Australia, they don’t provide info on who makes their products now and the place last manufacturing takes place. We might be checking to see if they’ve anything to add.
Green business practices:
Bellroy’s decision-making is guided by goals to reduce use of poisons, utilize eco-friendly materials the place possible, cut back waste and energy, and understand their influence to permit them to further scale back it.
Above all, they “make merchandise which are used and loved for as lengthy as possible” and include a 3-year warranty.
These targets are mirrored in their Material Impact report, although a broader sustainability report hasn’t been printed as yet.
Community & charitable giving:
Bellroy donates a portion of its income to changemaking charities, as guided by the Centre for Effective Altruism and the Effective Altruism group.
They additionally help Farm Forward, which advocates for improved animal welfare and the tip of factory farming.
3. Deux Mains
Images by Deux MainsAbout Deux Mains
Price Range:$175—$395
Woman-owned and managed Deux Mains believes “Women are the Pillars of Society”.
And sustainable purses are the pillars of any woman’s green wardrobe.
In addition to wallets and recycled flip flops, they provide a small selection of moral bags—including a tote, shoulder bag, bucket bag, and sustainable crossbody bag—in a variety of different colours.
If you’re an “essentials only” particular person, take a glance at the adorable Mini Essential Bucket Bag.
Deux Mains’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These bags are either manufactured from deadstock leather or responsibly (and locally) sourced full grain leather from Haiti or Mexico.
We’re unsure what tanning chemicals are used for their non-recycled leather and might be reaching out to ask.
Their totes feature upcycled tire inside tube bottoms for durability and waterproofing.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The brand’s name means “two hands” which is exactly what’s behind these ethically-made bags.
Their own Haitian manufacturing unit provides good wages (and overtime) as well as healthcare, paid vacations, and paid maternity / paternity depart.
Green enterprise practices:
Deux Mains’ factory and tanneries run partially on solar energy and their tanneries employ water and waste recycling practices. Their Mexican tannery is certainly one of the top ten sustainable tanneries on the planet.
Small batch manufacturing, handcrafting, and turning excess material into new products ensures minimal waste.
Recycled packaging and objectives of carbon neutrality additional reduce the brand’s influence.
Community & charitable giving:
By offering significant work, Deux Mains takes a holistic strategy to break cycles of poverty via their nonprofit companion REBUILD.
REBUILD students have expertise training, greater training opportunities through its University Matching Program, and assured jobs at Deux Mains after commencement.
4. Nisolo
Images by NisoloAbout Nisolo
Price Range:$80—$350
Nashville-based Nisolo is an ethical shoe brand that additionally makes ethical leather handbags, big and small.
Their men’s assortment includes backpacks, messenger bags, and weekenders, while the broader number of women’s sustainable fashion bags contains all these plus totes, shoulder bags, and crossbody bags.
For the most effective of both worlds, their extremely versatile Simone Convertible Shopper has been dubbed “The Perfect Bag”.
Aside from offering sustainable boots, bags, and extra, this Certified B Corp (ranked #1 amongst leather product brands and #3 amongst shoe brands) goals to be a changemaker inside the fashion industry.
Nisolo’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Nisolo’s eco-friendly bags are mainly made from nubuck and suede leathers, sourced as a by-product of the meat industry.
To gain traceability for these leathers, they’ve personally visited and vetted all leather tanneries, most of which are licensed by the Leather Working Group.
Their best sustainable handbags are made with a cotton canvas physique, vegetable-tanned leather straps, and copper rivets.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Nisolo’s website contains detailed wage and condition information about each of their four factories and each product features a Sustainability Facts Label.
All factories must adhere to their Code of Conduct they usually implement these rules with the assistance of the Good Ops supply chain consulting group ACCOUNTABLE, which supplies them with social impression assessments.
Nisolo is committed to offering a living wage to all, and co-founded the Lowest Wage Challenge for brands to publish their lowest wages.
They also present in-house yoga and health lessons, and training on subjects like finances, health, vitamin, and English.
Green business practices:
Nisolo is Climate Neutral Certified and the top ranking fashion brand on Remake’s Accountability Report.
They measure, cut back, and offset 100 percent of their carbon emissions with Ecosphere+by defending bushes from deforestation within the Cordillera Azul and Ucayali regions of the Peruvian Amazon.
Community & charitable giving:
Nisolo is cultivating a neighborhood of sustainable brands with their Ethical Marketplace, the place they sell products of different sustainably-minded brands to encourage sustainable living exterior the closet.
They additionally launched a Shoe Reclamation Program and have collected and donated over 7,000 sneakers to Soles4Souls.
5. Parker Clay
Images by Parker ClayAbout Parker Clay
Price Range:$118—$598
Parker Clay wants to create a “Better Bag For A Better World”.
Their classic collection of sustainable leather purses and tech-compatible handbags joins their eco-friendly baggage in proving that leather may be better.
For women, you’ll discover crossbody bags, totes, bucket bags, shoulder bags, and backpacks.
Their vary of eco-friendly luxury bags for men include briefcases, messenger bags, and backpacks.
Parker Clay’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All sustainable leather bags are made from premium Ethiopian full-grain leather, sourced as a byproduct of the Ethiopian food industry.
The hardware consists of natural and recycled brass.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This Certified B Corp handmakes all bags in their own manufacturing facility in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the leather is tanned.
Workers not solely obtain more-than-living wages (based on the USD to prevent forex devaluation), but also transportation, pensions, health care, paid day off, transportation, and laundry services.
Most employees are at-risk women who have been impacted by the intercourse commerce.
The Parker Clay Center of Excellence supplies expertise training in leather working to extend future job prospects for artisans.
Green business practices:
“Fashion shouldn’t be disposable however treasured” so Parker Clay’s eco handbags are constructed to last a lifetime.
As a member of the Green Tannin Initiative, their leather is tanned using organic vegetable dyes (rather than chrome and sulfides) and recycled water.
Community & charitable giving:
After adopting a daughter from and living in Ethiopia for years, Parker Clay’s founders are passionate about giving back to it.
For every eco-friendly leather bag purchased, they plant a tree there through the Green Legacy Challenge.
This is along with using at-risk women with their sister nonprofit, Ellilta.
6. Malia Designs
Images by Malia DesignsAbout Malia Designs
Price Range:$18—$68
Malia Designs represents harmony between western and jap cultures, specifically that of Cambodia.
Drawing inspiration from Angkor temples and the colorful streets of Phnom Penh, their huge number of eco-friendly purses includes every form and measurement possible, from shoulder and cross body bags to bookbags.
Whatever your actual style is, they’ve affordable sustainable shoulder bags simply for you to #CARRYACAUSE.
Malia Designs’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Malia specializes in handbags made from recycled supplies.
These embrace recycled feed bags, cement bags, denim, and cotton canvas (sourced from leftover rolls of cloth from garment factories).
Supply chain & labor practices:
To create financial opportunity for Cambodians living in high danger areas for human trafficking, Malia works with three women-led fair commerce fashion cooperatives.
They employ individuals from disadvantaged groups including women, the deaf, and disabled people.
One of these groups presents a choice between home-based employment or living accommodations hooked up to the workshop.
Community & charitable giving:
Malia Designs desires to interrupt the cycle of human trafficking in Cambodia by supporting organizations like Damnok Toek, a one hundred pc Cambodian-run NGO that assists kids and trafficking victims.
Their donations present bunk beds, training supplies, transportation, and vocational training for younger women.
In addition, they supply grants and loans to their artisan groups for workshop enlargement, training, and new tools.
7. Matt & Nat
Images by Matt & NattAbout Matt & Nat
Price Range:$40—$350
Canada-based Matt & Nat is a PETA-approved vegan brand that gives ethically made handbags and accessories in a selection of styles ranging from classic to fashionable and edgy.
With an array of rainbow colors to select from, including lilac, seaglass, and chartreuse, you’ll in all probability spend a bit of time trying to resolve which one fits you best.
Whether you’re in search of belt bags, briefcases, or a diaper bag to stash your little one’s eco-friendly diapers, Matt & Natt covers your carrying needs.
Matt & Nat’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Matt & Nat doesn’t use leather—ever.
They do, however, use PVC leather, however are transitioning away in favor of PVB (polyvinyl butyral) produced from 100% recycled windshield glass resin and PU.
While not eco-friendly rubber handbags, they do use rubber in wallets and are experimenting with fruit skin fibers like apple leather.
Linings are created from 100% recycled plastic bottles—about 21 plastic bottles for each.
Supply chain & labor practices:
In addition to employing local moral managers, Matt & Nat’s CEO visits every manufacturing unit 2-3 instances per year to inspect circumstances.
They are also audited twice a yr to ensure that wages are honest and conditions safe, so although they’re not sustainable bags made in Canada, the truthful trade standards are comparable.
One operates by the SA800 standard, and the brand hopes to make the usual an even bigger a half of future manufacturing.
Green business practices:
Matt & Nat strives “to turn out to be absolutely sustainable by 2023.”
There’s no details on how they plan to attain that aim (especially as they’re still utilizing PVC), however recycled supplies are a start.
Community & charitable giving:
The main workplace in Montreal is dubbed a “cruelty- free zone” and hosts monthly vegetarian potlucks and vegan cupcakes to have fun birthdays.
They encourage prospects to donate used Matt & Nat bags to Dress for Success.
100% of profits from the HOPE Charity Bag go to various charities.
eight. O My Bag
Images by O My BagAbout O My Bag
Price Range:€30—€389
OM…B(?) have we got sustainable leather handbags for you.
Based in Amsterdam, O My Bag knows the worth of doing things the green way—even in relation to tanning leather.
This Certified B Corp’s genuine leather eco bags and purses boast a minimalist look that will pair well with most capsule wardrobes.
O My Bag’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their ethical purses are made of uncoated (so no artificial finish) vegetable “wet white” tanned byproduct-only leather.
Tanning with out VOCs or dangerous chemical substances like chromium, heavy metals, and formaldehyde (verified by independent SGS laboratory testing), they declare it’s so clear that leftover leather can be utilized as fertilizer.
They even have a line of sustainable canvas bags that only characteristic leather handles and accents.
This canvas is non-GMO GOTS organic cotton like their bag liners and mud bags.
Supply chain & labor practices:
O My Bag’s eco-friendly purses begin with their two tanneries: Shee Shen in Kolkata, India and Conceria Nuova Grenoble in Tuscany, Italy.
LWG Gold-certified Shee Shen has its own primary effluent therapy plant and offers equal pay.
Family-run Conceria Nuova Grenoble is a member of the Genuine Italian Vegetable Tanned Leather Consortium, purifies manufacturing water, and recycles production substances.
Every product page tells you in which of their 4 SA8000 or WFTO-certified factories the product was produced.
Green enterprise practices:
You can promote circular fashion by shopping their Pre-loved Library or benefit from their repair services to increase the life of your ethical leather bags and purses.
They use 100% renewable energy to energy their office and shops, provide carbon-neutral world delivery, and extra within the Sustainability Report.
Community & charitable giving:
1% of O My Bag’s revenue is donated to help native projects which focus on women empowerment or schooling.
9. Carry Courage
Images by Carry CourageAbout Carry Courage
Price Range:$59—$349
Carry Courage started through 9-to-5 burnout (been there).
After realizing her workplace job wasn’t inspiring her, Marisa took a courageous step to reside her dream… and give other women the braveness to take action as well!
They invite you to carry braveness in the type of their “organizing solutions for intentional women”, which includes sustainable vegan handbags, essential oil bags, messenger bags, pill clutches, and sustainable make-up bags.
Carry Courage’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
These earth-friendly bags are made of a buttery soft, sturdy, and renewable cork exterior with linen lining, making them PETA-approved vegan.
It also makes for environmentally-friendly handbags which may be washable with gentle zero waste dish cleaning soap.
Others are made using indiginous Tibetan natural materials or animal-free leather. We’ll be touching base to inquire what the latter is manufactured from.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Carry Courage’s cork is sourced from the world’s cork mecca, Portugal, the place it’s grown sustainably with strict harvesting rules.
Their linen is organically grown at a family-owned farm in the US and the steel hardware also comes from a US woman-owned company.
Products are ethically made of their truthful commerce studio in Portland, Oregon—hello sustainable purse made in the USA!
Those from the NORBOO collection are made by Norboo Tibetan Handicrafts, a small artisan group in Tibet.
Green enterprise practices:
Each bag is hand sewn in small batches, which eliminates machine emissions and wasted overstock.
It also guarantees “heirloom quality” items that may last for generations.
10. Behno
Images by BehnoAbout Behno
Price Range:$195—$725
Behno, meaning “sisters” in Hindi, crafts high-quality sustainable luxury handbags.
Their trendy, statement-making bags are made based mostly on six guiding moral philosophies known as the “Behno Standard“.
Choose from shoulder bags, crossbody bags, clutches, and wallets.
Unique is chic for Behno, as one have a glance at their Tina Baguette Mini Bags will prove.
Behno’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
They’re made from premium Italian byproduct leather (in pebble, suede, or Nappa textures) paired with a cotton twill lining.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The leather is tanned at Leather Working Group (LWG) Gold-certified tanneries outside Venice.
Behno’s bags are handcrafted from Italian leather in Nashik, India.
This factory is often visited by employees members, REACH compliant, and authorized by ISO and ISO 9001.
Workers obtain access to fair commerce wages, household planning services, healthcare clinics, clear water, and transportation.
Green enterprise practices:
Through recycling waste supplies and energy-saving machinery and infrastructure, Behno attempts to minimize its manufacturing footprint.
Their eco-friendly luxury bags come mailed in either a handwoven Khai dust bag or scrap textile recycled bag.
Their partnership with Canopy helps ensure packaging and tree-based textiles come from recycled or non-endangered sources.
Community & charitable giving:
Behno helps each the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) and Boys & Girls Clubs of America by donating a percentage of sales from sure product collections.
eleven. Klès
Images by KlèsAbout Klès
Price Range:$130—$288
For sustainable handbags made within the UK (along with some other attractive women’s leather accessories), Klès provides timeless wardrobe staples, including bucket bags, clutches, and eco-friendly crossbody bags.
Founder Jessica will personalize bags with a debossed word as a lot as 9 characters on the interior.
Klès’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Each affordable eco-friendly handbag options unlined, full-grain Italian and Belgian vegetable tanned cow leather sourced as a byproduct of animal industries.
Using the very best high quality skins means they can be left undyed or dyed with a transparent dye (aniline) accenting the good thing about the pure grain.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Klès’ environmentally friendly purses are created by designer and proprietor Jessica Gomez herself using handcrafting techniques at her In Bristol Studio.
Raw materials are sourced locally inside the UK.
Green business practices:
Being hand-stitched makes the baggage durable and simpler to repair.
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What Is The Most Sustainable Bag?
Other than these you already personal, the best sustainable bags are these manufactured from sustainable supplies in a method that doesn’t hurt individuals or the planet.
So what’s the most sustainable material for handbags?
Well, we can let you know what it’s not: leather.
The traditional go-to handbag material is leather, chosen for its chic look and durable nature, however, (surprise, surprise) it’s produced from the skin of animals.
Sometimes byproduct leather is utilized by others, however leather is the only purpose 1 billion animals are raised and killed yearly.
While leather falls underneath the class of natural supplies, it doesn’t break down like others (ethical wool, cashmere, peace silk, and so on.). Tanned leather can take 100+ years, releasing harmful chemicals within the process.
Speaking of tanning…
Unless it’s organically tanned leather, the process requires 250+ chemicals (arsenic, chromium, cyanide, and so on.) which ends up in leaching at this stage, too, and exposes workers to toxins day by day.
Leather apart, accessories usually are not resistant to the quite a few issues the fashion industry has generated.
It’s difficult to get a handle on the true influence but overconsumption through quick fashion (how many bags can we every really need?), labor atrocities, and environmental damage seem to be just the tip of the iceberg.
How We Found The Best Sustainable Bags & Purses
How can we hunt for handbags and purses that can face up to being tossed round day after day (but additionally don’t toss our planet or animal lives to the curb)?
Well, we dig and dig and dig, just a little deeper until… aha!
We lastly find the tools wanted beneath our scrunchie, pockets, eco-friendly water bottle, and nil waste lip balm: our sustainable and moral fashion standards.
Materials:
What are sustainable bags made of?
The options are endless, but some are actually better than others. Organic bags and pure sustainable handbags (i.e. organic cotton, lyocell, cork) are best, but they’re usually not as durable.
Leather is sturdy however its benefits are restricted after that. Vegan leather alternatives are a’plenty however there are downsides to these, too.
Vegan merchandise are ethically most popular from an ethical standpoint, however in some cases, vegan leather options are literally much less sustainable fabrics—AKA plastic.
When it’s PVC (the WORST kind of plastic), correct disposal is inconceivable. Instead search for these in sustainable vegan leather bags:
* Plastic-free vegan leather: Piñatex, apple leather, SCOBY (the exact same as when you realized how to flavor kombucha!), fungi, and cork.
* Recycled PET or nylon: Commonly made with recycled plastic bottles or discarded fishing nets, it’s still plastic however it makes use of plastic that already exists.
* Polyurethane (PU): Technically still plastic, but simpler to recycle and more sustainable to supply.
What about moral leather? Is there such a thing?
Here we search for a clearly defined sourcing policy to make sure no animals have been killed explicitly for their skin.
This refers to meat industry byproducts or “wild caught” leather sourced from small Indigenous/rural communities that raise animals for leather and to feed themselves.
The best options (in order) are:
* Upcycled/deadstock: Using recycled and deadstock materials prevents leather from entering landfills, where it will take tons of of years to decompose
* Vegetable-tanned leather: Plant-based brokers in tanning provide durability—without toxins. Manufacturing water can be recycled and staff are safer.
* Chrome-free leather: Some harmful chemical compounds (i.e. heavy metals) are prevented, however it’s nonetheless a long way from fully sustainable.
Supply chain & labor practices:
From material sourcing to shipping, we wish to ensure everyone involved is supported. That means fair wages, healthy work situations, and respectful therapy (what “fair trade” is all about).
To accessorize without greenwashing, one of the best sustainable handbags have strict codes of conduct or are licensed to prove their claims—though “prove” is a robust word given that even B Corp’s reliability has been referred to as into question.
Green business practices:
With the use of green energy, carbon offset packages, closed-loop manufacturing, repair/recycling packages, sustainable transport initiatives, and sustainable supplies for transport, these eco-friendly handbags may be extra so.
Community & charitable giving:
These sustainable handbag brands aren’t out to be Mr. Moneybags.
In different words, purpose comes earlier than revenue as a result of many of these brands give back to charitable organizations that benefit the setting, social packages, or each.
Final Thoughts On Ethical Bags & Purses
That’s the entire bag-load of eco-friendly purses and handbags from brands which are providing you with the tools (or rather a method to hold them) to stay extra sustainably.
Just remember the most sustainable handbags are these already at the back of your closet. Or peruse one of many many online thrift shops to see if you can score a killer deal on a pre-loved sustainable designer handbag.
Conscious consumerism could be a heavy bag to carry, however the extra we unfold the message and encourage bag brands (and friends) to go-green, the lighter the load will be!
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