Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This page may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that I have recommended. There is no additional cost to you whatsoever.
Image credit score: MZ
This publish accommodates some affiliate hyperlinks, which suggests for those who make a purchase order, EcoCult receives a small share of the sale value. Some manufacturers might have paid a small payment to be featured. We solely advocate manufacturers that we actually imagine in. Support our editorial work by supporting them!
If there may be any sustainable trend “funding” it’s best to make, it might be a purse. Sustainable purse and purse manufacturers typically have a traditional, well-crafted method to design, which means the luggage are timeless gadgets that you simply’ll preserve for years, even a long time, to return.
Whether you’re in search of a dependable, on a regular basis crossbody bag, an announcement clutch, or a colourful tote that may maintain all of your issues, there’s an moral different to swimsuit each want.
What to search for in sustainable, moral purses:
Materials: The vegan leather-based business is consistently innovating to create sustainable alternate options that replicate the feel of leather-based, minus the environmental impression. From Piñatex’s pineapple leather to solvent-free vegan leather-based—which makes use of 95% much less water, 50% much less power, and 0 chemical compounds—there are many manufacturers which might be utilizing eco-friendly, cruelty-free, vegan leathers.
If you do wish to purchase real leather-based, which does are inclined to last more and be extra simply repaired, search for manufacturers that use recycled leather, vegetable-tanned leather, or deadstock/offcut leather (which means the leather-based used is already within the system, stopping it from ending up in landfills). You’ll additionally discover extra manufacturers upcycling waste textiles like outdated carpets, mountaineering cords, and classic clothes to create distinctive, covetable baggage. And manufacturers that use upcycled textiles normally have very small batch manufacturing, so that you’re unlikely to see anybody else together with your purse!
Social Impact: There are loads of nice manufacturers that work intently with artisan craftspeople around the globe, creating purses from locally-sourced supplies akin to jute, handwoven brocades, raffia, leather-based, and different conventional materials. Not solely do these make for vibrant, lovely baggage that remember distinctive traditions internationally, however the manufacturers tapping into the experience of artisans are additionally supporting native economies, creating job alternatives for ladies, and partnering with native charities to offer again to the communities they work with.
Transparency: Look for manufacturers that prioritize paying truthful wages, creating first rate working circumstances, and producing in a manner that reduces their environmental footprint. Brands that work intently with artisan communities or native family-run producers, or produce all the things in-house, are making certain that focus to element is paramount. This means they’ve better transparency of manufacturing and manufacturing, so you can even relaxation assured that they know each hyperlink of their provide chain.
Many of the bag manufacturers beneath produce small-batch, restricted runs of their purses, making certain there’s a restricted threat of overproduction and waste. If it’s actively doing all of this stuff, it’s best to be capable to discover details about it on the model’s web site. A superb indicator of a clear enterprise is how a lot data is definitely accessible to clients — if it’s sharing details about the individuals who make the gadgets, the factories, and supplies used, you recognize the group has carried out their analysis and values transparency.
Timelessness: When shopping for an ethically made purse, take into account the life cycle of that product. Look for types and colours that you recognize might be timeless, multifunctional, and match into your wardrobe, could be repaired by the model, or are customizable to suit your actual wants. It’s value trying into sure materials to ensure they’re hardwearing and constructed to face up to years of use and take into account the tip of lifetime of a product (is it recyclable or biodegradable?).
Repair program: Buying a purse is usually an funding, so extending its utilization is a should. Check out manufacturers that supply restore packages, which is able to provide help to rock your bag for a few years.
Packaging: Numerous manufacturers supply plastic-free packaging. Double-check that they wrap your merchandise in both reusable, 100% recyclable, or biodegradable packaging.
Here are our favourite manufacturers for sustainable, ethically-made purses:
Women-owned and operated MZ is a good commerce, B Corp licensed model that designs baggage and equipment that perpetuate the gorgeous artistry of the designers and artisans in Oaxaca, Mexico. Its merchandise are hand-dyed and handwoven utilizing a course of utilized by the Zapotecs for hundreds of years. The model’s aim is to make weaving a extra viable livelihood for the artisans and join Zapotec textiles with socially acutely aware customers across the globe.
Based in LA, Svala is a vegan model that sources its eco-friendly supplies—together with Pintatex pineapple leather-based, cork, vegan PU leather-based, recycled polyester, and natural cotton—from modern European mills. Svala’s purse vary contains crossbody baggage, clutches, totes, and backpacks in a variety of versatile monochrome and metallic colours. Everything is hand made in a downtown Los Angeles manufacturing unit to make sure full transparency and truthful working circumstances. Not solely is Svala a part of a carbon offset program to scale back its carbon footprint, nevertheless it additionally strives to offer again, donating 10% of income to charities like WildAid, a gaggle working to finish the unlawful wildlife commerce.
A certified B-Corp enterprise, Nisolo is a footwear and equipment model that has social impression and transparency at its core. Nisolo publishes annual impression studies, sharing in-depth details about each hyperlink of its provide chain—from the residing wages paid to staff in its Peruvian factories, to the codes of conduct agreed upon by its companion producers. The model additionally has a partnership with Ecosphere+, defending the Amazon Basin from deforestation and offsetting its carbon emissions with each product offered.
Founded in 2008, QWSTION is a Swiss model recognized for combining design and performance with sustainability. Its baggage and merchandise are developed in Zürich, in its personal prototyping workshop, which permits testing new concepts and distinctive constructions in a really early stage of the product growth, leading to extra refined merchandise. You can discover baggage made out of organically grown fibers like high-density cotton canvas and Bananatex (created from banana fibers), then completed with PFC-free water-repellent coatings. Check out Alden’s experience visiting QWSTION in Switzerland here.
Behno, which suggests “sisters” in Hindi, is a New York model that values neighborhood. Behno is a social enterprise with six core founding rules that make up the Behno Standard, making certain that the corporate’s artisan staff in India have entry to advantages, healthcare, household planning, and schooling. To obtain this, the model arrange its personal manufacturing unit and produces purses utilizing leather-based from tanneries in Italy. Behno makes 4 signature types of purses, in addition to seasonal capsule collections, with 20% of income from these going to charities just like the National Down Syndrome Society.
Founded in 2017, Ashya creates unisex, utilitarian journey equipment made for “modern-day explorers.” Everything is designed and handmade in New York, the place the main target is on producing premium high quality, small-batch collections. Ashya’s belt baggage, passport holders, and crossbody baggage are created from Italian leather-based and lined with natural cotton canvas, and all of the {hardware} is custom-made by a boutique metalsmith within the garment district.
Based in Ghana, AAKS purses are created from vibrantly coloured raffia, handcrafted by artisans who spend per week making every bag. AAKS goals to maintain these conventional weaving crafts alive by creating sustainable jobs, not just for the artisans however for the native household farms the place the ecologically harvested raffia is sourced. A testomony to the standard and uniqueness of AAKS purses, each bit comes with a tag to show its authenticity.
Naturae Sacra is a luxurious and up to date purse model. Its merchandise are designed in Milan and handmade in Turkey, specializing in expert craftsmanship strategies by together with high-quality vegetable tanned calf leather-based and supporting its neighborhood via hiring domestically.
Created by long-time mates Zi Xuan and Yijia Wang, advene is a brand new luxurious equipment model that prioritizes cautious design and accountable manufacturing. The leather-based used is 100% traceable, sourced from meals byproducts, and produced in a scope-C gold-standard tannery licensed by the Leather Working Group. The Age Bag (pictured above) was engineered with out the pointless plastic fillers with the intention to minimize down on waste. At checkout, clients are given a reduction in the event that they go for minimal packaging; in any other case, the packaging consists of an FSC-certified greyboard field and a mud fabric created from GOTS licensed hemp.
Founded in 2015 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Lidia May is a purse model with social impression at its core. Employing a community of girls artisans, the model works intently with the Lidia Hope Centre, a non-profit group that helps over 400 households residing in Dhaka slums, coaching girls in embroidery and offering education for his or her youngsters. For sure collections, 100% of the proceeds from the primary 1500 baggage offered go in the direction of funding the Lidia Hope Center School.
Since 2015, New York-based model Kintu has been collaborating with artisans around the globe to provide luxurious purses with an emphasis on generational conservation of artistry and craftsmanship. Made in Italy, Kintu baggage are constructed utilizing pure vegetable-tanned leather-based sourced round Europe, whereas the {hardware} comes from Kenya and handwoven brocade materials in India, making Kintu a very international artisanal model. The designs are minimalist, hardwearing, and sensible.
Kayu is a Californian model that works with girls cooperatives within the Philippines to provide its baggage. Its purses are woven from seagrass straw, a pure weed that’s harvested and dried by hand, which means that ultimately, the luggage will biodegrade. Kayu additionally works with immigrant girls in San Francisco who hand embroider the monograms onto every Kayu bag, which gives them with sensible coaching and a good revenue. With the aim to turn into a zero-waste model throughout the subsequent 5 years, Kayu focuses on each social impression and sustainability throughout the design and manufacturing course of.
Klès is an unbiased model creating handcrafted leather-based baggage and equipment. Its designs are minimal with slightly twist and designed and crafted in England. All of its merchandise are made utilizing sustainable supplies, together with chemical-free vegetable tanned leather-based, and strong brass fittings.
