50+ Sustainable Ethical Bags 2024.

Belgium

Ms Bag in Belgium makes bags from 100% rescued waste material salmon leather with some black Italian veg-tan leather as details. Ms. Bay produces in Kolkata, India in factories that are SA8000 standard certified, which means that they qualify for fair trade standards regarding child labour, health and safety, discrimination and remuneration.

The Netherlands / Holland

O My Bag Amsterdam in Holland make their products from vegetable-tanned leathers without the use of harmful chemicals like chromium and a synthetic top finish. Their canvas collection and dust bags are made from GOTS certificated organic cotton. All of our factories have SA 8000 certification standards to ensure that all operate under fair conditions. Their packaging is made from recycled materials and is certified by Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Customers can also choose to have their purchase shipped in a returnable and reusable RePack which can be dropped in a nearby post box after use. As a reward, Repack will send a 10% discount voucher by email for O My Bag and all other brands that use Repack. The company states that it is constantly trying to minimise its carbon footprint and that they offset what they do produce by investing in the Envira Amazonia Project. Also in 2017 the company donated 3,000 school bags to The Brickfield Schools Project which is an organization that provides school lessons to children of workers in Indian Brickfields. You can buy their bags in Industry in D2

France

Faguo is a French Bcorp 80% of their garments are made from recycled materials and they operate on a zero waste basis, with nothing sent for disposal. They have been planting trees to offset their carbon emissions since 2009 and have now 2million trees planted across France. They’ve also managed to reduce the carbon footprint of their products by approximately 50% since they started production and offer repair services in their stores. They only work directly with BSCI certified factories. 

Germany

Zamt in Germany sells beautiful vegetable tanned leather bags and wallets with no synthetic top finishes for men and women. The leather is from France and is tanned in Italian and Portuguese tanneries that work within the strict framework of European Environmental Law. The hides are vegetable tanned with wood extracts then greased with tallow and sunflower seed oil and rounded off with a natural finishing. The company has also chosen GoGreen from DHL, which is working towards reducing all logistics-related emissions to zero by the year 2050.

Ulsto (see top photo) make bags, wallets and yoga mats from natural, animal-free and durable materials in Germany. They use cork, GOTS – certified organic cotton, felt made from recycled PET bottles and OEKO-TEX certified (toxin-free) metal zips and cotton cords. They also do a range of cork based jewellery. Their website is in German so you’ll have to use google translate with it.

German company Pinqponq make long-lasting products from recycled plastic in Vietnam. The company is a member of Fair Wear Foundation and they have partnered with bluesign systems to help keep environmentally damaging substances out of the production process. Their bags that don’t include leather are certified as being vegan by PETA. You can buy directly from the company or via the e-tailer YOOX

I’m a fan of making stuff from existing stuff including these bags and wallets made from used bicycle tubes by German company Deus ex Machine.

Pagura is another German based company offering a wide range of bags and wallets made from recycled bicycle tubes.

Wayks make durable PFC-free bags from recycled polyester in a factory in Vietnam that is owned by a German company and recognised by Fair Wear Foundation. Their also source their materials from companies registered with Bluesign, a Swiss organisation, which certifies and assists companies throughout the fashion industry’s supply chain, helping them to reduce their environmental impact.

Ucon Acrobatics made bags from recycled polyester that are free from phthalate P7. The fabric is then laminated with foil making the material impermeable up to a water pressure of 1.500 mm. This probably means that the bags aren’t recyclable at the end of their life, although I’ve emailed the company to ask this. Their design studio in Berlin runs on eco-power and every team member comes to office by bike or on foot. All relevant greenhouse gas emissions generated by the company are recorded, calculated and reported in our company’s CO2 balance. The company is a B-corp and approved by PETA. They also donate backpacks to kids in need in Germany and to the charity Save the Children and My Climate.

Got Bag makes bags from recycled plastic salvaged from the sea around Indonesia, in Sedex and BSCI certified factories in China. They say that the waterproof coating they use on their bags is biodegradable. They also repair bags and take them back at the end of their life for recycling into new products.

Deuter is a German company that makes PFC-free backpacks and sleeping bags, some with bluesign certification. They regularly test their products to make sure they’re free of banned chemicals, only use certified responsible down and 50% of the materials they use is recycled. In 2021 they launched their Infiniti range, made from manufacturing offcuts, donating 1% of the sales to the environmental organisation 1% for the planet. They offer a repair service and sell second-life bags with a 2 year warranty in one of their stores. They are members of the European Outdoor Conservation Association and the Fair Wear Foundation.

Eastpak have two ranges of bags made from recycled polyester with vegetable tanned leather trims.  They also offer a 30 year warranty.

The Netherlands

Engel in the Netherlands makes bags (including school bags) out of recycled plastic bottles. You can buy directly from their site, but Irish based etailer Jiminy stock their rainbow bag, as does Eco Annie Pooh in Greystones, Co Wicklow

Spain

Ecoalf is a Spanish brand for men and women that uses recycled plastic (from discarded fishing nets and PET bottles) to simply styled backpacks. Through it’s foundation Ecoalf are involved in a project to clean our oceans of waste called Upcycling the Oceans

Portugal

Le Petite Sardine use artisans, mostly in Portugal, to make fairtrade bags from sustainable organic materials

Denmark

GrunBAG in Denmark produce high-quality bags and wallets from sustainable or recycled materials like truck tarpalins, building supply bags, lifeboats, seat belts and recycled plastic.

The Organic Company in Denmark make a range of organic cotton products including a range for bags. The organic cotton is GOTS certified and the zipper made from recycled plastic.

Sweden

Sandqvist in the Sweden make long-lasting fairtrade bags and backpacks from organic cotton, recycled fabric. They also have a repair shop in their flagship store in Stockholm and commonly used spare parts and repairs of worn out Sandqvist products are available at a reasonable cost through all Sandqvist stores. As a customer, you can choose to have your old and used Sandqvist bag repaired for a new life, or hand it in for second-hand sales in exchange for a voucher granting you 20% off your next purchase.  Their cotton comes from Adilabad in the state of Telangana, India, where it for the most part is produced on small-scale by self-sufficient farmers (see www.chetnaorganic.org.in for info). Sandqvist is also a member of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) and you can read FWF’s annual evaluation of Sandqvist on their homepage. Further information on the factories that they work with is available on this webpage. The company states that a large share of the synthetic material they use is certified regarding chemical content and that they also perform random chemical testing of our products, but there is no mention of it being OETEK certified as being free from toxins. You can buy directly from the company’s website or Yoox is an online retailer of Sandqvist Bags.

Fjällräven make long-lasting repairable bags from organic, renewable and recycled materials wherever possible. They evaluate materials on its efficiency, functional qualities, chemical composition and only use materials that they feel balance a material’s functionality with its environmental impact. They prioritise traceable natural materials. They don’t use materials with PFCs, PVCs and angora wool, although their zips currently contain PFCs for functionality. Although the company uses animal derived materials they claim that the welfare of animals is of great concern and no supplier engages in live plucking, force feeding or mulesing.

Jajaman make cork leather bags in Portugal with recycled PET lining and straps and with push-buttons made of 70% recycled brass.

Klattermusen has a wide range of products made from recycled polyamide.

Switzerland

Qwstion in Switzerland have their bags made in Hong Kong in a small factory that is audited by BSCI (Business and Social Compliance Initiative), an EU initiative with the goal to implement European standards in Non-EU countries. Some, but not all, of their bags are made from organic cotton, vegetable tanned leather or Bananatex®, a new shell fabric made from the fibres of banana plants. The maker of Bananatex® say that the material is biodegradable but as this is not a legally defined term, unlike the term compostable, I emailed them to get some testing data but didn’t receive any.

Another Swiss brand Freitag makes bags, wallets and phone cases from old truck tarpaulins. The company is also trialling the development of a sustainable linen/hemp fabric for clothing.

Finland

Lovia in Finland employ artisans to make bags and jewellery from salvaged materials from from Finnish furniture factories, elk hides left over from Nordic population control hunting and salmon skins, by-products of food production. The company provides the carbon footprint and the costs of production to customers via a special bar code. Their products are packaging in cotton bags made from leftover cotton, They use a carbon-neutral delivery company for customer orders.

Finnish company Ask Scandinavia make their bags in Portugal from regenerated plastic waste, GOTS certified organic cotton and dead-stock. They ship their products in biodegradable mailers or recycled paper and cardboard. They integrate any leftover material into products.

Globe Hope in Finland makes clothing and bags from existing textiles in factories in Europe and Bangladesh. They also offer a repair service and work with a partner to resell second-hand versions of their brand. They avoid plastic in their packaging, unless requested by the customer. Their swing tags are recycled card and their labels are made from cornstarch. They are actively working to reduce their carbon footprint and their head office runs on renewable energy.

Italy

Sieme make bags from leather offcuts by hand in Tuscany.

Austria

Natural Nuance use chrome-free leather and natural tanning agents to make their bags in European factories, and they do not seal them with plastics. They are also working to ensure that their products are designed to be easy to separate for recycling at the end of their life.

Romania

Dece Clothing work with disadvantaged families to make accessories and bags in Romania from leather, wool and cotton.

Greece

Dirty Girls of Lesvos make bags from upcycled life jackets worn by refugees that land in Greece. You can get a bag by making a donation of €100 to the charity, who’s main activity is washing blankets, sleeping bags and clothes for refugees instead of binning them and replacing them with new stuff as happens with other NGO’s.

3QUARTERS is an upcycling fashion accessories brand founded in 2015 in Athens, Greece. They upcycle leftover and used awning fabrics from local Athenian balconies with a zero waste philosophy at it’s core.

America

Typically I don’t feature companies in America or Australia, because I don’t see how importing from this far away is sustainable but although Timbuk2 are made in San Francisco, they a base in Sweden and offer free delivery in Europe for orders over st£60! These messenger bags come with a lifetime guarantee and have a full-time hire repairs sewer in their San Francisco factory.

Africa

A A K S was founded to help create sustainable jobs within Africa. Their products are handcrafted in Ghana from raffia, leather and linen and are characterised by bright exuberant colours. I wouldn’t normally feature products made in Africa but these are available in Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters stores and from the UK-based e-tailer Gather & See.

The UK

Lost in Samsara is a UK company sells long-lasting accessories from natural and recycled materials, made by underprivileged artisans across the globe, some of whom are disabled. They plant one tree for every product sold and for every keyring sold they donate to Surfers against Sewage. Their website is hosted on servers located in Germany and powered by renewable energy. It’s hard to tell from the website exactly what products are made.

Sativa make bags and wallets from hemp and organic cotton, and donate some of the profits to environmental charities like WWF. They don’t appear to have their own website but you can buy their bags from UK-based Highend Accessories, who are also a retailer for Hoodlamb Coats.

The Whale Company in the UK sell beach related goods (bags, tshirts and flip flops) from organic cotton, recycled or reused material. Even the toggles on their organic cotton bags are manufactured from fallen, harvested twigs. Also the dyes are Azo free; and the labels and display stands are made from recycled cardboard. They state that they visited the factory in India that makes their products to make sure the working conditions were fair. For every Whalebag or pair of Whaletreads sold, The Whale Company donates 10p to the charity WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation. The company is also actively involved in other ocean health campaigns and organisations.

The Green Wave in England sell Rareform bags, an American brand of bags made partially from recycled billboards.

Paperthinks in the UK make bags from reconstituted leather made from leather offcuts created during the manufacture of cow leather gloves and jackets in the welding industry. The offcuts, trimmings and shavings is shred into pieces then glued with natural rubber and laminated with a strong coating that the company says doesn’t involve harmful chemicals. I love the fact that this company are recycling a waste product, but the website gives no indication that the original leather being recycled was tanned without cadmium and nickle, or the content of the coating they use and whether their products are recyclable, biodegradable or compostability at the end of their life.

M-24 is a UK company that up cycles truck tarpaulins into bags.

UK-based Charlie Feist sells a few items made from recycled PET bottles. They also sell items made from something they call ‘eco nylon’ but not details on this material is provided so I can’t really comment on its eco-credentials.

Since 2005 UK company Elvis & Kresse have been rescuing raw materials, transforming them into luxury accessories and donating 50% of profits back to charities. For over a decade none of London’s fire-hose has gone to landfill and over 170 tons of material has been reclaimed. In 2017 the Burberry Foundation partnered with Elvis & Kresse, which  will see at least 120 tonnes of leather off-cuts from Burberry recrafted into new luxury items, designed and sold by Elvis & Kresse over a 5 year period. A reader reported that they have an Elvis & Kresse bag and said that although it’s a very heavy day, it’s great on wet days because it you simply need to wipe it dry. Theirs is also lined with recycled reclaimed blankets used for printing auction banners.

TINCT make leather goods in England, from leather sourced from Sweden, Denmark and Belgium and tanned with vegetables in Italy.

Some of the bags made by Wilby are made from vegan cork leather, organic cotton and organic hemp. At the time of publishing all but one style of bag – the Tone Time – is made in the UK and the company plant a tree with the World Land Trust for every bag sold.

Carolina Wong bags are designed in London and handcrafted in Morrocco from veg-tanned leather with organic cotton linings and dust bags. The leather is coloured with natural dyes and the thread used is recycled from unraveled and spun car seatbelts. With a keen interest in sustainability waste is kept to a minimum with scraps from the production process being recycled for other smaller parts of the bag. In an effort to save people from the fast fashion industry. Wong herself and master artisans train each apprentice during the production process, helping young artists preserve their ancestors’ traditions. Apprentices are also paid a fair wage helping them sustain to their careers.

Elephant Brand pay a fair, competitive wage to local villagers who make bags out of locally sourced, recycled materials. Also buying one of their products and they will donate a school kit to children in Africa or Asia.

Atlas and Ortus in the UK sell products that support sustainable living including a certified organic cotton weekend bag that is made in West Bengal, by Freeset – a company that exists specifically to provide freedom for women vulnerable to India’s sex trade. By purchasing one of their bags, you’re helping Freeset provide employment to more than 250 women, enabling them to earn a fair wage and transform their own lives.

Millican makes long-lasting backpacks from natural and recycled materials including organic cotton canvas, leather, British wool and recycled polyester. They use long lasting aluminium fixtures instead of plastic and some of their bags are made in the UK.

From Belo only use leather that is dead stock from local industries and their textiles are all from recycled fabrics and recycled plastic bottles, with high-quality hardware like YKK zippers. Their bags are made in Brazil by a husband and wife team. The company also donate plates of food to under-priviliedge Brazilians every time a bag is sold. The donation is done by way of the NGO Casa De Maria, in Belo Horizonte’s biggest slum, Cafezal.

Ragsto based is a one-man company in England that makes bags to order from salvaged materials.

Been make bags from certified recycled leather, recycled felt, recycled nylon, recycled cotton and recycled polyester in London. Their designs are such so as to reduce the amount of waste generated and they’ve estimated that the carbon footprint of their products is about 87% less than that of competitors. They plant enough trees for every purchase that their bags are carbon neutral, and they offer a repair and take-back service. Local deliveries are done via bike or EV, while international deliveries are via DHL.

The Level Collection uses natural, organic and recycled ingredients to create functional products in the UK that are designed to be enjoyed for many years. They hand-make backpacks from weather proof Scottish waxed cotton, which they claim doesn’t crack or transfer onto your clothing or other surfaces. The leather detailing they use is vegetable tanned leather hand-cut in Britain, their strap and lumber padding is wool carpet fibres repurposed in Britain British and their stainless steel buckles are laser cut and polished in their hometown, Sheffield UK. They’ll repair any materials or manufacturing faults free of charge within 3 years of your purchase date of one of their bags and offer a lifetime repair service and warranty on their goods.

Groundtruth only use recycled materials and only recycled materials that are bluesign®-certified using plastic waste collected from landfill sites, waterways and oceans worldwide. All of their hardware is manufactured from recycled injection-moulded PET. The company also offsets all the carbon emitted by their travel.

Poli & Jo make bags and baggage from canvas that was also used for the roofs of convertible Land Rovers. The fabric is waterproof, damp and rot proof, tough enough for everyday use and will age beautifully over time and all handles and straps are made from bridle leather.

Billy Tannery tans British goat leather, using bark extracts and an innovative microtannery process that generates only compostable waste. They do a range of leather products from key wraps (see above) to aprons.

UK company Cycle for Good sell bags and accessories handcrafted in Malawi using recycled materials such as old bicycle inner tubes, coffee sacks and surplus lorry curtain saved from UK landfill. They train tailors in the world’s poorest places so they can earn a decent living and support their families. All the money we make pays for childcare and non-profit social enterprise in Malawi.

London based Goodordering makes cycle-friendly bags and panniers, some from recycled water bottles. 

Other Online E-tailers

• The social enterprise The Big Issue (UK) have an online store where they sell bags from Elephant Brand, Elvis and Kresse, Hopeful and Dece Clothing.
• Oxfam (UK) has an online website where you can buy branded bags that have been donated to them.
• Gather&See (UK) offers a curated selection of cutting edge sustainable fashion labels including bags by AAKS, Carolina Wong and Tinct.
• Mi Apparel (UK) sells Elvis & Kresse and Oh My Bag Amsterdam.
• Frank and Faith, The Ethical Superstore, Natural Collection & Spirit of Nature (UK) stock accessories from Wilby and Patagonia.
• Ethical Market (UK) is an online marketplace for small makers of ethical goods, including clothing, footwear and accessories for men, women and children.