Picking the perfect bag for your trip is tough! There are so many out there to choose from, and they can be hella’ expensive! So what’s the intrepid traveler to do?
When buying luggage, there is much to consider:
- Size and carrying capacity
- Weight of the bag when empty
- Ease of moving and carrying
- Price
- Functionality
- Uniqueness – ain’t nobody got time for someone else grabbing your luggage off the carousel!
To make things easier on you (and frankly, me…) I’ve rounded up 8 of my favourite sustainable luggage and bag brands to help you pick whichever suits your travel needs.
- 10 Tree
For those of you who are like me and are attempting to never travel with stowed luggage again (see last point above), 10 Tree has a variety of different sized 35- and 45-L backpacks and duffle bags that are made entirely of recycled materials, use less water and energy to make than average brands, and they plant 10 trees for every product purchased. Each product even comes with a little tracking code to track your trees!
Even if carry-on only is not your thing, they are still a great company to buy a carry-on from, as well as fanny packs (or bum bags for our British friends), totes, travel kits, and more. - Parker Clay
Parker Clay is well-known for their leather handbags, totes, and duffle bags. Now before you jump down my throat about what place a leather bag making company has on this list, hear me out:
To start, Parker Clay’s plants and factories are in Ethiopia. All of there products are made from sustainable leather: meaning leather that is bought from Ethiopian cattle farmers for a proper price from cows that were being raised for food. They also ensure that the farmers they buy from are raising their cattle in an ethical and sustainable way. Using this leather does not add to the environmental impact of raising those cows, it ensures that no part of those animals is going to waste.
Second, Parker Clay is an industry leader in Ethiopia in empowering the women who live there and fighting to end sex slavery in the country. - Patagonia
Patagonia is a long-time player in the sustainable product market – they were sustainable before it was cool. They’ve got a large line-up of large duffle bags and totes for all of your travel needs that are easy to carry and, of course, sustainably made. Their goal isn’t to just lessen their impact on the environment, but instead to actually fight back against and improve climate change. Everything from the materials they use to how they source them to how their factories operate is focused on environmental responsibility. They also provide opportunities for everyone to get involved in climate action.
Read more about their sustainability initiatives here. - Rareform
Have you ever looked at the billboard you drive by every day after a new ad has been put up and think“Hmmm… I wonder what happens to the old vinyl from the old ad?”.
Neither have I!
Rareform has, however, and thanks to them 2, 623, 830 pounds of vinyl from old billboards have been saved from landfills and repurposed into backpacks, duffle bags, toiletry bags, and more. The result are products that are durable, waterproof, lightweight, eco-friendly, vegan, and of course, incredibly unique! - United By Blue
It is no secret that garbage in our oceans and waterways is a huge environmental problem. United by Blue aims to change that by pledging to remove one pound of trash from the world’s bodies of water for every product purchased. Since conception, they have collected 2, 167, 429 pounds of garbage!
On top of it all, they use sustainable materials and manufacturing processes. Materials used for their products include hemp, organic cotton, Tencel, recycled polyester, corozo, micro modal, and wool.
You can even join them for a cleanup (travel with a purpose anyone?) - Eco-Traveler
For those of you who prefer wheeled bags over backpacks and duffles, this bag just might be the one for you.
The Eco-Traveler P.E.T. Spinner bag by Traveler’s Choice has all the elements of a regular bag – 360-degree wheels, durable, and lightweight – with a sustainable twist. This bag is made from 100% P.E.T. ( Polyethylene Terephthalate) material inside and out and has a 10-year warranty, so you know you can use it for a long time knowing you made a good choice. - MEC
Whether you’re looking for a large rolling suitcase or a small tote, MEC has got you covered. As a company that is all about encouraging people to get out into nature, one of their number-one values is creating products that are made with respect for the environment and the people who make it, with the goal of having the smallest environmental impact possible.
Having been organic since 1998, they are a company that works hard to continuously innovate and be better stewards of the environment than the day before. Read here to see what they’re doing to save our planet. - Timbuk2
Designed and manufactured entirely in San Francisco, Timbuk2 builds bags to last. While they stand behind this statement, they also recognize that sometimes small repairs need to be made. Rather than having a customer throw out a bag, they can either have the company repair it, or they can use Timbuk2’s library of parts and materials to fix it themselves. If a bag is beyond repair or someone simply wants a new bag, customers can return their bag to the factory where it will be either donated to someone in need or head to their renewal workshop where it will be turned into something new.
The company’s motto is Give a damn – and that they do! Using largely recycled materials for their products and keeping all products from idea to physical item in-house, they ensure an ethical purchase every time.
Happy packing!
The Ethical Traveler 