Green, Eco Friendly Purses and Bags: What to Consider Before You Buy
Okay. As a person who loves purses, shoulder bags, pocketbooks, briefcases, and anything for carrying stuff around in—you know, all the “stuff” necessary for the day, like makeup, brush, toothbrush (to keep the pearly whites pearly), travel lotions, shampoo and conditioner (you never know when you might get stuck somewhere), my set of colored pens and markers, multiple sets of keys, a screwdriver, aspirin, eye drops, extra pantyhose, and that ever-important flashlight, among other things—I have to confess that sometimes I just have to get that fabulous new bag with the cute trimmings and the double leather bottom that promises never to bag or sag.
But things get complicated when I remember I also want to go green…or “greener,” to go with my green clothing (see www.greenclothingguide.com for more information on why you may want to have more green clothing) and household cleaning products, and that’s where my conscience comes in—and I become aware that I need to think before I buy. Do I pick leather? Is there such a thing as organic leather? Do I go vegan? And how much will my budget take? You may have the same dilemma as I do.
Organic Leather Bags
If you have to have leather but still want to go green, you may have to look for bags made of leather that has been treated only with organic products. To have completely organic leather, the animals should have been raised on organic farms, and all the tanning and processing should be with organic dyes and natural vegetable oils. These types of bags are free of allergens, and at the end of their long and happy life, will return to the environment without leaching any harmful chemicals into the soil or water.
A number of designers create organic leather bags: Donna Karan, Robe di Firenze, and Hillary Taymour’s Collina Strada line.
Organic leather bags may be on the high end pricewise, however, so keep your budget in mind.
Recycled Leather Bags
If “green” for you can also mean “recycled,” where the designer/producer uses recycled leathers to produce their bags, then you can always go that route, instead. Some purse designers use only recycled, or “up-cycled” (meaning, reused) materials, with lovely results. Ashley Watson, Shannon South’s reMade USA, and Beth Springer are just a few.
For the more budget wary, take a look through some second-hand or vintage stores – you may find some reusable leather purse bargains there. Or, if you are handy with redesigning, you could purchase some leather coats and jackets and refashion them into a bag of your own design.
Cruelty-Free Vegan Bags
But, if your conscience says that you also want your products to be cruelty free, there are plenty of other materials you can look for to keep your purses, bags, carrying totes, and knapsacks more animal-friendly. Look for vegan bags, and organic or natural linens, hemp, silk, or other fabrics to complete your bag collections. Some notable designers are Steve Madden, Vegan Chic, Matt & Nat, or Gloria Gerber (for bags made out of recycled rubber).
Second-hand and vintage clothing stores are full of bags that could be considered vegan. Be aware that although animal-friendly by not using animal products, not all vegan bags may be earth-friendly, however, since some of them are made from either new or recycled plastic, which may or may not biodegrade easily, depending upon its nature.
Whatever you decide, there’s pretty much something for your fancy, taste, and budget available.
