Mashu (low-impact vegan handbags)
Mashu is a brand founded by a Greek fashion designer, with styles inspired by Mediterranean architecture and the natural ripples and textures of rocks on untouched beaches. These are offered with free repairs for life, and sent via via carbon-neutral shipping.
Made in Greece by family firms, again this brand uses up waste fruit to make ‘apple leather’. Each metric of ‘handbag fabric’ uses up eight apples, which would otherwise rot on landfills or be thermally destroyed.
Why choose sustainable vegan handbags?
Most vegan leather is not a by-product of the meat industry, and made in countries with few animal welfare laws (the tanning process is also very polluting to the planet and workers in factories). Exotic leathers are just as bad or worse, with many creatures being skinned alive, for the fashion industry.
A sustainable vegan handbag is not just kinder, but usually made from toxin-free vegan leathers (not ‘pleather – plastic leather’) and some even use up fruit waste (apples, grapes) from industry.
To clean vegan handbags, wipe marks with a damp cloth (to remove oil stains, apply a little baking soda to absorb). Remove ink or make-up stains with a cotton bud dipped in rubbing alcohol. Dry wet handbags in the shade (avoid direct sun or heat)
Donate unwanted handbags to small charity shops (that don’t test on animals). You can place damaged or frayed handbags in textile banks. The materials are shredded to make insulation and other industrial goods.
