Willow Earth (cotton offcut wallets and purses)

Willow Earth (Sussex) makes nice canvas cotton rucksacks and totes, then uses the offcuts to make these pretty wallets, in many colours. Some have cork detailing, and one is made entirely from cork.

Most people have a wallet or coin purse. But rather than use leather (made from animal skins, often in countries with poor animal welfare laws) or plastic (made from oil, which contributes to pollution and the climate crisis), here are some better brands made from natural kind materials, to last for years.

Donate unwanted wallets and purses to small charity shops (that don’t test on animals). For items that are worn out, ripped or stains, place in local textile banks (the materials are shredded to make insulation and other industrial goods).

Cork is a ‘vegan leather’ that is made by stripping the bark of trees in Spain and Portugal every nine years or so, but the trees are not cut down. Keeping the cork industry alive (in a world of plastic wine corks) is a good way to save these forests from being cut down for development, which in turn protects local wildlife that use the forests for food and shelter.