Rucksacks are better than handbags for those who prefer a more active lifestyle. Match your rucksack to your travel plans. Are you planning a weekend getaway, or a month-long trek? A day pack may be okay for short trips, but longer trips need more features, without excess weight. Invest in a good rucksack that is durable and comfortable, with robust zippers and reinforced stitching. And plenty of pockets!
Wipe-clean or if laundering the recycled plastic versions, use a microplastic catcher (to avoid synthetic materials releasing from machines into the sea). This canvas rucksack brand is best choice, as it’s plastic-free.
Cotton Canvas Rucksacks from Sussex
Willow Earth (Sussex) is a delightful company that makes beautiful rucksacks and totes with natural cork logos from strong cotton canvas. But even better, it uses the offcuts to make tote bags, wallets and purses, so there’s no waste.
Recycled Rucksacks from Wales
This brand was founded in Wales, by a keen traveller who thinks that carrying an eco rucksack should be fun and comfortable. The Everyday is a fun mustard roll-top bag, small and compact with a zip pocket for glasses and keys, a front zipped organiser for wallet, keys and pens, plus a padded back panel and shoulder straps.
The Adventurer features a padded laptop compartment, a small front zipper pocket for your keys, phone and wallet. Plus a padded back panel and base, with adjustable shoulder straps.
Recycled Bottle Rucksacks from Yorkshire
Indie Clothing is a sustainable fashion brand from Yorkshire. The backpacks are made from recycled plastic bottles, and feature magnetic roll-top closures and padded adjustable mesh shoulder straps, for comfort. There is a padded laptop compartment with an external pocket, and additional zippered side pocket for a reusable water bottle or umbrella, an exterior zipped front pocket, and an internal slip pocket. The padded air mesh panel ensures breathability, and the self-coloured zip pullers add a refined touch.
The company also sells matching bumbags, for smaller adventures. Again free from PVC, and made from recycled plastic bottles.
Messenger Bag (made from Recycled Seatbelts)
This messenger bag is made from a blend of recycled plastic and seatbelts, to help reduce the huge plastic waste problem in India. Made by local artisans, this vegan-friendly bag features an adjustable recycled seat belt as the strap, with the bag made from colourful recycled dark green and yellow plastic.
With plenty of space inside, the open flap is secured by two magnetic popper compartments to reveal a roomy main compartment. There’s also a padded compartment for a laptop, and plenty of room for A4 folders, along with two small pockets to keep your valuables safe.
India ranks third in the world for single-use plastic waste, with presently just 8% of plastic waste recycled. So supporting companies like this that use it up, is a step in the right direction, also providing local well-paid jobs
A Clutch Purse made from Recycled Plastic
This clutch purse made from recycled plastic is fun & colourful, and made by artisans in India, to use up the huge mountain of plastic waste in the country, which often clogs rivers and local areas. Plastic is made from oil so never biodegrades, so is a wonderful material for a made-to-last purse, and features naturally bright rainbow colours.
The purse features a magnetic closure, with lots of room for cash and cards, and makes a great zero waste gift. The inside reveals red fabric lining with 3 compartments to keep essentials organised, plus an inside zipped compartment for coins, and an outside compartment. The plastic is washed before use, and turned into a durable waterproof fabric, there may be slight imperfections due to the handmade nature of the product.
India ranks third in the world for single-use plastic waste, with presently just 8% of plastic waste recycled. So supporting companies like this that use it up, is a step in the right direction, also providing local well-paid jobs.
