Beyond Plastic: Zero Waste 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.
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).
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).
Willow Earth: cork and cotton canvas wallets and purses
Some have cork detailing, and one is made entirely from cork.
Willow Earth also makes similar pretty coin purses in the same range of colours.
Willow Earth is a lovely brand from Sussex, which makes adorable rucksacks made from cotton canvas, plus another version in vegan leather. Everything is well-made, and then the offcuts are used to make these wallets and purses, ensuring no waste.
This is the new style of making things, to get away from fast fashion. And this brand also is on the more affordable line, so anyone can benefit from a nice zero waste gift of a pretty wallet or coin purse!
Votch (vegan sustainable leather wallets)
Votch is a wonderful pioneering brand of vegan leather wallets, founded by a woman when she was in hospital with a condition that made her skin fall off. She vowed that when she got better, she would create a leather-free fashion brand that led animals keep their skins.
The range includes bamboo bio-leather bags either as big totes, small chain purses or elegant rucksacks. In elegant muted colours like black or tan.
Like all items at Votch, a portion of profits each month, is donated to various animal welfare non-profits.
Votch also make sustainable vegan purses
And card holders, all made to the same wonderful quality and style.
Corkor (luxury cork vegan wallets)
Corkor is a premium brand of cork accessories in Portugal, making belts to bags. Its wallets are created by a family company using artisan methods, and sold in gift packaging with optional engraving.
These wallets have a range of features including bill compartments, slip pockets and coin pockets. Many have RFID-blocking technology, to protect you from theft.
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.
Oliver Co (luxury vegan leather wallets)
Oliver Co (London) makes luxury vegan wallets from ‘apple leather’, which is a mix of vegan synthetics with waste from the apple juice industry (usually near Milan in Italy).
They makes ideal gifts for special people in your life, sold in a number of designs and colours, in easy-to-recycle packaging.
Apple leather is one of the new ‘vegan fruit leathers’, which uses up waste from the food and drinks industry, usually blended with Microfibers. You can also find accessories made with leathers made from pineapple and grapes (from the wine industry!) All of these unique inventions shows that there is no reason to use leather at all.
The same fruit leathers are being used to make other goods, especially sneakers. Some vegan sneakers are now even made from cactus or mushrooms!
Watson & Wolfe (luxury vegan leather wallets)
Watson & Wolfe (London) is another brand of luxury vegan leather wallets and coin purses. These use PVC-vegan leathers, and are very high quality, with attention to detail. Again they are sold in eco gift packaging, with optional engraving, ideal for a unique gift.
With neat stitching, the company’s understated logo is included on every item, from a classic wallet to a slimline card holder. Mostly in brown or black, but there are also items in bright red and feminine pink.
Watson & Wolfe is a luxury vegan leather brand based in London. It also makes other goods like belts. You can be assured of quality, with the eco-vegan leathers lasting for years. They make lovely zero waste gifts for that special someone in your life!
Cardbolder made from recycled plastic
This snow pine cardholder is made by a company that upcycles plastic bags to make beautiful accessories. Lined with organic cotton fabric, this has two compartments, and is ideal to hold all your travel, grocery, loyalty and bank cards in one place.
The magnetic closure and foldable design prevents cards from falling out. Try not to wash it, just spot-clean. It’s better for the bag and the planet.
Each bag contains fabric made from five reclaimed plastic bags and recycled PET. It also features recycled plastic zippers.
The plastic bags are collected in India, where they are locally cleaned, and cut by hand into yarn and handwoven on traditional looms by artisans. The facilities hold certifications like GOTS, Fair Trade and/or OEKO-TEX to ensure sustainability and worker welfare.
8000 Kicks hemp wallets
8000 Kicks wallets are made from an eco-friendly durable material that needs almost no water to grow, and nourishes the soil. These wallets are thin yet have space for over six cards.
The brand also sells tech pouches with five inside pockets and a central waterproof zipper.
What is hemp?
Hemp is an eco-friendly fibre that needs little water to grow, and removes heavy metals from the earth. Only distantly related to cannabis (it won’t make you high!), it can be grown in Europe (including England). So makes an ideal alternative to cotton fabric.
All parts of the hemp part can be used, including to make paper, clothing, rope and even seeds can be used to make ice-cream, rich in omega fatty acids. Totally biodegradable at end of use, it is fast becoming a smashing alternative to plastic, in many areas of industry. And some countries that previously banned its use, are now realising that was a mistake, and allowing it to be grown and sold once again, like it was many years ago.
