Genuine leather bags and sustainability – a contradiction?

A handbag made of cork? Leather-look made of plant fibers? The next backpack made of recycled PET bottles?

The vegan lifestyle is in vogue – and the trend is rapidly spreading in the handbag world, too. This is being accelerated, especially by the fact that some manufacturers have realized that they can often generate higher profit margins with faux leather bags: The production of "plastic bags" can be much cheaper than that of real leather bags, yet they can still command high prices with the trendy vegan label.

"It depends on how the two comparison bags were made and how long you use them," says Oliver Strauß, co-founder of www.my-BagFactory.com. "A vegan handbag, of course, guarantees respect for animal rights. But if that bag contains petroleum-based synthetic leather and possibly even toxic chemicals, it doesn't make much ecological sense. In that case, a high-quality bag, for example, made of durable cowhide, is better.

If you compare faux leather with vegetable-tanned leather, the ecological footprint is usually surprising. Traditional tanning with bark or rhubarb is definitely non-toxic. A good leather bag can be worn for a very long time. Regular greasing keeps the leather supple – that's not possible with faux leather. It wears off more quickly, the color layer gets scratched – and the potential lifespan is probably significantly shorter overall. No wonder our mothers never wanted to buy cheap imitation leather bags.

Even cheap faux leather bags are usually bought for trendy and fashionable reasons and are only worn for a short time. The problematic disposal of plastic doesn't need much comment – here, the point clearly goes to the natural material leather.

Of course, there are also products made from recycled or more environmentally friendly materials than faux leather. However, fashion items made from PET bottles, cork, and similar materials don't really appeal to current fashion tastes or offer the desired aesthetic appeal.

We at my-BagFactory.com offer faux leather bags under the Hergé label. However, we only offer a very limited selection, as it's very difficult to meet the company's standards in the faux leather sector. In the genuine leather sector, we have decided to use only durable leathers and to forgo thin-skinned goat and sheep leather.

Discover here what you should pay attention to in order to shop sustainably and without a guilty conscience

Consuming without regrets? If sustainability is particularly important to you when shopping, here are some suggestions and ideas on what to pay particular attention to.

Transparency as the top priority:

Where do the products you buy come from? Especially online, it's often not easy to find out who the manufacturer of certain products is. In most areas, including leather bags, for example, there are many third-party sellers who often purchase goods manufactured in Asian countries in bulk and at particularly low prices and resell them online. It's often impossible to trace the criteria these retailers use to compile their product range and the conditions under which the products were manufactured.

If you want to consume sustainably, the first thing you should do is make sure the supplier is transparent about its production or sourcing. Generally speaking, direct suppliers, i.e., manufacturers, are the better choice because they directly influence the production of the items.

A sustainable manufacturing process:

Sustainable consumption means, above all, not supporting the negative impact on the environment through your purchases. Of course, this doesn't mean you have to forgo leather bags. Rather, it's about sustainable leather bag manufacturers to buy from companies that prioritize sustainable production. The following points may be particularly important:

• Use of only leather hides, which are a by-product of the food industry
• Tanning of the leather with natural means – without harmful substances
• No child labor

Overall, it sometimes requires a closer look to determine whether an online retailer is truly operating sustainably. There are a few tricks you can use to answer this question quickly. It's certainly easier if you buy directly from manufacturers. They often have a separate section on their homepage where they provide information about the sustainable production of their articles If you're unsure, you can of course simply contact us before purchasing and ask a question – if sustainability really plays an important role for the company, you're sure to get a well-founded answer.

In the world of my-BagFactory The topic of sustainable production plays an important role. We have a wide range Women's shoulder bags and Men's bags in natural leather. Especially under the in-house Under the brand "Sid and Vain" you will find leather bags made of naturally tanned leather.