A while back, I had a discussion with a friend about sustainability. I was researching sustainable bags, and I sent her some examples including; apple leather and cork. She suggested leather since these materials won't last as long, and part of sustainability is taking into account the longevity of an object. Leather was a no for me for ethical reasons. However, she had a good point: I needed to find a material that would last as long, or outlast leather, it had to be ethically made without the exploitation of animals, and made without sweatshop labour. Now, I could have just bought a second-hand leather bag and be done with it, but I was stubborn and perhaps a bit bitter after losing an argument. I wanted to prove my friend wrong by finding a material that was a better solution than leather, and I think that the GRÜNBAG might just be it.

GRÜNBAG is the creation of Helen Leegaard, whose goal was to turn waste and surplus industrial materials into high-quality bags that offer a functional, water-resistant design. 

"The purpose of GRÜNBAG is to make high-quality bags that last. We only use durable materials, in order to reduce future waste. We want to rethink the usability of the things we throw out. Consequently, 90% of all of the materials we use at GRÜNBAG are either reused or sustainably sourced materials. We work hard to incorporate a zero-waste approach in our company." - GRÜNBAG website, 2020

My bag (photographed) is the Computer Bag Carry. It is made of surplus material from tarpaulin production, with the straps made of reused seat belts! The tarpaulin is incredibly strong and designed to withstand heavy industrial use, making this bag wear-and-tear-proof. The website claims that the bag looks better the longer it is used as the shine from the tarpaulin wears off and leaves a nice, matte finish. Thanks to this, the GRÜNBAG Computer Carry Bag could last me a lifetime.

The bag has a practical design, with a separate compartment for a 13-inch laptop, two front pockets, a front zippered pocket and two side pockets. It is lined with a mesh fabric to protect your belongings and fastened with a long velcro hidden under the logo. It is worth mentioning that the velcro is a bit loud but other than that I like this bag. It is stylish, yet functional (very spacious even though it looks a lot smaller on the outside) and makes a statement with its’ minimalistic yet bold design. I decided on black since it goes with everything, and I love how bold it looks. The bag comes in a variety of colours, including yellow and red which also tempted me. In the future, I might get their Alden Backpack in red for travelling (still optimistic about that).

In terms of who makes these bags, the GRÜNBAG is handmade in their Danish headquarters atelier, with some production outsourced to a Danish-owned firm in Poland and its' small group of sewers. According to the GRÜNBAG's website, this particular atelier in Poland has the machines needed to work with the heavy industrial materials.

On their website, they also give a statement regarding animal products:

"We use leather in some of our bags, due to the fact that we have not been able to find a material that compares to leather in terms of the durability and therefore sustainability of the product. We always offer a vegan alternative to any non-vegan bag. Also, we do our best to use recycled leather. We furthermore made it our future goal to switch to a vegan, yet sustainable material, that is just as durable. Suggestions are always more than welcome." - GRÜNBAG website, 2020

They are of the same opinion as my friend, and with good reason; however, I am glad that they are on the lookout for alternatives that are just as durable. They might have already found that magical alternative as I tried to look for mentions of leather in their bag product descriptions and there seems to be none that use leather, or perhaps I overlooked something. I'm also happy that my bag is vegan without me having to make any alterations to my order and it is as durable as it gets, dares I say more durable than leather.