Inspiration

Little Green Bag – Our B Corp packing list

Sawday's Expert

5 min read

A few years ago, we became a certified B Corp. If you haven’t heard of B Corp, it’s an independent organisation that puts companies through an extremely thorough appraisal process, based on the ethical and environmental standards of their working practices, before granting membership. It was a proud moment when we not only qualified, but also received one of the highest B Corp scores in the whole travel industry. They reassess every year, which keeps us focused on what we’ve always loved – finding ways to travel that are kinder to our planet and the communities we visit. They also create their own community, one of brands that are dedicated to doing good. As we got to know some of these other B Corps, we realised that not only could you travel greener, but pack greener too. So, here are some great people doing great things for their own industries, for the environment and for your luggage.

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Sustainability

The bag itself

If you’re going to pack sustainably, start with the thing that all your other stuff is kept in. There are a few good options here. First, we have to mention Patagonia, the original and the best when it comes to companies who are serious about their impact. If you’re after something more like a traditional suitcase, try Solgaard. Their “Carry-on Closet” was heralded as revolutionary by Time Magazine, and they use recycled ocean plastic in all their products. If you’d rather go the other way from Patagonia, towards something even more casual and colourful, head for Anchal. Their duffel weekender bag is as brilliant as their sourcing policy.

Clothing

If you’re worried about the weather on your travels, take a look at the RE-PETE project, the brainchild of designer Katie Walsh, for anoraks and outerwear all made entirely from recycled plastic. On the other hand, if you’re going on the sort of beach holiday where you live in one t-shirt for a week, make it this one, from Yes Friends, whose sourcing, packaging, and fair pay policies are some of the most impressive and transparent we’ve ever seen. It’s also only £12, so you won’t mind when it starts to go solid with suncream. A different stamp is being put on sustainable fashion by sock company Bare Kind, who not only make their products entirely from easily renewable bamboo, but donate 10% of all profits to conversation projects. They also have the animals they’re protecting printed on their socks! Of course, one of the best ways to reduce the impact of your clothing is going second hand, with sites like Vinted and Thrift Plus always worth a browse.

Cosmetics & toiletries

Thankfully, for an industry that has as much work to do on sustainability as travel itself, there are companies changing everything about the way we source, buy and use cosmetic products. Naturally Tiwa is a range of all-natural products launched a few years ago by a pharmacist desperate to treat her child’s eczema, while Paris-based Typology are more well known, but also laudable for their commitment to minimalism in their formulas. Feminine hygiene specialists Dame are also shaking things up with a range of sanitary products free from harmful toxins and single-use plastic.

Accessories & entertainment

Did you know you could make leather from apples? Well, Oliver Co do, and they make wallets and other accessories with a tiny fraction of the impact that traditional materials have. If that raised your eyebrows, then consider holding them down with a nice pair of Bird glasses, made with recycled and repurposed materials. Good, clean lenses are invaluable for all that holiday reading, whether it’s maps or books you’re peering at. The former have been given a great spin by Marvellous Maps, whose range of themed maps are sustainably made, support several charities and are enormous fun to browse and use, although maybe not for hiking off into the wilderness. The latter, some good solid reading material, can be tough to source without resorting to a certain ironically rainforest-named mega corporation, but try World of Books. Their range is extensive and a chunk of their profits go to charity rather than tax avoidance schemes.

Last but far from least – the water bottle

You probably know that single-use water bottles are one of the worse sources of pollution on land and sea. Some recent studies have even found them in the air we breathe. So, if you’re going to pick one thing off this list and put it in whatever bag you take, make it a reusable water bottle. Chilly’s and LARQ are two of the leading lights in this arena, but as long as it’s not plastic, it’s a start!

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Christopher Wilson-Elmes

Sawday's Expert

Chris is our in-house copywriter, with a flair for turning rough notes and travel tales into enticing articles. Raised in a tiny Wiltshire village, he was desperate to travel and has backpacked all over the world. Closer to home, he finds himself happiest in the most remote and rural places he can find, preferably with a host of animals to speak to, some waves to be smashed about in and the promise of a good pint somewhere in his future.

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