Every backpack brand is talking about sustainability these days, but what is actually being done about it? Isn’t ocean plastic still plastic? What about longevity and repairability?

At Kamarg, we believe that sustainability should encompass the entire range and permeate all areas. That’s why we examined every step of backpack production from the perspective of sustainability and circular economy and considered how we can do it better. From high-quality and durable materials, maximum plastic reduction in production and shipping to extending the life of the product through repair/reuse to recycling waste and materials.

If sustainability is not to be paid lip service, it must be concrete and comprehensive, i.e. it must affect the entire product range and all processes of a company, not just a showcase product that you can use to get your act together.

As a traditional company, we want to set a good example and show other backpack companies how far sustainability and the principles of the circular economy can be carried into the company. Not because we have to, but because we can.

Specifically, our efforts aim to produce and sell our products using renewable raw materials with the least amount of energy and maximum waste reduction, and to maximize their lifespan through long-lasting design, repairability and reuse before we send them for recycling. Understanding sustainability as a social responsibility, we also ensure safe working conditions, fair wages and environmentally conscious actions by our suppliers.

In detail, our initiatives can be divided into three areas:

Since the mid-1970s, backpack companies have had a love affair with plastic that continues to this day. This goes so far that even today you can’t or don’t want to part with it; instead there are Eco Plastic, Ocean Plastic, Recycled Plastic and plastic mixed with banana leaves. In the end, all of these solutions are just another form of plastic, which again ends up in the landfills and oceans of our world after a few years due to its mediocre light resistance.

At Kamarg we don’t rely on plastic, but rather on cotton and leather as our two most important materials. Only our edging and piping are made of plastic, which results from our traditional product design. But even then we use upcycled materials from a Portuguese furniture company that was closed down in 2019 (which is why our borders are only available in white, black and brown).

Cotton and leather have been used to make backpacks for many centuries. Here we take up old procedures and traditions that we consider valuable. In contrast to plastic, both materials are completely biodegradable and renewable in the medium term.

Thanks to our decisions, we were able to achieve a maximum plastic content of six percent across our entire range. With our Kamarg 59 model, our efforts even went so far that we replaced neoprene as a material with cotton for the 2022 new edition in order to get this product under six percent as well.

However, avoiding plastic does not end with the product, but also applies to packaging that is sent to us or packages that we send. We have changed all materials here and have been shipping largely plastic-free since 2020.

At Kamarg, we not only want to act sustainably in terms of materials and use of resources, we also want to guarantee safe working conditions, fair wages and the clear exclusion of discrimination in our production facilities. For this reason, our production facilities are both SA8000 and Warp Gold certified.

Another important point in the sustainable use of resources is the reduction of transport costs and CO2 emissions through a local location. We therefore decided from the beginning of new production in 2016 to produce our products in Europe and to carry out all of our raw material procurement here. We produce in the north of Portugal, the suppliers of our materials come from Austria, Spain, Portugal and Italy.

For all of our suppliers, we have chosen to only work with suppliers that have proper chemical handling procedures, approved wastewater systems, or implement recycling programs. We check their equipment every two years. The last review took place in spring 2022.

A high-quality product can be used for a longer period of time and can fulfill its role as a reliable companion. Longevity also means that we need fewer materials and energy, that we have to produce less and that we burden this planet with less waste and plastic.

Our products are intended to be used long and often. That’s why we’ve thought about things to maximize the lifespan of a product. In addition to high product quality, repairs play an important role. For this reason we offer a repair service for all new Kamargs. We enable vintage Kamargs to give joy over many decades through repair kits and immediate help from our experienced saddler Kerstin. Since 2017, we have repaired a total of over 120 backpacks spanning six decades.

Passing them on to a new user is also an option for extending the useful life. We think Kamargs are too beautiful to wait in cupboards or attics for their next use. For this purpose, we are launching the “Kamarg Pre-Loved” initiative in October 2022. We offer our customers a 20 percent discount on a new Kamarg backpack if they trade in an old Kamarg (regardless of age) with us. We clean and repair the backpacks and resell them at markets in our pre-loved range, where they can become a new customer’s favorite pair. We separate Kamargs that can no longer be repaired into their individual parts and use other Kamargs to repair them or send them for recycling.