Everyday bags can be more eco-friendly, says this London-based brand

The founders of Troubadour Goods, Samuel Bail and Abel Samet, seek to manufacture functional bags that are also ecological. The trip was not easy. “We are not bag experts. We started this business largely to create bags for ourselves,” says Samet.

They started their bag business while working at a financial institution. In fact, they would receive leather skins for their new startup delivered to their office. It was not the ideal configuration.

But ten years later, Troubadour now has its first retail store in London. At the height of the pandemic, they took a risk by opening a store in the bustling shopping district of Soho in the summer of 2021. “It was a lot financially for us, in an area that otherwise might have been too expensive and therefore we took it, and we're glad we did!"

The risk seems to have paid off, as it has given them a place to continue their sustainability journey: it's easier for customers to get their bags repaired or drop off old items used for recycling.

After the first three years in business, the duo moved away from leather for a very practical reason: cloth bags are lighter to carry. Something they learned by interacting with customers. One person immediately told us, "It's a nice bag, but it's not practical," says Bail.

This transition to recycled fabric bags has made them more environmentally friendly. While today 88% of the bag is made from recycled materials, both are working to make it 100% completely. “Some brands just use recycled fabric on the outside. But we believe that ideally all materials used should be recycled,” he says.

Part of the challenge, they note, is subject to the materials available on the market at the time. For example, when they first switched to using recycled fabrics, Bail explains that the options were quite limited: "When we went to trade shows to source materials, we walked the aisles, trying to find things that were made from recycled materials, and there wasn't much.”

Polyurethane is in everything, they explain, and it's one of the hardest materials to replace because the alternatives lack the ease of use it offers. "Polyurethane drapes well, feels good to the touch. You can spray it, pour it. You can spray it on anything actually. For example, it's often used on the lining fabric of a bag. But this is not recyclable,” says Bail.

PU, as it's called, is still ubiquitous in the bag industry, the founders tell me. And while there are other options, they often have higher melting points, are a little stiffer, and harder to use, making them less popular.

However, during the pandemic, Bail and Samet have had time to work with manufacturers on their sustainability journey. “Because business slowed down during the pandemic, the factories had more time available and were able to give us more attention to our needs. Together we worked on product development and the use of new materials” , explains Samet.

All of this helped them become a B Corp, which the company announced this year. Although they were already practicing many principles, they wanted to formalize the process and help tackle greenwashing, which Samet says is widespread. Still, he's hopeful: "I think some of the biggest changes in the world will come from companies that care about you."

The process of building a thoughtful company, he adds, stems from company culture: "It comes from a team that questions things, feels comfortable doing it and can push the boundaries. Anyone can raise a concern, and it's valuable for us to listen. There are quite a few companies that practice top-down culture, which we believe is not the best solution."

Bail adds, "This certification is not the end of our sustainability journey. Rather, it is an important milestone along the way. Each year, we have made major strides in improving the Troubadour's impact and we are always actively looking for new ways to be better. For example, all of our packaging is now recyclable and compostable, and 85% of it is made from recycled materials - it will be 100% recycled. 'by the end of this year."

They have more in the works, he announces...