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Continuing with our roundup of eco friendly items for travelers, let’s talk backpacks. Whether it’s a bag you’ll take for a day trip or your entire trip, you want a good quality backpack that also leaves you knowing that you’re doing your part to keep the planet clean and more sustainable.
We’ve found a range of eco friendly backpacks for different travel styles and preferences. Here’s the list.
Read More: Eco Friendly Luggage for the Sustainable Traveler
Contents
For the Light Packer: Eco Friendly Packable Backpack
1. Paravel Fold-Up Backpack
Paravel makes all sorts of sustainable travel products from luggage, duffels and packing cubes, to tote bags and their Fold-Up backpack. This backpack is made from 15 recycled plastic water bottles and is part of Paravel’s Negative Nylon collection of travel accessories made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic water bottles. As the name suggests, the backpack is foldable so you can take it with you in a larger suitcase to use when you get to your destination or you can use it as a personal item at the airport. There’s plenty of pockets and can fit your laptop too. And you can even personalize it with your initials.
Get the Paravel Fold-Up Backpack on Amazon here.
For the Adventurer: Eco Friendly Hiking Backpack
We found three eco friendly hiking backpacks of various sizes that you can choose from depending on the length of your adventure. They are all made with recycled and sustainable materials and each company takes sustainability very seriously.
2. Millican Oli The Zip Pack 15L
Millican makes their travel gear, including daypacks, camera bags and packing cubes with recycled and natural materials. In their lightweight backpack collection, The Maverick Collection, each bag is made with a weatherproof Bionic Canvas, made from 65% recycled polyester and 35% cotton and no plastic. Depending on your preferred daypack size, Millican has three options for the Oli Packs, 15L, 18L and 25L. Each features ergonomic shoulder straps, removable sternum straps, internal pockets and a padded laptop sleeve. (Note: There is a leather trim for the top grab handle.)
Get the Millican Oli The Zip Back 15L backpack on Amazon here.
3. Cotopaxi Luzon 18L Del Dia Daypack
This 18L daypack from Cotopaxi is made for the sustainable adventurer. It’s part of their Made With (Re)Purpose collection that uses fabrics left over from other companies. You’re helping to keep these fabrics out of landfills while also having a durable and lightweight backpack for all your outdoor activities. It features a top drawstring closure, front zippered pocket, ultralight mesh shoulder straps, a large main compartment and internal hydration sleeve. The hardest decision you’ll make about this backpack is which color combination (there are over 50) to get.
Get the Cotopaxi Luzon 18L Del Dia Daypack on Amazon here.
4. Vaude Wizard Hiking Backpack
For sustainable equipment for mountain and biking adventures, Vaude has you covered. The majority of their outdoor clothing, backpacks, sleeping bags, shoes and accessories are labeled with a Green Shape label so you know the product is sustainable. Their Vaude Wizard backpack has the label and features an Easy-Adjust System that provides ventilation in the mesh back, moisture permeable shoulder straps and can be expanded an extra 4 liters if you need to add extra things. It also has pockets on the side and a sternum strap.
Get the Vaude Wizard hiking backpack on Amazon here.
For the City Traveler: Eco Friendly Laptop Backpack
5. Solgaard Lifepack
The Solgaard Lifepack is much more than just a backpack. The company launched with the Lifepack backpack, which is equipped with a Solarbank so you can charge your devices with the integrated USB port, plus they’ve taken safety into consideration. The backpack features an anti-theft lock and secret pockets for important items. And of course it has a compartment for your laptop. It’s also made with Shore-Tex, a fabric made from ocean-bound plastic, so you can wear the backpack knowing you’ve kept several bottles of plastic bottles from polluting the ocean.
Get the Solgaard Lifepack on Amazon here.
6. Fjallraven Raven 20
Fjallraven is a Swedish outdoor gear company for sustainable jackets, clothes for men and women, and bags and backpacks, including their signature Kanken backpack. Kanken doesn’t have a laptop compartment, but a 20 liter backpack, the Raven 20 is made for your up to 15 inch laptop. Their products are made to last as they use their G-1000 Heavy Duty, which is a material made with 65% polyester and 35% cotton that. They’ve made an eco version of the fabric, G-1000 Heavy Duty Eco made with recycled polyester and organic cotton which the Raven 20 is made out of.
Get the Fjallraven Raven 20 backpack on Amazon here.
For All Occasions: Eco Friendly Everyday Use Backpack
For taking around the airport or exploring a city, these eco friendly everyday use backpacks will have you prepared with everything you need for the day.
7. CAUSEGEAR Sport Bag
Each bag you purchase from CAUSEGEAR gives someone who is at risk of being trafficked or enslaved the opportunity to have a sustainable job. Not only is the company working to end slavery and poverty through sustainable ethical jobs, their products are all made with eco friendly and recycled materials. Their collection of backpacks includes the Sport Bag which is a minimal handmade and lightweight bag featuring a front pocket.
Get the CAUSEGEAR Sport Bag on Amazon here.
8. Sandqvist Stig Backpack
Sandqvist has a variety of backpacks for every occasion from backpacks, briefcases and gym bags to messenger bags and weekenders and all made with sustainable materials like organic cotton, recycled polyester and recycled nylon. They are very transparent about where their materials come from and the working conditions at the factories that their products are made in. The Stig backpack is a 14 liter backpack made with 100% organic cotton and lined with 100% recycled polyester in a minimalist design with a compartment to hold a 13 inch laptop.
Get the Sandqvist Stig Backpack on Amazon here.
9. Johnny Urban Mia Backpack
From Johnny Urban comes a range of backpacks for the urban traveler. The Mia backpack is part of the Johnny Urban Eco Series, which is their line of backpacks made from 100% recycled plastic bottles into a polyester fabric that makes it water-resistant. It also features vegan leather detailing, a magnetic snap fastener, a hidden front pocket and a pocket for a 13 inch laptop.
Get the Johnny Urban Mia Backpack on Amazon here.
For Vegans: Eco Friendly Vegan Backpack
10. Matt & Nat Brave Mini Backpack
Matt & Nat is a Peta-approved vegan company that does not use leather or any animal-based materials for any of their backpacks, crossbody bags, luggage, totes, wallets and also footwear and outerwear. The lining of their bags are also sustainable and made with 100% recycled plastic bottles. They have a variety of vegan backpacks of all sizes and shapes, including the Brave Mini backpack that has a top zip around closure and front zippered pocket, adjustable straps and inside zip pocket. It’s a stylish backpack that comes in colors like this purplish Amethyst.
Get the Matt & Nat Brave Mini backpack on Amazon here.
For the Backpacker: Eco Friendly Travel Backpacks
Going backpacking? Or want the ease of taking a backpack instead of lugging a suitcase around? These backpacks are what you need for your trip, and they’re eco friendly.
11. Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack
Another Cotopaxi backpack has made it to this list. The company is committed to making sustainable and durable products to last a lifetime. This Allpa 35 L Travel Pack is part of the Allpa collection of award-winning travel packs. It’s a 35 liter carry on size so you can bring it into the plane. It features an interior laptop sleeve, lots of compartments for organization including a quick access zippered opening, removable waist belt, sternum strap, mesh back and ability to tuck the shoulder straps in and a raincover to keep your belongings dry.
Get the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel pack on Amazon here.
12. Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag 40L
Patagonia makes all their products with the least impact on the environment as possible. This includes starting their line of Black Hole Bags which are made from 100% post consumer recycled polyester ripstop and lined with 100% recycled polyester. The collection includes duffel bags that convert into backpacks in varying sizes, including the 40 L, which is the smallest in the duffel backpack collection and can be used as a carry on bag on an airplane and is great for weekends or light packers. The duffel backpack is also available in 100 L, 70 L (which is made with 40 plastic bottles) and 55 L (which is made with 33 bottles.
Get the Black Hole Duffel Bag 40L on Patagonia here.
For Children: Eco Friendly Kids Backpack
13. Fjallraven Kanken Mini Backpack
Fjallraven is all about sustainability in their design, materials and production. Their Kanken backpack is one of their most recognizable products and was originally made for school children in 1978. Today, they’ve made the original Kanken backpack in a slightly smaller version, Kanken Mini, which can be adjusted to fit both children and adults. It has a small front pocket, and can be carried as a bag too.
Get the Fjallraven Kanken Mini backpack on Amazon here.
For the Fashionable: Stylish Eco Friendly Backpack
14. Johnny Urban Oskar Backpack
Johnny Urban makes drawstring, hip bags, weekenders, totes and backpacks for the stylish traveler. Their Oskar backpack is part of their Eco Series, which are bags made with recycled PET bottles. This material makes the exterior of the backpack water-resistant. The fabric is also treated with a PFC-free agent to reduce pollutants. The Oskar isn’t just eco friendly. It features a roll top and outside zip pocket in a unique pink and red colorway.
Get the Johnny Urban Oskar backpack on Amazon here.
15. Tumi Carson Backpack
Tumi is all about quality, excellence in design, innovation and sustainability. They use post-consumer recycled PET fabric for the interior of their bags and also have a collection of bags made from recycled materials, including the Carson Backpack. The interior of the backpack features several pockets, including a laptop compartment for an up to 15 inch laptop. The exterior features a double zip entry to the main compartment of the bag, a front U-zip pocket and can be monogrammed.
Get the Tumi Carson backpack on Amazon here.
More Eco Friendly Backpack Brands
Here’s a list of other brands that are committed to sustainability and making backpacks for traveling or everyday use.
Eco Friendly Laptop Backpacks
- Incase: This brand has been a partner with Apple for creating products that fit the exact specification of Apple products. They have a line of laptop sleeves made with an environmentally friendly and durable ecoNEUE material.
- Ogio: For backpacks made with CORDURA fabrics, which are made from recycled plastic.
Sustainable Leather Backpacks
- Parker Clay: Designed in California and made in Ethiopia, their line of leather products are ethically made with sustainable leather, leather that’s a byproduct of local farming and agriculture industries.
- Made Trade: All products on Made Trade are sustainably sourced. You’ll find everything from clothes and shoes to furniture and all sorts of backpacks including backpacks made ethically with vegetable tanned leather.
Eco Friendly Backpacks Made with Recycled Materials
- United By Blue: For bags made with sustainable materials including backpacks made with 100% recycled polyester like a convertible carryall bag that can accommodate a laptop and can be worn as a tote bag or backpack.
- Timberland: Not typically known for backpacks, Timberland has some backpacks, including roomy backpacks made with 100% recycled polyester lining.
- Lo and Sons: Their Recycled Poly Collection features bags made from a durable material that’s made from recycled plastic bottles.
- Everlane: Travel backpacks for women made with 100% Recycled polyester.
- Kathmandu: A variety of their day packs and backpacks are made with recycled plastic bottles and recycled buckles.
Eco Friendly Backpacks Made with Organic Cotton
- Terra Thread: Eco friendly, certified fair trade backpacks made of organic cotton.
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