The Best Bags Made of Recycled Materials
WIRED's gear team has tested dozens of backpacks, totes, purses, messengers, slings, and even reusable shopping bags. More and more of these bags are using recycled materials that come from plastic water bottles, old nylon, and even fishing nets retrieved from the ocean. It's important to find ways to reuse what would otherwise pollute our oceans and sit in landfills forever.
In this guide, we've pooled together our favorite bags that utilize recycled materials in some way, shape, or form. Not every bag is made of 100 percent recycled materials, but every little bit counts. But first: Do you need a new backpack? If the one you have now really isn't working out and can't be repaired, then you might get some peace of mind with our picks below.
Be sure to read our guides on the Best Recycled and Upcycled Products, Best Reusable Products, Best Laptop Bags, and Best Camera Bags.
Updated June 2022: We added Cuyana's Oversized Tote and Samsonite's Outline Pro luggage.
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- Photograph: United By Blue
Best Overall (a Tote-Backpack)
United by Blue Convertible CarryallUnited By Blue's Carryall is a nice tote bag that easily converts to a backpack. Both the interior and exterior are made of 100 percent recycled polyester; the straps are 100 percent recycled nylon; and the padding is made of a combo of 60 percent recycled nylon and 40 percent recycled polyester. Even the zipper pulls are 100 percent recycled nylon paracord.
It's water-resistant and sufficiently padded to keep a 15-inch laptop safe from the elements and drops. There are useful organizational pouches inside the front pocket, as well as two water bottle pockets. If you're tired of carrying it on one shoulder, unzip the back pocket and pull out the comfy backpack straps. They clip on to sturdy D-rings at the base. You'll find the most design options at United By Blue's website.
- Photograph: Mafia Bags
Best Backpack
Mafia Bags Deep Blue BagAll Mafia bags are made from recycled sails, and the company employs Californians to cut and manufacture them. This Deep Blue Bag was made in collaboration with industrial designer Yves Béhar and utilizes material from climbing ropes, seat belts, and old wet and dry suits. The front compartment is waterproof and meant to prevent wet towels and bathing suits from leaking through to the rest of your gadgets, in case you hit the beach right after work. A hidden side pocket can house a phone, keys, or wallet, and you can use the small loop at the bottom of the bag to hang it upside down to dry. There's also a drysuit sleeve to keep water bottles securely in place until you pull them out.
All profits from this bag go to the nonprofit Sustainable Surf and its Waste to Waves program, which focuses on recycling Styrofoam packaging. You can donate your old sails too.
- Photograph: Moment
Best Tote
Moment MTW ToteThis is our favorite traditional tote, and its exterior is made of weatherproof recycled nylon. WIRED reviewer Jaina Grey says it distributes weight like magic and has pockets on top of pockets to keep you organized, including a slot for a 16-inch laptop. We also like Moment's MTW Backpack, which you can read more about in our Best Camera Bags guide.
- Photograph: Cuyana
Best Purse
Cuyana Oversized Recycled Sling BagCuyana makes our favorite laptop purse. This one, while more understated and casual, is just as gorgeous. The fabric of this sling bag is made from 100 percent recycled plastic taken from landfills. It has a durable, canvas-like feel and can be machine-washed in a mesh bag (but air it dry!) so you can actually get real use out of it without worry.
A bottom insert keeps it structured, and this large size fits more than you'll need—I used it as my personal item on a vacation and stuffed it full with a book, a tablet, over-ear headphones, medications, and every little tchotchke I could find to bring back. If you want to use it for work, or just need more organization, it can be paired with Cuyana's tote insert.
★ More Sizes: We used the oversized bag, but there are medium and small versions too. They all come in black or in a stunning cappuccino body with a black strap combo that I've been eyeing.
- Photograph: Kabir Fernandez/Baggu
A Shopping Bag
Baggu Standard Reusable BagWe love Baggu's standard reusable bags for shopping trips, and they're made with 40 percent recycled nylon. Each bag can hold up to 50 pounds and replaces two to three plastic grocery bags. They're also cute, available in several colors and patterns, and fold down into little squares so you can keep a few in your car.
- Photograph: Freitag
A Roll-Top Crossbody
Freitag F640 RollinFreitag's F640 has long been one of our favorites. All of its bags are made using old truck tarps, but this one includes recycled plastic bottles to make the bag softer and lighter. Being made of heavy-duty tarp means the bag can take some wear, so if the price scares you, know you probably won't need a new one for a while, if ever. There's a fantastic number of color combinations to choose from too.
You should know, however, that truck tarps have a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) coating, and reusing them doesn't strip the coating away. There's a reason most companies proudly advertise "PVC-free" these days—the material is environmentally damaging and is not safe for children. It's why Freitag says “don't chew, don't suck, don't eat” and specifies that the bag is unsuitable for children under the age of three.
- Photograph: Longchamp
Another Purse We Love
Longchamp Le Pliage Green Shoulder BagI love a good purse for when I need to dress up, and I love that Longchamp's designer bags don't look gaudy or ostentatious. This one is made from recycled polyamide canvas, derived from fishing nets and old carpets. It's pretty but durable, and while it doesn't have a laptop pocket, it can hold one comfortably. If you're bringing it as a backup bag on a trip, it folds down to a teeny little rectangle (plus the straps).
- Photograph: Fjällräven
For Casual Days
Fjallraven Samlaren TotepackI've tried a few Fjallraven products and love almost all of them (the Kanken is delightful). This Samlaren Totepack is made from leftover fabric from other Fjallraven products and recycled polyester—smart! It isn't big enough for all your work accessories, but for shopping or a lazy day at the beach, it's a nice size. The Samlaren collection includes other bags and coats that are also made from leftover fabrics, though we haven't tested them.
- Photograph: Lo & Sons
A Versatile Bag
Lo & Sons Hanover 2The Hanover 2 saves 22 used plastic bottles per bag from landfills, turning them into water-resistant polyester. WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So says this was one of the more versatile backpacks she tested, thanks to the detachable insert with four pockets in it, including two water bottle pockets. During the workday, it was an organized backpack, and when she unbuttoned the insert and replaced it with a diaper-changing station, it became instantly parent-friendly. No need to buy yet another bag just for diapers.
- Photograph: Patagonia
A Durable Daypack
Patagonia Black Hole BackpackThis isn't the best-looking backpack. In fact, it's not very pretty. But it's really lightweight and capable. The exterior is made of 100 percent recycled polyester ripstop with a water-resistant laminate on top, and the lining is 100 percent recycled polyester with a polyurethane coating. WIRED senior associate editor Adrienne So used this on a spring break trip and says that even when it was packed full, it stayed slim and unobtrusive. There's a 15-inch suspended laptop sleeve, thoughtfully designed pockets for sunglasses, a wallet, and a phone, plus big enough water bottle pockets to fit an oversized bottle. There's also a duffel bag version from Patagonia that she loves.
- Photograph: Bellroy
Another Great Tote
Bellroy Tokyo ToteBellroy's Tokyo Tote is the runner-up in our guide to the Best Laptop Totes and Purses, thanks to its excellent organization—the entire interior perimeter is sectioned off into pockets. The brand uses a few recycled materials, from plastic bottles to leftover nylon scraps from other Bellroy products. It feels quite durable, and the aforementioned pockets can hold a 13-inch laptop, phone, wallet, cables, and a small notebook. “Pop” pockets on either end open up to hold water bottles, a small umbrella, or even flats.
I just liked using it a lot. It helps that the straps have a convenient rubbery grip to keep them from slipping off your shoulder.
- Photograph: Solo
Best Budget Bag
Solo Re:claim BackpackSolo's bag is affordable at under $80 (often less than $60). It's constructed with six recycled plastic bottles, and the company plants a tree for every bag that's sold. Solo offers to plant a second tree in your name if you take its 30-day no-plastic bottle pledge. The paper tags in the bag are made from recycled materials and are biodegradable too.
It fits a 15-inch laptop and is slim and light. The front loop can hold a small umbrella but sits flush against the bag when you aren't using it. It isn't as durable as the Black Hole backpack, but it's also almost half the price.
- Photograph: Incase
A Compact, Techy Tote
Incase ARC Tech ToteIncase's ARC line includes this tote and a backpack; I prefer the tote. Both are made with recycled polyester. The tote is compact but still fits a 13-inch laptop in its faux-fur-lined pocket, and there are organizational compartments to fit pens, a phone, a wallet, or earbuds. The front pocket can fit a Kindle or a tablet too. The handles don't leave much room to hold it comfortably, so I used the removable strap more often. Both the tote and backpack include a separate zipper pocket that blocks radio frequency identification (RFID). That's nice and all, but not necessary to keep your digital data safe.
- Photograph: Samsonite
More Bags We Like
Honorable Mentions- Monos Metro Backpack ($195): This is arguably one of the more sophisticated-looking backpacks in this guide (particularly in the vegan leather option I tried). However, only the felt-lined pockets on the interior are made from recycled bottles. The front pouch can snap on or off, which is handy if you just want to take its contents with you to the bathroom. Or you can buy the folio kit and snap it in its place; the kit can hold cables, Kindles, pens, and other tchotchkes. Just don't forget to snap the pouch or kit on before venturing out—the bag looks odd otherwise.
- SamsoniteOutline Pro Carry-On Spinner ($200): The interior fabric on this carry-on is made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles. The tough outer shell is polypropylene. Samsonite's bag made a recent trip so much easier; I packed nearly everything I needed for an elopement in it, including a wedding dress, and it stayed light. The wheels moved smoothly, no matter the direction I pulled or pushed it. The interior divider can be tightly strapped in to compress what's below it, plus there's a “WetPak” pocket for storing damp items.
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