What does sustainability really mean and how can we achieve it? When we started By Banoo, sustainability was a core part of our initial purpose and business model going forward. 

In short, sustainability can be divided in to 3 pillars: Social, Environmental and Economical. Brands can be sustainable in different ways, for example by creating jobs in their community, produce locally or create items that have a long life cycle with sustainable materials. We need to help each other by educating what sustainability really is and look at it in a larger perspective. For example, recycled plastics sounds sustainable, but what if it requires a lot more energy to produce? Is it really sustainable then? Or if it shortens the life cycle of the item?It's important to stay curious, ask questions and spread the knowledge to our peers, so we can drive each other in the right direction and become more sustainable together.

As for By Banoo - in a perfect world - we would do everything we can to go completely sustainable from day one. But that is quite impossible. Instead, we want to be transparent with you about our journey towards becoming more sustainable along the way - because that is totally achievable if you ask us.

When By Banoo was born, we looked at many different options regarding where to produce our bags. We knew that it would be cheaper to produce in Asia, which would give us a better profit, but to what cost? We saw the challenge to secure where the materials were sourced from, and not to mention the long transportation which leads to high CO2 emissions. And does it really make sense to produce in Asia when our customers live in Europe? This led us to the decision of choosing a partner in Europe and finally one in Estonia, where we found the perfect factory that was close to us in terms of transportation but also guaranteed good work conditions for their employees as well as a fantastic craftmanship in leather. To work with a European producer is good, but it's more expensive, but we think it's worth it in the long run.

In addition to finding a local production site, we wanted to do more. We are a brand for women, and we truly believe that we need to support each other no matter what. That's why we initiated the collaboration with UN Women Sweden. So you can contribute to helping other women when purchasing our bags.

In conclusion, we are investing around 800 SEK / 80 EUR per bag by making sustainable choices in regards to:

• Local production in Europe
• Investing in women in need
• Choosing good materials with a long life cycle

and still offer you a bag at an affordable price. Remember, you don't have to pay more from your pocket to contribute to sustainability, instead we decided to take it from our profit margins - the best investment we can make for our society and planet - and you're a part of the journey.

We believe it's our responsibility to help our community to become a better place for future generations. Our drive lies in supporting women, and that's why we have integrated this contribution to our business model.

We have initiated a collaboration with UN Women Sweden, where we will donate 2% of our revenue to selected projects to women who need it the most. Read more and see the progress through our collaborator Target Aid here.