What sustainability means to us
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.
Environmental sustainability
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 materials were sourced from, employees' working condition and not to mention the long transportation which leads to high CO2 emissions. 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 working conditions for its employees as well as a fantastic craftsmanship in leather. To work with a European producer is good but more expensive, but we think it's worth it in the long run.
Giving back to women
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 a collaboration with UN Women Sweden, so you can contribute to helping other women when buying our bags. When you buy a bag we make a donation to selected projects to women who need it the most. Read more about UN Women Sweden's work by pushing the button below.
Our contribution to sustainability
In conclusion, we are investing in sustainability by making consious choices in regards to:
- Local production in Europe
- Investing in women in need
- Choosing good materials with a long life cycle