Sustainability Progress Report 2020

Details on the progress we've made over the past year with sustainability initiatives.

Product Materials

  • To date, we’ve diverted 1,687,249 plastic bottles from landfills and reduced roughly 41,880 pounds of carbon emissions so far by producing recycled poly versus standard poly.

  • Our goal is to transition into using strictly 100% certified organic cotton for our canvas Catalina collection for any future orders. Cotton is completely biodegradable and by transitioning into fully organic, it will encourage species biodiversity in local ecosystems. Some additional benefits are that it uses less water, no pesticides, and no fertilizers. In turn, it is safe for you and the environment.

  • We are working on launching our first nylon product partially composed of recycled nylon that is made from post-consumer waste. This will reduce the consumption of natural resources by 27% and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 28% compared to regular nylon, all while minimizing waste that would otherwise end up in a landfill. Our next goal is to transition our nylon laptop collections to be made of 100% recycled yarns.

  • In the last year, we started working with Silver Rated tanneries audited by the Leather Working Group. This will allow our supply chain to be more traceable. The hides used are guaranteed to be sourced in the most sustainable way, including lowering water consumption and energy reduction. Our aim is to eventually move 100% of our nappa leather to a Silver Rated status.

  • We are researching the use of materials made from plant-based fibers, which contain no animal products and are biodegradable. Our hope is to make a new material available in select styles within the next year.

  • In 2020, we plan to start using a new lining that will be composed of 50% recycled material. 


Packaging

  • In the manufacturing and shipping of any consumer good, there’s a lot of unnecessary waste from bubble wrap, protective coverings, and even hang tags. So in 2019, we started a full-scale packaging audit to reevaluate what is truly essential in our production process, limiting waste and moving towards recycled and/or biodegradable materials. One step we’ve already taken this year is eliminating the use of plastic air bags when packaging our Catalina collection, and have rolled this out in a total 6,380 units so far.

  • Our goal is to switch to using biodegradable protective poly bags as each and every one of our products are shipped in this protective packaging, which adds up to a quicker decomposition in landfills.



Manufacturing / Factories

  • In 2019, we started working with and moved a significant portion of our total production orders to a new factory that can run on 2,628,000 kw of solar energy per year. They also built a Water-Reclamation-System, which can overt 100 tons of waste water to clean water per day with a conversion rate from waste water to clean water of 100%.

  • We are actively looking to partner with a small, domestic workshop for a capsule collection that's made in the USA. The factory runs on solar power and pays workers double of minimum wage plus healthcare.

  • In 2019, we started to make extra straps, inserts, trays, shoulder pads for customers who receive any manufacturing issues or experience everyday wear and tear, increasing the lifespan of our product and affirming our satisfaction guarantee.

  • In 2019, we set a goal to become a part of a new circular economy.  So we're proud to say that this February 2020 we officially launched our partnership with The Renewal Workshop, which is a company that refurbishes and resells broken/damaged apparel or accessories products. To date, we've diverted over 5,000 lbs of product from landfills.



Partnerships

  • The Renewal Workshop - We’ve partnered with The Renewal Workshop, the leading provider of circular solutions for apparel and textile brands. Based in Cascade Locks, Oregon, the Renewal Workshop operates a zero waste circular system, recovering the full value of items already created. We are excited to have found an organization that can repair and renew damaged bags and rethink the possibilities for our products’ lifecycle. To date, we have been able to save over 5,000 pounds from landfills. You can shop our collection of renewed products here.

  • Future Fit Business - We are proud to be members of Future Fit’s Global Changemaker Community.  As a member, we join a wide range of businesses that are using the Future Fit Business Benchmark to consider all of their social and environmental impacts and ultimately chart a path to success in an ever-more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. 

  • Brooklyn Bridge Park - in support of our local parks department, we have donated funds and volunteered our team’s time in an effort to preserve its beauty.

  • EcoHealth Alliance - Earth Day 2020 we have selected to partner with EcoHealth Alliance, an international nonprofit dedicated to protecting the health of people, animals, and the environment from emerging infectious diseases.

  • CBEY - Our cofounder (and one of the sons), Jan Lo, was invited to serve on the advisory board of the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, which trains and empowers future leaders to develop "business solutions to systemic environmental problems" from the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. With this group, Jan is currently helping to advise on a range of projects, such as how emerging technology can help to address environmental sustainability challenges. 

 

Online Store Design

  • We’ve updated our e-commerce shopping experience to easily spot and visually identify any products that are made with sustainable materials.

  • Introduced eco-impact measurements for each sustainable product. And we’re in the process of researching new ways to display those eco-impact measurements as real-time totals based on how much we’ve sold or produced. 

  • Updated our sustainability page with even more information on our updated company mission with refreshed priorities, new materials, and on-going sustainability initiatives.


Learn more about our sustainability business practices here

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