15 Sustainable Handbags And Purses We’re Eyeing For 2023
The Good Trade editors endorse products we’ve personally researched, tested, and genuinely love. Learn more about our methodology and business model here.
As consumers, we’re passionate about knowing whether the people that make our clothes and accessories earn fair wages and work in safe, ethical conditions. Below we’ve compiled a list of our favorite brands that check those boxes—and make gorgeous eco-friendly totes, handbags, and weekenders for everyday use, summer travels, and beyond.
Some of these bags and purses are American-made while others are upcycled. The list includes vegan totes and artisan-made handbags, too! (And for secondhand designer bags, check out Vestiaire Collective!)
If you’re looking to update more of your wardrobe, check out our fair trade clothing guide, our roundup of sustainable shoe brands, and our ethically made jewelry guide!
Best Vegan | Most Affordable | Most Stylish
1. Pixie Mood
Best For | On-trend vegan bags, wallets
Ethics | PETA approved vegan, responsibly made in Asia, biodegradable packaging, climate-positive, recycled & sustainable materials, gives back to 1% For The Planet & other causes
Price Range | $36–$130
Ships To | Currently US & Canada
Pixie Mood’s handbags are socially responsible, sustainable, and stylish. Since 2010, this brand has crafted functional and fun bags made from recycled and solvent-free vegan leather. Based out of Canada, Pixie Mood has gained worldwide recognition for its standout products—RFID-equipped wallets and cases, monogrammed pouches, and chic crossbodies. With dozens of styles and every color of the rainbow, you’ll be sporting one of these pieces for years to come.
2. Quince
Best For | Affordable leather bags
Ethics | Vegan option, virgin plastic-free packaging, BSCI & GOTS certified responsible production in Italy, compostable packaging by 2023
Price Range | $40–$130
Ships To | US
Quince makes “affordable luxury” a reality. Using certifications—like OEKO-TEX, BSCI, and GOTS—as well as sustainable packaging whenever possible, the team refuses to sacrifice ethics and sustainability for affordability. You can find Italian leather crossbody purses, belt bags, totes, and even AirPod cases and valet trays to help keep you organized all day long.
3. ABLE
Best For | Upcycled leather totes, wallets, & duffles
Ethics | Ethically made by women, sustainable practices & materials, competitive wages, Leather Working Group certified
Price Range | $40–$375
Ships To | Worldwide
ABLE understands that when we invest in women, families and communities are lifted up, too. The vast majority of its team is made up of women, including across Ethiopia, Brazil, Mexico, and India; all are paid living wages, paid healthcare, and ownership within the company. When making leather goods, the material is sourced from hides that would have been otherwise discarded, using less energy than it takes to create vegan leather. We recommend ABLE for wearable, hands-free bags! When our editor *isn’t* toting a big bag, she’s wearing an ABLE crossbody (or strapping it around her waist like some sort of belt bag).
4. Bellroy
Best For | Tech-friendly backpacks, weekenders, slings
Ethics | Certified B Corp, Leather Working Group certified, sustainable & recycled fabrics, gives back to various causes
Price Range | $39–$449
Ships To | Worldwide
Bellroy wants to improve the way people carry their everyday essentials. From wallets to weekenders—and everything in between, like totes, slings, and backpacks—the B Corp uses environmentally certified leather and nontoxic fabrics (like recycled industrial nylon and Tencel) to craft accessories that are strongly stitched and tightly woven. Simply put, they’re built to last—but the three-year warranty covers any faults in materials and workmanship just in case.
5. Cuyana
Best For | Elegant styles, monogramming
Ethics | Recycled & OEKO-TEX certified sustainable materials, ISO, SMETA, & WRAP certified ethical production, repair & take-back program, Leather Working Group certified
Price Range | $78–$548
Ships To | Worldwide
Cuyana lives by a simple mantra: “Fewer, better.” The brand believes that style is more important than fashion, and quality trumps quantity. You’ll rarely see our editor without her caramel Easy Tote from Cuyana. (She’s always been a proponent of big bags, and is glad they’re back in style and so, so chic!) Cuyana creates artisan leather bags for the modern person, with soft neutral colors and enough space for just what you need. The brand also believes in one of our favorite concepts—the Lean Closet—and provides a free shipping label with every domestic online order, so that you can fill a box with used clothes and receive a credit. Be more intentional, sustainable, and live by “fewer, better.”
6. Sézane
Best For | Bucket bags, raffia bags
Ethics | Certified B Corp, vegetable-tanned leather, OEKO-TEX & GOTS certified organic materials, recycled packaging, powered by renewable energy, gives back via DEMAIN initiative
Price Range | $235–$415
Ships To | US
Sézane creates timeless pieces that also respect the planet and its people. This certified B Corp uses majority natural and sustainable materials, including raffia, chrome-free leather, and cotton, for its gorgeous collection of bags, wallets, and baskets. (Many can also be personalized!) Throughout production, the team’s efforts are powered by renewable energy and sent in eco-friendly packaging. To date, Sézane has gifted more than four million euros to support education and equal opportunity for children.
7. HYER GOODS
Best For | Upcycled leather
Ethics | Uses deadstock materials and factory scraps, circular resale shop, produced at a SEDEX-compliant, female-owned factory in India, plastic-free shipping, gives back monthly
Price Range | $165–$355
Ships To | Worldwide
HYER GOODS was founded by a fashion vet who was dismayed by the amount of waste in the industry. Not wanting to contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions necessary to produce leather and other materials from scratch, the brand instead creates its beautiful designs from the most sustainable materials out there—the ones that already exist! The new HYER GOODS are cut from Luxury Leftovers—the brand has combined new, state-of-the-art manufacturing with obsessive quality control and the most luxe waste yet to bring you the Best of Better Leather. And because everything is made from waste, it’s all limited edition.
As for giving back, the brand does that too! HYER GOODS gives 1% of its monthly profits to various organizations like Everytown for Gun Safety, the Malala Fund, and Transanta. We love that!
8. Angela Roi
Best For | Totes & satchels
Ethics | PETA approved vegan & sustainable materials, ethical production
Price Range | $155–$280
Ships To | US; select global stockists in Australia & the UK
Angela Roi has mastered the philosophy of timeless elegance and future-forward fashion. The brand’s vegan and recently launched cactus leather bags are ethically made by artisans who are paid fair wages in safe factories. (Curious to see how the bags are made from start to finish? Learn more about the process here.) These vegan leather totes, crossbodies, and bucket bags are simple, with organized compartments, straps, and a pebbled texture finish that’s both modern and minimalistic.
9. Nisolo
Best For | Leather clutches, totes, & weekender bags
Ethics | Certified B Corp, Climate Neutral Certified, Leather Working Group certified, ISO certified ethical production
Price Range | $50–$350
Ships To | US
Nisolo hopes for a world where consumers know where their products were made and by whom. This carbon-neutral brand provides international market access, fair trade wages, and safe working conditions for its entire team, who, in turn, create beautiful and timeless staples. This collection of handmade leather bags is crafted in Peru and Mexico and is both stylish and sturdy, so you’re sure to stand out wherever you go. We especially love Nisolo’s clutches and crossbody bags to carry our wallets and keys when we’re out and about. Make sure to treat your bag with leather spray for longevity! Read our full Nisolo bag review here.
10. GUNAS
Best For | Color-block vegan bags, satchel & pouch set
Ethics | PETA approved vegan, ethically made in South Korea, Italy, & India, upcycled & plant-based materials
Price Range | $98–$265
Ships To | Worldwide
GUNAS has been creating high fashion, cruelty-free, and vegan handbags since 2009—acting as a voice of animals in the fashion industry. The company manufactures globally in ethically run factories that are visited and checked in person by a member of the GUNAS team. You won’t find any PVC in these stylish bags, either: GUNAS strives to use upcycled, recycled, and vintage materials when possible, and the brand is constantly experimenting with new materials.
11. Baggu
Best For | Reusable market totes
Ethics | Vegan, recycled materials & FSC certified eco-friendly & biodegradable packaging, ISO certified ethical production in China, nylon recycling program, waste-reduction practices
Price Range | $12–$78
Ships To | Worldwide
Baggu’s bags probably look familiar—the design is based on the standard plastic grocery bag! Baggu hopes to reduce our dependence on single-use plastics and opt for reusable every time. We love the thoughtful attention to the materials and production (read more here). These reusable totes are cut from a continuous piece of nylon material, and then the waste is used to make handy carrying pouches. Its factories in China are audited yearly by a third party, ensuring safe, fair working conditions. You can even send your bag back to be recycled! This is our go-to bag for just about everything—grocery shopping, beach days, road trips, laundry hauls. Hot tip: It makes for the most fun (and affordable!) gift.
12. A A K S
Best For | Artisan-made woven bags
Ethics | Ethically made in Ghana by women artisans, traditional techniques, sustainable & responsibly sourced materials, carbon-neutral shipping
Price Range | $178–$318
Ships To | US
Founded by Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, A A K S (see where the initials come from?) works with women artisans in Ghana to produce bold, bright bags we love. The woven bags are crafted with sustainably harvested raffia from local family farms, then delicately handmade using traditional techniques. The process takes almost a week per bag, and no two are exactly alike! Support sustainable jobs, special skills, and style all at once—find them online or at stockists like Anthropologie and Nordstrom.
13. ALOHAS
Best For | Unique shapes & patterns
Ethics | On-demand production model, low waste, carbon-offset shipping option, local production in Spain, Leather Working Group certified suppliers
Price Range | $110–$430
Ships To | Worldwide
Barcelona-based ALOHAS is changing our culture of overconsumption, one bag at a time. Here’s how it works: ALOHAS will pre-release of a new design at a sizable discount. If you’re interested, you’ll purchase it in pre-production so ALOHAS can plan its batch size accordingly. Once production has started in Alicante, Spain, the price goes back to its normal set price but is available only in limited quantities. From checkered satchels to pleated black bags to bicolor baskets, it’s fashion at its finest.
14. behno
Best For | Unique shapes & patterns
Ethics | Ethically made by artisans, Leather Working Group certified, gives back to various causes
Price Range | $95–$945
Ships To | Worldwide
behno (named after the Hindi word for sister – “behn”) thinks of every person involved with the luxury brand—from the maker to the buyer. The artisans who produce these gorgeous bags are given family planning support, worker benefits, and fair wages thanks to the brand’s partnership with MSA Ethos. The final designs are both whimsical and stylish, using accents like knots or sharper edges to stand out. It’s no surprise that this ethical, sustainable brand has been featured in Forbes, Vogue, and Elle.
15. Stella McCartney
Best For | Designer vegan totes & shoulder bags
Ethics | Vegan, FSC certified sustainable or recycled packaging, gives back to various causes
Price Range | $520–$2795
Ships To | Worldwide
Since Stella McCartney launched 20+ years ago, the team has never used leather, fur, or any animal byproducts in its luxury line. So while these handbags have the style and sheen of leather, they’re made with solvent-free alternatives instead (and some are woven from sustainable raffia!). Many of the handbags are styled with the recognizable Stella logo, though you can also find chain-lined totes, simple wallets, and Mickey Mouse-printed designs here, too. It’s all luxury for a lifetime.
Featured image is from Hyer Goods
