With a passion for ethical trade originating from a childhood project on developing countries, Paulien Wesselink began her journey as a social entrepreneur by creating O My Bag, a fairly made and eco-friendly leather bag company in Amsterdam. Driven to create a positive global impact, she shared that, “A very large part of the world is really unequally structured and one of the reasons is the way we do business, especially in international trade. Since this is something we are creating ourselves, it is also something we can be the solution for.”
Wesselink first traveled to the source of leather production in Kolkata, India, an area with over 15,000 one-room factories. Upon visiting several of these leather factories and meeting the workers, this solidified the desire to produce products in a sustainable and ethical manner, providing fair wages so workers could support their families. As part of the solution, the goal to create even more jobs under good labor conditions and more opportunities for women enabled the connection of these small producers to the global market.
Even the O My Bag code of conduct clearly defines requirements for manufacturing partners which protect human rights, prevents discrimination and many more policies in protection of the workers and the environment. Wesselink stated, “It is possible to conduct business in a different way and also be profitable and grow while not harming the planet and its people.” She combined her love for fair trade and the environment with designing beautiful bags, to create a brand with passion and purpose.
Wear A difference
With their slogan, “Wear a difference,” consumers are encouraged to make a statement through what they purchase and wear, from brands that want to positively impact the people involved in their processes to the environment. Holding the responsibility to take action on the sustainability principles can seem daunting, but O My Bag founder Paulien Wesselink wants everyone to realize that individual action makes an impact. She explained that, “Where you spend your money really makes a difference in the world. Every time you buy something you cast a vote for the world you want to live in. Do you buy things that exploit the environment or do you try to spend consciously and support companies that invest in the environment?” Each of us has that power, to challenge how things are done and to encourage companies to make fair and sustainable business decisions.
Sustainability Terms & Design
One such business decision that O My Bag actively practices is reducing and limiting their environmental footprint, or carbon emissions created during manufacturing and operations. These emissions could be formed from transportation of materials and goods and the energy needed for processing the products. Insetting is first implemented, to reduce emissions within the company’s value or supply chain before offsetting through monetary or other means. To help reduce the amount of emissions, recycled cotton is used for 30% of the total cotton needed for the bag liners and the remaining is virgin cotton in order to maintain material strength. Using recycled products when possible is less harmful to the environment during the treatment process using water.
When using water during manufacturing, it is released back into the environment as effluent water or sometimes called wastewater. In this case, O My Bag wanted to be sure that the water released was as clean as possible, not using chromium during the leather tanning process. Effluent water can be hazardous in India, often ending up in drinking water and in the water used for crops, so this risk was avoided.
Trade not aid is a common phrase that O My Bag also stands for, working to promote free trade and development in the global marketplace versus sending direct aid. Through this model, more and higher paying jobs are created in addition to training and higher standards for working conditions. Wesselink shared that, “Having a decent job is crucial for wellbeing, not only because of the pay but because it gives a sense of belonging, accomplishment and purpose…what we’re big on at O My Bag.
The Making Of The Perfect Bag
The O My Bag brand mission is to leave a positive impact on the world both for people and the planet. What began as a social concept to support trade, later developed into a two-part mission for fair trade and eco ethics.
On their path towards fashion sustainability and first realizing that the leather tanning industry didn’t match fair trade values, they convinced producers to create a product under more sustainable and ethical practices. After paving the way over 10 years ago to support a more eco-friendly method of leather tanning, Wesselink said, “It was interesting to see how we had a small part in changing the leather industry as a whole around Kolkata,” explaining that sustainability, quality and fashion could go hand in hand. Later, when developing a vegan leather option, AppleSkin™ was decided upon to avoid extracting more raw materials or using fake leather made from PU polyurethane plastic. This is a new, more eco-friendly way of alternative leather production, which uses byproducts of the apples, from the applesauce and apple juice industry, just as leather or hide is a byproduct of the meat and dairy industry. The fair trade and ethically made bags continue to be innovative and carbon conscious.
Circularity
O My Bag also has a secondhand program intended to keep bags in circulation longer, where customers can sell back an older bag and even exchange for credit towards a new bag. Their Pre-loved library is available to everyone online, and there are also in-store pre-loved sections at each brick and mortar location.
Now B Corp Certified, we think we know why they say at O My Bag, “Hold my bag while I change the world.”
To shop with purpose and order your O My Bag backpacks, handbags, accessories and more, you can find the link here. To read the entire issue of Person & Planet magazine where this article is featured, you can find the digital version here and the print version here. You can also listen to the Person & Planet podcast with O My Bag founder Paulien Wesselink here.