GOT BAG
World’s First Recycled Ocean-Impact Plastic Backpack
GOT BAG recovers ocean plastic waste for each of their backpacks, hip bags, or other accessories. So far, they’ve collected more than 1,298,147 pounds of Ocean-Impact Plastic.
GOT BAG STORY
GOT BAG is a sustainable, socially-oriented fashion brand that turned to the ocean for a conscious way to carry daily essentials. The German start-up developed the world’s first backpack made from Ocean-Impact Plastic: plastic waste that has been improperly disposed of and is either drifting in the ocean, or found on the shore and at-risk of entering the oceans.
In 2016, GOT BAG co-founders Benjamin Mandos and Roman Ruster—who had been closely connected to the sea since childhood—started collecting and recycling ocean plastic. A ROLLTOP backpack was their first product, but now they sell Ocean Impact Plastic-made daypacks, backpacks, hip bags, business bags, cardholders, wallets, and other accessories.
HOW DO THEY MAKE AN IMPACT?
Indonesia generates more than three million tons of plastic waste every year—more than one-third of which ends up in the ocean. GOT BAG works with an Indonesian team to collect this plastic waste and turn it into the pellets. The PET plastic pellets are recycled into bags, while the other types of collected plastic are recycled through different streams or utilized for heat generation. In the manufacture of just one ROLLTOP backpack, 7.7 pounds of plastic waste is captured and reused.
Designed with durability in mind, the bags and backpacks are designed for a long life—meaning they’ll never end up in the ocean again. Instead of promoting new collection cycles, the minimalist design promotes long-term wearability. With GOT BAG’s free spare parts service, repairs are easy and encouraged.
Creating jobs in rural areas, they support their Indonesian team with safe working conditions and fair wages (several times higher than the local wage). Their ethical Chinese manufacturer is also SMETA certified. The backpack brand also regularly partners with other ocean-loving organizations like Sea Shepherd, SEASPIRACY, the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, and Coral Gardeners. Proud of their ecological, economic, and social behavior, GOT BAG strives to become a Certified B Corp.
