Responsibility
KINDNESS TO EARTH, KINDNESS TO PEOPLE
We believe that sustainability is a 360 degree effort including both our environment and the way we exist with each other. Because if we can’t co-exist among ourselves, what hope is there for our Earth?
We want a kinder and more accepting world - a world with less fear and hate and with more openness and human connection, so we can collaborate on solving our shared challenges and thrive.
KINDNESS TO EARTH
We are constantly exploring new materials and treatments that are both durable and responsible. In the design process, we try to weigh both our wishes of giving you functional and fashionable bags and of being as kind to Earth as possible.
* Please see specific details for each product.
KINDNESS TO PEOPLE
We aim to build a community around kindness through events and stories and invite everyone to participate.
TRANSPARENCY
One of the biggest responsibility challenges is for consumers to access and understand information about the products they purchase.
Your Bag Has a Story
SCAN TO DISCOVER IT
We believe in transparency and traceability. That’s why we’ve introduced a new QR code platform, giving you instant access to the full journey of your bag - from materials to manufacturing and beyond.
By scanning the QR code inside your bag, you’ll gain insight into the choices behind your product and how to care for it over time.
What You’ll Learn
- What your bag is made of
- Which sustainability standards your materials meet
- Where your bag was made — and where the materials came from
- How to maintain your bag for long-lasting use
- How to resell your used bag through our take-back program
- Our commitment to people, planet, and purpose
The QR code is located on the care label of styles released after November 2022
OUR MATERIALS
We are constantly exploring new materials and treatments that are both durable and responsible. In the design process, we are trying to weigh both our wishes for giving you functional and fashionable bags while being as kind to the Earth as possible.
Our recycled materials are GRS certified
The production of our recycled materials is carried out by suppliers who are GRS certified.
To find out more details about our materials, please read our responsibility report
Body fabric
The body fabric for the Studio Drops, Spread Love Collection, Street Collection, and Sidewalk Collection is 100% Mipan® Regen Recycled Nylon made from pre-consumer waste, manufactured by LeeJo Textile. It is GRS, BlueSign, and Oeko-Tex certified.
The production of recycled nylon material uses less water, energy, and fossil fuels than conventional nylon and is just as durable.
* Please see specific details for each product.
Lining, non-woven reinforcement, thread, inner label, logo label, webbing, inside edge band, coil zipper, and wadding
Recycled polyester is made from recycled PET bottles or plastic wastes. The plastic is collected from landfills and the sea, cleaned, granulated, and spun into thread, which is woven into new fabric.
It uses less water, energy, and fossil fuels than regular polyester and is just as durable.
All of our recycled polyester materials are GRS certified.
* Please see specific details for each product.
Plastic Hardware
Recycled plastic is made from excess plastic waste. The plastic is cut into small pieces, melted, and cast into different items.
* Recycled plastic buckles are 15% weaker than conventional buckles. But it's a price we think is worth paying for a material that actively reduces the amount of waste in the world
Logo Label
The material is 100% bio-based, fully biodegradable, and compostable. It's made from King Oyster mushrooms that are not suitable for human consumption due to misshape and size.
So far we are using this alternative for our logo label on new styles, but we will keep experimenting with other use cases whilst ensuring durability.
Padding
Excess algae can be toxic and harmful to the environment.
Bloom™ algae-blended foam is made with excess algae harvested from freshwater where the ecosystem is out of balance.
The algae raw material is combined with conventional materials to create a more responsible EVA foam.
C0 WR, PU 1500MM, PU*2
The water-repellent coating on our nylon body fabric is an innovative, and non-PFC-based repellent called HeiQ Eco Dry developed by a Swiss company.
The water-repellent coating on our twill polyester body fabric is a non-PFC-based repellent called UNIDYNE XF-5003 developed by a Japanese company.
At the moment few trims are made from conventional materials. We have promised ourselves to never stand still and keep searching for durable and responsible solutions.
DESIGN PROCESS
When developing new products, we keep our compass of circularity in mind which urges us to consider features and ideas that support longevity, durability, and responsible material sourcing. We have a list of criteria when developing a new bag concept that helps us steer in the right direction.
Can the bag be worn anywhere where your daily routine leads you; office, school, gym, date, cafe visit etc.?
Can the final product be styled nicely with a pair of boots, sneakers and high heels to ensure a bag that is inclusive and fits many occasions?
Is the bag highly functional in an urban setting? Are the sizing, separate compartments, pockets, and other practical details attuned to urban life?
Is the choice of colour fairly season-less, ensuring that the bag can be worn by anybody, all year round, for many years?
Does the bill of materials consist of recycled or natural alternatives, and if we are making small compromises, can we defend why we are doing so? Are the materials made from mono-materials and not mixed fibers?
PRODUCTION PARTNERS
To increase our level of transparency we have mapped our production partners and collected all of their audit and certification documents. This helps us be more transparent towards our customers and collaboration partners, as well as optimize our sourcing strategy understanding where there is space for improvement.
Code of conduct
This Code of Conduct describes the ethics that Kintobe wishes to promote. We wish to ensure that our products are produced under legal, safe, and responsible conditions for all employees in our supply chain.
Hence, the Code of Conduct applies to every level of our supply chain from extraction to factory, including all subcontractors and sub-suppliers. We expect that our suppliers will request their supply chain to comply with these requirements and transparency.
Assembly factories
At Kintobe, responsibility and quality are our foremost concerns when selecting manufacturing partners. Through thorough research and stringent criteria, we have identified the best-fitting partners to ensure our products meet the highest standards. Our selection process emphasizes the potential for long-lasting relationships, transparent communication, and flexible minimum order quantities (MOQ) to align with customer demands.
We are proud to collaborate with two leading factories in the bag industry: ASG and SHILLA. ASG joined us in 2020, and the first bags manufactured by SHILLA became available in September 2024.
ASG
Long An province, near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
ASG is regularly audited by the Fair Wear Foundation and adhere to multiple industry standards. Please see list below.
* ISO 9001:2015
* Better Work
* SLCP
* SMETA
SHILLA
Long An province, near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Shilla is regularly audited by the Fair Wear Foundation and adhere to multiple industry standards. Please see list below.
* ISO 45001:2018
* ISO 14001:2015
* ISO 9001:2015
* Better Work
* WRAP
* BSCI