TRANSPARENCY

One of the biggest challenges regarding responsibility is for consumers to navigate and understand information about what they are purchasing.

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

Recycled Nylon

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 it is just as durable.

* Please see specific details for each product.

Recycled Polyester

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, but it is just as durable.

All of our recycled polyester materials are GRS certified.

* Please see specific details for each product.

Recycled plastic

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

Mushroom-Based Leather Alternative

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.

Bloom™ Algae-Blended Foam

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.

Water-Repellent Coating

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.

Conventional Materials

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 help us steer in the right direction.

ROUTINE CHECK

Can the bag be worn anywhere where your daily routine leads you; office, school, gym, date, cafe visit etc.? 

SHOE & WARDROBE CHECK

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?

FUNCTIONALITY CHECK

Is the bag highly functional in an urban setting? Are the sizing, separate compartments, pockets and other practical details attuned to urban life?

COLOUR CHECK

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MATERIAL CHECK

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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.

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. 

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 of 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 will be 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

2023

Responsibility Report 

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