Sustainability
Every year, more than 400 million tons of plastic are produced worldwide. Of all plastic that is produced at present, only 9% is recycled, and the rest is either dumped, burned, or ends up in our environment. The fashion industry is also a major culprit with 70% of all textiles produced in 2017 were made of plastic. That is approximately 53.7 million tons, which is 15% of annual global plastic production. The production of synthetic textiles contributes to the climate crisis. The CO2 emission in 2015 was already 706 billion tons. A forest of 597 million hectares – almost 1.5 billion acres – would be needed to absorb this amount of CO2.
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This is why Per Magia has chosen to use rPET (recycled polyester) fabric for the lining of the handbags processed to Global Recycling Standards (GRS). This is made from post-consumer plastic waste such as plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfill or our ocean, which in turn helps reduce waste and not contribute to the creation of new polyester textiles.
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Source: Plastic Soup Foundation. (2019) from BUND. Plastic Atlas.
Photographer: Nick Fewings
The leather industry has been categorised as one of the most polluting industries with a global production of around 24 billion m2 of leather. Out of 1000 kg of raw hide, nearly 850 kg is generated as solid wastes in leather processing. Only 150 Kg of the raw material is converted into leather.
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We realised that we cannot erase what has already been done but we can help implement change by using this leather waste as a resource and in turn not contribute to the production of new leather.
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Our bags are made from REACH compliant solvent-free recycled leather made from discarded leather from the fashion and furniture industry. The material is of exceptional quality; durable, water-resistant and easy to clean.
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Source: Kanagaraj, J. (2005). Central Leather Research Institute.
Photographer: Brett Cole
Deforestation is the primary effect of our mindless use of paper. From 2001 to 2019, a total of 386 million hectares of forest were lost globally. Paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste and 33% of municipal waste. With all the paper we waste each year, we can build a 12 foot high wall of paper from New York to California!​
This is why it was important for us to create hang-tags made out of recycled paper that are also FSC certified, ensuring that the wood used to make the paper comes from responsibly managed forests.
Source: The World Counts. (2020).
Per Magia wishes to create a call to action not only to the fashion industry ​but also the commuter world by encouraging cycling as a form of transportation - cycling can be a chic and eco-friendly alternative that not only drastically reduces our carbon footprint but that also provides many health and mental benefits.
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Let's change the world one pedal at a time!
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Source: Avila-Palencia I, et al. (2017). A cross-sectional study. BMJ.
Photographer: Lola May Muller for Per Magia