Global fashion is widely regarded as the second most polluting business practice after the oil industry. Fueled by consumer’s need to have something new and producer’s desire for profit, the situation is only set to get worse unless we all change our priorities.

In recent years a steady flow of new brands has sought to serve the needs of an increasingly environmentally responsible and ethically conscious consumer. Built from the ground up with sustainable and ethical philosophies, these companies are disrupting the flawed business model that has been wrecking our planet.

Leading the change in the UK is accessories brand Bagmaya. Founded in 2018, the company specialises in backpacks, bum bags and yoga backpacks designed in the UK and produced in Nepal. The young company has applied its core ethical philosophy to every area of production, packaging, logistics and delivery. Each Bagmaya item is made by people from disadvantaged communities in Kathmandu, Nepal, with 10% of profits going to local youth empowerment charity YUWA.org. Materials for the backpacks, bum bags and yoga backpacks, as well as all the packaging, are either sustainable or recycled and all coloured with non-toxic, natural flower dyes. Delivery is carbon-neutral and even the servers that support their website are environmentally friendly.

The company’s vegan, eco-friendly, ethical and sustainable production is a reflection of the philosophies of its founder Carlos Terol. Bagmaya is named after the Nepali village of Baghmara where Terol spent three months volunteering on water, sanitation and hygiene projects in 2018. Inspired by the resourceful and enduring spirit of the local community, Terol established Bagmaya to support and empower local people from disadvantaged backgrounds as the key producers of all the company’s products.

Being environmentally responsible doesn’t have to mean dull. Bagmaya’s Sustainable Backpacks are good for the planet, look great and offer all the compartments and durability required for daily use. With four distinct designs, coloured with an array of natural dyes and manufactured by hand, no two bags are ever exactly the same. The Ethical Bum Bags are available in two styles in a choice of four colours: Natural Hemp, Cactus Green, Black Sand and Terracotta. While the Eco Yoga Mat Bags come in two designs in natural hemp, Blue Lagoon, Pink Sunrise, Cactus Green, and Terracotta.