HVISK says they are evolving with their materials. In 2019, they decided to go completely vegan and move away from animal leather. Even now, they are trying to make increasingly sustainable choices while maintaining quality.
That’s why they mainly use recycled fibers. Including pre-consumer recycled polyamide, post-consumer recycled polyester, pre-consumer recycled polyurethane and recycled nylon. Sometimes a percentage of virgin polyester or virgin polyurethane is added. HVISK’s main materials are certified by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS), which demonstrates the presence of actual recycled content. For the GRS, a minimum of 20% of the material must be recycled and that percentage must be 50% for it to bear a GRS logo.
What is the difference between pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled material? Pre-consumer recycled means that the material has not yet had a use, for example it is a residual material left over in the factory after production of a previous collection. Post-consumer recycled means that the material has already passed through the hands of a consumer before, this involves, for example, plastic bottles that have been transformed into recycled polyester.
All bags with a vegan leather look consist of a combination of recycled post-consumer polyester, recycled pre-consumer polyurethane, polyurethane, calcium carbonate and protein with a lining of recycled polyester. The calcium carbonate is said to provide bright colors and a glossy, scratch-resistant finish. However, the combination of three different materials makes the bag not easily recyclable. HVISK says it chose this PU leather because it is vegan, would cost fewer resources, is versatile and easy to clean. Moreover, since 2021, PU leather is partially or fully recycled, which increases its sustainability.
Other bags consist of different compositions, sometimes again a combination of different materials, but sometimes mono-materials (made entirely from the same material). Some bags with a more fabric look, are made of 100% polyester, polyamide or (as far as we know uncertified) organic cotton, this adds to the recycling possibilities!