Travel is my favorite way to spend my time—exploring diverse cultures, meeting new people, trying out unique foods, seeing the area’s special sites.
But travel can have a hefty price tag for our planet. Which is why I’m always trying to discover ways to travel more consciously, such as working to minimize the impact of flying, being a responsible traveler in tourist-ridden areas, and making smart packing choices.
Next on my list? I’m shifting to more sustainable travel products when it’s time to replace what I have.
So, when I learned that Samsonite had a new line of suitcases made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles, I was thrilled. (Note: this post is sponsored, but as always, I only share brands and products I believe in, and all opinions are my own!)
There’s no question that a suitcase is pretty much a must when traveling for longer periods of time, so to have an eco-conscious option to choose from is HUGE!
Using fabric made from recycled plastic bottles means that producing these suitcases requires fewer new resources.
It also means that all of those plastic bottles getting recycled are getting put to good use! Finding ways to use discarded plastic bottles is increasingly important as the demand continues to grow worldwide. A recent figure estimated that 1 million plastic bottles are bought every single minute.
So, this new eco Samsonite line, ECO-Glide, can have a massive impact on the travel and retail industries.
After all, the luggage industry is worth over $31B USD and Samsonite is nearly 10% of that market—pretty major, huh? [Source]
Okay so it’s clear that this collection is a good move for the environment. What’s more, though, is that these suitcases are functional too!
“Green” products sometimes get a bad rap on quality, but after carrying this baby around, I can tell you that this ECO-Glide bag beats any other suitcase I’ve used.
- The pockets were smartly designed and placed on the suitcase to accommodate for a variety of items in different sizes and weights. I could put my necklaces in the smaller pockets, socks in mesh pockets and a pair of nice shoes in the side slots.
- Super lightweight. The suitcases in this collection have a wrap-around frame design which means that these bags are light as a feather. Lighter on the earth and lighter for me to carry around… pretty nice!
- Well-designed wheels means that I never had to tip the bag on two wheels and could always roll it around next to me on all four wheels. I’ve had other suitcases that have claimed this feature, but this one definitely does it best.
- The hidden expansion system. My boyfriend and I packed 10 days worth of stuff for both of us—heavy shoes and all—in this bag when we went to NYC and I was kind of nervous about having enough room. I needed professional work clothing and plenty of casual outfits since unfortunately it was super hot the week we went and we didn’t have a washing machine, so I didn’t plan to re-wear too much. (Though, I still did adopt many of my minimal packing strategies that I used in Paris!)
Clearly, I’m both impressed by and excited about the future of this line.
Eco-conscious + high-quality, useful and functional is the perfect match in my mind. It means that not only the product was produced responsibly, but also, I’ll need to buy fewer things and be a responsible consumer because I’m getting an item that will last a long time.
I’m looking forward to using this suitcase for the years to come and definitely anxious to see this eco-friendly collection expand, making the luggage industry more sustainable suitcase by suitcase!
Check Out Samsonite’s ECO-Glide collection at Bed Bath & Beyond.
