WIRED’s Gear Team Have tested dozens of backpacks, totes, purses, messengers, slings, and even reusable shopping bags. More and more of these bags are using recycled materials that come from plastic water bottles, old nylon, and even fishing nets retrieved from the ocean. It is important to find ways to reuse the things that would otherwise pollute our oceans and sit in landfills forever.
In this guide, we’ve put together our favorite bags that use recycled materials in some way, shape, or form. Not every bag is made from 100 percent recycled materials, but every little bit counts. But first, ask yourself: are you need a new bag? If what you have right now really isn’t working and can’t be repaired, you can find peace of mind with our picks below. Bags are often classified by liters, which we go into more about in a separate article.
Be sure to read our guides on the best recycled and up-cycled products, best recycled clothing, best reusable products, best laptop bags, and best camera bags.
Updated April 2023: We’ve added the Troubadour Sling Compact, Lozel City Sling, Timbuk2 Spark Mini Pack, and Targus Zero Waist Backpack as picks. We’ve also included the Nixon Hatch Bag and the Peak Design Everyday Totepack among our honorable mentions.
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