Cycling Toward a Sustainable Future

Sustainability is an integral part of our DNA. Since our founding in 2009, we've helped thousands of people take to the streets by supporting their micromobility lifestyle. Choosing a bike over a car just 1x a day reduces the average person's carbon emissions from transport by 67% (source), but it's difficult to securely and comfortably carry things while riding bikes and scooters. Our sustainable bike gear is equipped with MobilityTech™ to address these challenges. This empowers consumers to embrace a more sustainable lifestyle by seamlessly integrating bike and scooter transportation into their everyday lives.

As Po Campo grows, so do our strides in sustainability. This year alone, we've launched not one, but two new earth-friendly fabrics in our line of sustainable bike gear:

1. 100% Recycled Ripstop

"Ripstop" - you've probably seen that word on the labels of your outdoor gear, and there's a reason for that - ripstop is built for adventure! Not only is this fabric lightweight and water-resistant, but it's also extremely durable. That means our ripstop bike and scooter bags hold up to the wear and tear of an active lifestyle, and it also means that they will last for years to come.

By using 100% recycled ripstop, we're providing consumers with ultra-functional, tear-resistant gear while diverting textile waste from landfills. Globally, over 80% of discarded fabric ends up in landfills. Once disposed of, synthetic fabrics take anywhere from 20 to 200 years to decompose. (source) As these textiles break down, they emit methane - a greenhouse gas with 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide. According to the Environmental Defense Fund, cutting methane emissions is the fastest opportunity we have to immediately slow the rate of global warming.

The following sustainable bike bags are currently available in recycled ripstop:  Orchard Grocery Pannier, Vernon Bike Trunk Bag, Domino Handlebar Bag, Willis Stem Bag, Husdon Saddle Bag

2. 100% Recycled Repreve® Lining

In addition to our new recycled ripstop fabric, we've improved our sustainable bike gear by incorporating Repreve® fabric linings in 80% of our bags. Unifi, which makes Repreve® fibers, has diverted over 25 billion water bottles from landfills and oceans. Compared to virgin polyester fibers, Repreve® also offsets petroleum usage, emitting fewer greenhouse gases and conserving water and energy.

Repreve® fabrics are fully traceable, which means that you can trust us when we tell you your bag lining is made of 100% recycled plastic - we've got the certifications to prove it!

The process of making Repreve® fibers for our sustainable bike gear looks like this:

1. Source Recycled Waste: Recycled plastic bottles and post-industrial waste (including our own) are collected worldwide.
2. Make the Chip: Waste material is chopped, ground, washed, melted and reformulated into high-quality REPREVE chip.
3. Form the Fiber: Chip is melted into liquid polymer and extruded through tiny openings in a spinneret, creating continuous filaments that form REPREVE fiber.
4. Process the Yarn: Fiber becomes yarn through spinning and air-jet texturing.
5. Ship to Customers: Finished yarn goes into fabrics, making everyday products more sustainable.

(Source)

Po Campo's Sustainable Bike Gear History

As a company that designs and manufactures bike bags, sustainability has always been important to us. Since 2018, we have committed to centering sustainability in our work and in our growth. Here are a few other steps we've taken on the road to producing more sustainable bike gear:

• 2018: We launched our Quest for Sustainability video series interviewing industry experts as we began our journey to become a more sustainable bike gear company.
• 2019: We introduced the Sustainable Slate bag color in Repreve® fabric, made from 100% recycled water bottles.
• 2020: We eliminated the single-use polybags from our primary packaging.
• We partner with EcoEnclose for our polymailers. They are made of 100% recycled content (50% post-consumer waste content), and are recyclable in any stream that accepts thin film.
• 2021: We introduced Visi-Hemp®, our proprietary blend of organic hemp, recycled polyester, and reflective yarns.
• This fabric is Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified. Hemp is a renewable natural plant fiber with a long history of being used for things like ropes and heavy canvas because of its long-lasting durability. Even better, hemp needs no pesticides, herbicides or defoliants and uses far less water to produce than other natural fibers, like cotton. It grows quickly and even returns a portion of the nutrients it takes from the soil.

What's next for Po Campo and sustainability? We'll continue to incorporate sustainable materials into our products whenever possible, and we'll always be transparent about the materials that go into our bags. Our goal is to make it easy for you to choose sustainable bike gear without sacrificing style or function.

Do you have questions about our sustainable bike gear? Send us an email at support@pocampo.com and we'll be happy to chat!