Sustainability

Sustainable Materials

If you read our article on eco-design, by now you know just how important the choice of materials is. For us, it all comes back to three pillars: smart thinking, design, and sustainability. And you'll notice that all three are intrinsically linked: at MeroMero, we believe that being smart about design is what makes sustainability possible. But let's take a look at the sustainable materials we mainly use.

RECYCLED NYLON.
Our first bags were made from waxed cotton, because we love this material: its soft yet robust feel, cracked by wax and patinated by time. But cotton is cotton, and it's not the toughest fibre out there.
So we went in search of the rare gem and found it in South Korea with Leejo : a more solid fabric (nylon) with a "cotton canvas" look (1000D with a soft finish), made from 100% recycled fibres (from post-production waste such as fabric scraps), weatherproof (PU coating and PFC-free water-repellent finish) and Bluesign® certified. In short, it looks like waxed cotton, but it's even more water-resistant, much tougher, and therefore more durable. The 100% recycled fiber comes from Hyosung, also a Korean supplier. We recently developed a stronger main fabric for our technical products using Cordura, still 100% recycled. For the ONSEN baby carrier, we also work with 100% recycled nylon.

For the inner lining, which is used in large quantities across almost all our products, we now use 100% recycled ripstop nylon (reinforced for extra durability), either black or printed with our own design.
MESH.
he mesh used for the back panels and shoulder straps is a "3D" mesh: thicker for comfort, but also designed to let air through. It's not the most ventilated back panel on the market, but our 3D mesh construction is very strong and breathable enough for urban adventures or a short hike.
For some pockets we use other types of mesh, including a very elastic "power mesh." Nylon (polyamide) is both durable and lightweight. However, we've yet to find recycled nylon mesh. As is often the case, we don't meet the minimum order quantities required by most suppliers, which can be mind-boggling.
We do try to optimise supply by using the same mesh across several products.
"REAL" LEATHER.
For some straps and zip pulls, we use thick leather from the tannery ISA Tan Tec, one of the most responsible tanneries on the market: full traceability of hides, vegetable tanning, no chromium or phthalates, green energy, wastewater treatment, and OekoTex® certifications. They are based close to our factory in Vietnam, and also have tanneries in China, the USA and Italy, all ISO 14001 certified. The Saigon factory (the one we work with) is also a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and uses the Higg Index to measure its social and environmental impact.

The leather we use is GOLD certified by the Leather Working Group, the highest rating awarded by this multi-stakeholder organisation, which includes leather industry representatives, NGOs and independent certification bodies. It guarantees environmental and social responsibility in leather production, covering water and waste management, energy consumption, air quality and social commitment.
STURDY BUCKLES.
From the very beginning, even back when we were producing in Europe, Trimmers has been our go-to supplier: a trusted Vietnamese buckle specialist based less than two hours from our factory.
We also work with the German supplier Fidlock, who specialises in magnetic closures and buckles (used on the ONSEN). They supply the biggest brands on the market and have a factory in Asia to stay close to their customers' production sites. Due to cost, we can't use aluminium buckles everywhere, so for simpler buckles we use plastic from specialist outdoor suppliers such as Duraflex or Wojin. The next step will be to use recycled plastic, but order minimums are still beyond our reach.
YKK ZIPPERS.
Working with any brand other than YKK was simply never an option for us. This Japanese company has a global presence with factories in Europe, the USA, and Asia, including Vietnam, not far from our factory in Ho Chi Minh City. All their factories meet ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO/TS 16949 standards, are OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified, and Bluesign® system certified. We use YKK zippers across all our bags and accessories. They're expensive, but extremely durable.