Topo Designs Global Travel Bag Sustainability Report

The Global Travel Bag is built with exceptionally thick materials, combining a 1,000-denier nylon body with 1,680-denier nylon on the dorsal and bottom sides—areas that see the most abrasion during travel. That fabric choice gives the pack a notably rugged feel, and the hardware, stitching, and webbing all match that heavy-duty construction.

Choosing durable outdoor gear is perhaps the most effective way to reduce environmental impact—the longer it lasts, the less it needs to be produced. Our proprietary longevity rating evaluates overall build quality based on factors such as materials, fabric denier, component durability (including zippers and toggles), real-world performance as reported by our field testers, and our experiences with the brand. Overall, we feel strongly that reducing overall consumption is a cornerstone of sustainability.

The Topo Designs Global Travel Bag is made from 100% recycled nylon. Ninety-five percent of Topo Designs’ products feature recycled or organically grown materials, though it doesn’t specify its total use of recycled materials. The brand plans to increase its use of these materials to 98% of products by 2026.

Outdoor gear can be made partly or entirely from recycled materials, the most common being nylon, polyester, wool, and down. Some products include a single recycled component or a partially recycled fabric, while others are 100% recycled (generally excluding accessories like zippers, Velcro, toggles, etc.). For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate the amount of recycled materials in a particular product and assign points accordingly.

The Global Travel Bag doesn’t incorporate Bluesign-approved materials. Topo Designs is not a Bluesign System Partner, and we haven’t found Bluesign-approved materials in the products we’ve evaluated from the brand.

Bluesign Technologies, based in Switzerland, operates a third-party textile certification system that ensures materials are manufactured to strict environmental, chemical, and worker safety standards. A Bluesign-approved material indicates that it has undergone a rigorous vetting process based on the criteria above. A Bluesign Product goes the next mile, containing at least 90% Bluesign-approved fabrics and at least 30% Bluesign-approved accessories.

The Topo Designs Global Travel Bag has a PFAS-free durable water-repellent treatment on its primary fabric. Topo Designs was aiming to eliminate PFAS from all of its products by the end of 2024. However, the brand has yet to share whether it met this goal.

The DWR (Durable Water Repellent) finish is a product’s direct defense against outside moisture, and commonly contains PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). These synthetic compounds, known as "forever chemicals,” are found in a range of gear categories, from jackets to footwear. They resist water, oil, and heat exceptionally well, making them ideal for outdoor use, but their nearly indestructible nature also means that they take an extremely long time to degrade in nature, if at all. PFAS can eventually end up in everything from soil to drinking water and have been linked to a range of health issues.

The Global Travel Bag is manufactured in a Fair Trade Certified (FTC) factory. Topo Designs is an FTC partner brand, achieving Fair Trade Certification for all its bags and packs in 2024. Fair Trade Certification ensures that factories adhere to rigorous social and environmental standards, including fair wages, safe working conditions, and sustainable resource management. FTC partner brands also contribute to the Fair Trade community development fund, a fund owned by workers who collectively decide how to use the money to improve their communities.

This criterion evaluates a brand's commitment to fair wages, safe working conditions, and reducing its environmental impact throughout the production process. Responsible manufacturing is most commonly demonstrated through certifications and membership in programs such as Fair Trade Certified, Fair Wear Foundation, Worldwide Responsible Accreditation of Production, and the Fair Labor Association. We also recognize brands that prioritize local production, such as those that manufacture primarily in the United States or Europe, to reduce carbon emissions, maintain better oversight of working conditions, and comply with strict social and environmental regulations.

Topo Designs ships its products in compostable poly mailers and recycled corrugate boxes. Additionally, all of its hang tags and retail packaging are recyclable (but not recycled).

Packaging can add significant waste to an outdoor gear purchase and often ends up in landfills. Many brands are using recycled packaging and/or making efforts to reduce packaging altogether. For example, they may use a certain percentage of recycled cardboard or make efforts to use less plastic or paper across their packaging operation. In some cases, brands also use Forest Stewardship Council-certified paper products, which helps to ensure sustainable sourcing of forest materials.

Topo Designs performs repairs under its limited lifetime warranty for bags and its limited warranty for apparel. The warranty covers material and manufacturing defects but doesn’t cover accidental damage, improper care, or normal wear and tear. For products that need repair and fall outside Topo Designs’ warranty, the brand offers customers a gift card equal to the cost of an independent repair service.

Repair services extend the lifespan of outdoor gear and reduce overall consumption. Some brands offer comprehensive repair programs that can fix a wide range of issues, while others have more limited capabilities. If a brand's warranty policy only covers replacement, rather than repair, these programs usually do not meet this criterion.

Topo Designs doesn’t operate resale or recycling platforms for used products.

Resale and recycling programs help keep outdoor gear in circulation for longer and out of landfills. The most common form is a trade-in program, where consumers can exchange items for store credit, which is then resold. Some brands accept products back for recycling at the end of their life, thereby reducing waste. Occasionally, some do both.

Topo Designs tracks its Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, although we’re unsure when it began doing so. Unfortunately, it hasn’t publicly shared its emissions-reduction goals, stating that it was in the process of developing them in 2024. However, Topo Designs has implemented several strategies to reduce its footprint, including minimizing material waste, reducing fossil fuel use at its facilities, and more. It also aims to achieve carbon neutrality through manufacturing improvements and carbon offsets by 2030.

This criterion evaluates whether this brand measures its greenhouse gas emissions, along with its commitment to reduction and transparency in reporting. Typically, we require brands to follow established frameworks such as the Higg Index, Greenhouse Gas Protocol, or The Change Climate Project. Most companies use the widely recognized scope categorization system for measuring brand emissions. Those who earn the most points in this category have emissions reduction goals verified by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a global organization that helps companies set greenhouse gas reduction targets in line with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. To verify their goals through SBTi, companies undergo a rigorous assessment process and continual follow-up to ensure consistent progress towards achieving their targets.

Topo Designs doesn’t publish an annual impact report. We appreciate that it publishes a sustainability page on its website, which provides information about the brand’s materials, manufacturing, and packaging. Unfortunately, however, the page lacks specific data and leaves us with questions about its environmental efforts.

An impact report is an important step toward transparency and accountability on the sustainability front. These reports vary in form but generally cover topics such as material sourcing, greenhouse gas emissions tracking, waste and water usage, supply chain analysis, and packaging efforts. For our sustainability ratings, we evaluate this criterion based on the depth and quality of the information provided in the report, and how often it is produced. Some brands produce their own impact report, while others are published by their parent company. In practice, we’ve found that reports produced by individual brands include more detailed information about their sustainability efforts.