Sustainable Sourcing

 

Our Commitment:

At WAYKS, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s at the core of how we design, source, and produce our products. We are committed to taking meaningful action to continuously reduce the social and environmental impact of our products.

Transparency is one of our key values. In this article, we’ll walk you through our sustainability approach, covering the following topics:

• Purposeful Design – Why we create durable, modular products that adapt to your needs
• Ethical Production & Worker Well-being – Our commitment to fair working conditions at our factory
• Environmental Responsibility – The materials and production methods we choose to minimise harm, including our use of recycled fabrics, PFAS-free coatings, and bluesign®-approved components
• Waste Reduction & Repairs – How our modular design extends the lifespan of our products and helps you repair rather than replace
• Our Challenges & Future Goals – The limitations we face as a small brand and our ongoing efforts to improve

 

 

Modular & Versatile Design for a Smaller Footprint

At WAYKS, we believe sustainability starts with smart design. Our modular system allows you to tailor your gear to your needs, eliminating the need for multiple single-purpose bags. By offering adaptable travel solutions, we help reduce unnecessary consumption and waste.

Instead of buying separate backpacks for daily use, weekend trips, and extended travel, our modular approach lets you build a system that evolves with you. Need a lightweight Day Pack? Detach it from your Travel Backpack. Carrying extra gear? Expand your setup with add-ons like the Sling Combo.

By investing in one adaptable system rather than multiple bags, you minimise clutter, save resources, and get more out of every product—without compromising on style, function, or sustainability.

Here’s an overview of our modular system:

• Travel Backpack – A backpack that transforms into a Day Pack and Cube (Camera/Cooler Bag)
• Sling Combo – A transformable Crossbody Bag that converts into a Tote Bag, Backpack, and Sling Mini Hip Bag
• Day Pack Mini – A small, lightweight backpack for everyday essentials

All our products, including additional accessories, combine to form the Globetrotter Bundle—a modular, sustainably made system designed for any adventure.

 

Respect for Workers

Sustainability isn’t just about materials and design—it’s about people, too. Since the beginning, we have built a strong, trust-based relationship with our production facility, Vaude Viet Nam, in North Vietnam. Vaude Viet Nam is renowned for exceptional production standards, especially in the realm of travel and adventure gear. Regular visits allow us to see firsthand the treatment of workers and the high Occupational Health & Safety standards in place.

Vaude Viet Nam also produces for Vaude, a member brand of the Fair Wear Foundation. As a result, the factory undergoes regular audits by the Foundation, which works with manufacturers to verify and improve workplace conditions in the textile industry.

Recycled Materials - Don't Make A Mess

At WAYKS, we’ve been using recycled materials in our products from the start, even when it was less common. We're happy to see more brands adopting sustainable practices now, too. Our commitment to sustainability continues with every step of our design and production process.

All WAYKS bags are made with fabrics sourced from recycled materials, which helps reduce plastic waste and lower our carbon footprint. For the black and sand color versions, we use 91% recycled PET, and for the sleek black version, we use 100% recycled PET. Additionally, our lining fabric is made from 100% recycled PET.

The process to create recycled polyester is simple yet effective: used plastic bottles are collected, shredded, cleaned, melted, formed into pellets, spun into yarn, and then woven into fabric. This process saves significant energy and CO2 compared to fabrics made from virgin material.

We’ve gradually expanded the use of recycled components in our products over time. Our YKK Natulon® zippers are partly made from recycled PET. Additionally, our black plastic buckles are made from recycled production waste, and our webbing is crafted from recycled nylon. Our cords are made from 100% recycled PET. By sourcing these recycled components, we continue to minimise our environmental impact while creating high-quality, durable products.

Both our main fabric and lining fabric are bluesign® approved, guaranteeing compliance with strict environmental and safety standards throughout the manufacturing process.

bluesign® is a Swiss certification system that partners with manufacturers and suppliers in the textile industry to reduce harmful substances in the production chain. The bluesign® system focuses on improving resource productivity, ensuring consumer safety, and reducing water and air emissions, all while minimising the environmental footprint of textile production. By sourcing bluesign® approved materials, we ensure that our fabrics meet these high standards, contributing to a more sustainable fashion industry.

Additionally, we use PFAS-free water-repellent treatments for all our products. Many outdoor brands rely on PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) to achieve water resistance, but these chemicals can persist in the environment, contaminating water and soil and posing risks to human health.

At WAYKS, we prioritise safer, high-performing alternatives. Our main fabrics are treated with BAYGARD® FCF, a durable and environmentally friendly water-repellent coating from Tanatex. It is ZDHC-compliant and bluesign® approved, ensuring it meets strict environmental and safety standards.

By choosing PFAS-free treatments, we help protect workers, customers, and the environment.

Reduce Waste and Extend Lifespan

At WAYKS, we believe in creating products that last. One of the key advantages of our modular design is that it allows you to extend the lifespan of your backpack by simply replacing individual components instead of discarding the entire bag. Whether it’s a worn-out shoulder strap or a broken buckle, you can easily swap out the damaged part, ensuring your backpack remains functional and ready for your next adventure. This not only reduces waste but also helps you get the most out of your investment.

While we are not yet able to offer direct repair services, the few customers who needed assistance have generally had great experiences with their local tailors, who can fix small wear and tear issues at reasonable prices. We encourage you to reach out to them for repairs and give your backpack a second life. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us for any guidance or spare parts.

To make sure your zippers last, it’s important to treat them with care. Keep pointy or sharp objects away from the zipper teeth to prevent them from catching and causing damage. Do not overpack or pull too hard as this can cause the teeth to break or become misaligned.

Broken zipper teeth are a death knell for most backpacks. Replacing zippers, particularly the clamshell zipper, can be tricky and expensive. However, rest assured that we have had extremely few cases where this happened and all WAYKS bags are equipped with top-quality YKK luggage zippers, known for their strength and durability, which makes them built to withstand the rigors of everyday use.

Limitations

As a small brand, WAYKS is still in the early stages of its journey, and therefore, we don’t have comprehensive insights into every aspect of our supply chain. While we take great care in selecting suppliers who align with our sustainability values, we acknowledge that we cannot yet visit and inspect every individual production facility of all our material suppliers in person.

We commit to partner with reputable suppliers who take their social and environmental responsibilities seriously. We prioritise suppliers who hold recognised certifications, such as bluesign®, and those with long-standing relationships with sustainability-focused brands like Patagonia and Vaude. These brands have the resources and industry influence to hold their suppliers accountable for meeting high social and environmental standards, while also working with them to reduce their impact.

We have ambitious goals for the future. While we are proud of the progress we’ve made, we recognise that our vision of offering a fully circular backpack requires significant innovation in both materials and recycling technologies. To create a truly circular product, all components—such as fabrics, zippers, buckles, yarns, foam, and plates—would need to be produced from the same material, or the industry would need new recycling technologies capable of processing a mix of materials.

We’re committed to gaining deeper insights into our supply chain as we grow, and we’re determined to continuously improve the sustainability of our products with each new release.

Despite the challenges we face, we’re confident that WAYKS bags are already among the most sustainably made backpacks available—and we’re dedicated to making them even better with every new product release. Thank you for choosing to shop sustainably!