3 Ways MAIKA Prioritizes the Environment, Not Just Creating Delightful Bags



At MAIKA Goods, YOU, our customer, are our top priority. We love designing products that make your lives more colorful, organized, and (hopefully) a little more delightful. But we also know that the fashion and accessory industry has the potential to do (and has already done) incredible harm, no matter how beautiful the product.

We're in the business of designing practical pieces that add a little bit of delight to your day-to-day, but we've also set out to make sure we aren't harming our planet or the people on it while we're at it. 

So to our customers new and old, we thought sharing a few simple ways we've committed to reducing waste, instead of creating more of it would be helpful. 

1. Recycled Canvas

Did you know that the vast majority of old fashion and accessories are never reused? Most fast fashion companies send more than half (hint: that's a lot) of their inventory to landfill or incarceration each season and producing more fabric, no matter how sustainable or unsustainable, still taxes the environment. So, we decided to use recycled canvas. This means we source the fabric for our bags from already existing materials, so nothing is wasted and no extra production is necessary. It's like picking up trash, but a lot prettier. 

2. Vegan Leather

No matter your stance on the leather industry (which, like most industries, is full of nuanced pros and cons), we opted for vegan leather for our bag's handles and accents for its cruelty-free nature. When it comes to leather, no method of production (whether synthetic or not) is perfect, but we love our "leather" for its durability and the option for a man-made alternative to traditional leather.   

3. Eco-Friendly Inks and Hand Drawn Design

Similarly, many products in conventional fashion are printed with toxic inks and dyes made primarily from chemicals and synthetic materials. Not only is this harmful to the environment as the waste enters waterways and our air, but it's also harmful to the wearer's skin and personal health. In an effort to keep the health of our planet and our customer in mind, all of our inks and dyes are non-toxic and eco-friendly, so you can feel good about wearing and using them.

Bonus: Zero Waste Shippers

Last, but emphatically not least, is our shipping method. With the rise of online business comes a hugely increased amount of shipping waste and carbon emissions. Although there's no way to completely erase our shipping waste in our modern world, we're excited to be moving in a sustainable, zero-waste direction. We've partnered with LimeLoop -- a newly launched brand (co-founded by our very own Viola!) creating reusable mailers that consumers and brands alike can use and reuse for years. Look for a LimeLoop shipper on select MAIKA orders - we know you're going to love it.  

Thank you for supporting us along the way!