Luggage Line Repurposes Waste Plastic

Geoff Giordano | Dec 06, 2022

Take a trip with this new luggage line, and you’ll also be giving used plastic bottles a one-way ticket out of the ocean or landfill.

New York's Solo has unveiled six new bags as part of its Re:cycled Collection, each made from recycled PET, ocean-bound plastic water bottles, and recycled ABS from appliances and automobile parts.

Solo's first luggage line, the bags are available in soft- and hard-side, two-wheel or spinner, carry-on or check-in styles and come with a five-year warranty.

"We are proud to premiere one of the most sustainable luggage collections on the market at a time when green travel choices are more important than ever," said Solo CEO Richard Krulik. "Solo has always appealed to environmentally conscious travelers. Our backpacks, duffels, hybrid bags, and tech accessories have always delivered design with purpose, so we set out on a mission to create a luggage collection to meet the needs of travelers who choose us for our stylish design and eco-friendly business practices."

Solo's Re:cycled Collection turns discarded plastic bottles into rPET yarn through a process the company said uses 50% less energy and 20% less water while producing 60% less air pollution. The company's goal is to recycle 40 million bottles from landfills by 2024, according to its website. More than a half-trillion plastic bottles were sold in 2020, the company claimed, with more than 80% ending up in landfills or oceans.

The new bags even come in what Solo calls its Leave No Trace packaging, also made from recycled plastic. Furthermore, the company said that for every eco-friendly bag sold from the collection, Solo will plant a tree to help replenish US forests. Customers who sign up to take the company's pledge to go 30 days free of plastic bottles will have a second tree planted in their name through the National Forest Foundation.

Solo products are available at more than 21,000 retail locations including Target, Best Buy, Office Depot, Macy's, and Amazon, as well as online at www.solo-ny.com.

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