Over the past 25 years that Sherpani has been creating sustainably sourced outdoor, lifestyle, and travel bags, our mission has stayed the same: design products that work well in any environment—while also working to help it.
That's why we're proud to say that we've, to date, successfully diverted 11.1 million water bottles from the waste stream into high-quality, durable, long-lasting Sherpani bags.
That's a number we're proud to share. But it's also a number so big that it's probably hard to picture.
So, what does "diverting" a plastic water bottle actually mean? And more importantly, does making a bag from recycled plastic mean compromising on quality? The short answer: no. Definitely not! But the long answer is a lot more interesting. Let's follow the journey.
What does "diverting plastic bottles" actually mean?
When we talk about diverting plastic water bottles from the waste stream, we're talking about taking existing plastic and putting it back to work, rather than relying solely on newly produced material.
Plastic water bottles are typically made from polyethylene terephthalate, better known as PET (no, not the furry kind—learn more here). Instead of treating a used PET bottle as the end of its useful life, we can collect it and transform it into recycled PET, or rPET.
That rPET can then become something entirely different, including the fibers used to make fabric. In our case, that means 100% recycled nylon and polyester.
For over two decades, we've been incorporating this repurposed plastic into our designs. In that time, we've helped give more than 11 million bottles a second life, rather than letting them become waste—which our planet doesn't need any more of.
It's part of the philosophy we've carried with us from the very beginning: use sustainable materials where we can, design thoughtfully, and create products that are built to stay in your life for as long as you need them to.
Shop Sherpani's sustainable travel bags.
How are recycled water bottle bags made?
So, what does this process actually look like, and how does it result in a travel bag that can go the distance with you, all while looking great on your arm?
As you might imagine, there's an entire process involved in taking something used and making it new again. Here's a snapshot:
1. Plastic bottles are collected
The process starts with post-consumer plastic bottles. Rather than becoming waste, these bottles are collected so their PET plastic can be recovered and reused.
This is where the idea of "diversion" begins. Existing plastic becomes a material for something new, useful, and in our case, stylish.
2. The bottles are cleaned and processed
Collected bottles are sorted and thoroughly cleaned before processing begins.
The freshly cleaned plastic is then broken down into tiny flakes, turning a recognizable water bottle into the first phase of its new life and into a material that can be processed even further.
3. Those tiny flakes become fibers
The processed PET is then transformed into recycled polyester fibers and spun into yarn. This is where you first start to see the transformation happening.
Something designed for a single use is now on its way to becoming a durable textile capable of accompanying you all the way to the German Christmas markets, on your morning commute to the office, or simply making your day-to-day life a little easier—for years.
4. The yarn becomes fabric
The recycled yarn is then woven into the high-performance fabrics used in Sherpani bags.
Depending on the design, that fabric is combined with the thoughtful construction details and features that define each tote, crossbody, and backpack. By the time you pick up the finished result, you'd never know the material started its life in a completely different form.
But that's the whole point.
‘Recycled’ shouldn't look or feel like a compromise. It should simply feel like a great bag that can do good for you, and for our planet.
Let's get one thing straight: recycled doesn't mean lower quality
With so many products—particularly in the travel industry—now crafted with some percentage of sustainable material, the stigma around it has shifted. But there's still an outdated idea floating around that recycled materials are automatically a lesser version of something new.
For travel gear, and for us at Sherpani, that's not good enough.
A bag can have a great sustainability story, but if the strap gives out, the fabric can't handle everyday use, or you have to replace the whole thing a year later, we've missed the point.
Sustainable materials are a great starting point, but a bag that lasts for years is the real end goal. It's how we know that quality and sustainability aren't mutually exclusive. When done right, they go hand in hand.
When post-consumer plastic is transformed into rPET fiber, it becomes a strong, durable material that's perfect for products made for regular use. (Like travel and outdoor bags!)
That's also why you'll find our recycled fabrics alongside details like:
Reinforced construction
Premium YKK zippers
Water-resistant finishes
Functional hardware
Including the organizational features that Sherpani travelers consistently rely on.
Why give plastic a second life?
Plastic pollution is a complex global problem, and turning water bottles into bags won't solve it on its own. We don't think sustainability claims should pretend otherwise—we certainly don't.
But what using recycled material can do is change the way we think about existing resources and how we can put them to use. A plastic bottle doesn't have to be a one-use material. Its PET holds value long after the bottle itself has served its purpose. That feels like a win-win in our book.
Recovering those materials after their first life helps reduce waste while creating another, new source of usable material. Instead of starting over every time we create a product, we're finding ways to put existing materials back into circulation.
Multiply that philosophy across years of designing and producing bags, and the numbers start to add up. For Sherpani, that math equates to more than 11 million bottles and counting.
There's another part of sustainability we talk about less
In the fashion and design world, you hear a lot about "fast fashion". It's become a buzzword in recent years because fast fashion can be pretty harmful to the planet—more so than buying secondhand. The message, and the practice, is relatively simple: products that get replaced quickly, with high turnover, are more wasteful than those given new life somewhere else.
Longevity is one of the simplest ideas behind our responsible designs: make something useful enough and durable enough that people actually want to keep it, and that's capable of being kept for the long haul.
That's been a big part of Sherpani's approach over the years.
We're not interested in choosing between a bag that's better for the planet and one that's better for the person carrying it. We just think you deserve both.
From bottle to bag: see what recycled material can become
Once you understand a small piece of the process, the fun part is seeing where all that material ends up. For us, it’s seeing the final product come to life and represent everything we designed it to be, from the way it feels, looks, and performs.
Take the Ceara Expandable Crossbody. It's the kind of small, versatile bag you can grab for a day of exploring, with an expandable design that gives you extra room when you need it.
Then there's the Solstice Anti-Theft Travel Backpack, which pairs recycled materials with the travel-focused organization and security features you want when you're navigating busy airports, trains, hotels, and new cities.
Or the Camden Pro Ultimate Backpack: a larger everyday and travel backpack x crossbody x shoulder bag that’s built around organization and versatility.
Three very different bags. Three examples of what recycled materials can become when they're treated as a performance material, instead of a limitation.
To us, 11 million bottles is just a number, not a finish line
When you hear that Sherpani has helped divert more than 11 million plastic water bottles, we don't want it to sound like a vague concept or marketing gimmick.
We want you to understand what's behind it: millions of pieces of existing plastic being viewed not just as waste, but as material that can be collected, processed, transformed into yarn, woven into fabric, and ultimately carried somewhere completely new, with you.
Maybe that's through an airport in Tokyo, or up a trail in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe it's on the train to work on an ordinary Tuesday or to the soccer game sidelines.
That's what giving material a second life really means to us. And it's why we don't use recycled materials at the expense of quality. They're part of that pursuit.
Explore Sherpani's sustainable travel bags and see where 11 million bottles (and counting) can go next. The fun part is… You get to decide.
