Lifestyle bag and travel luggage company Samsonite has launched an extensive sustainability campaign to mark its 110th anniversary.
Samsonite said the ‘Our Responsible Journey’ campaign would focus on designing products that last, committing to a reduction in the company’s impact on the planet, and engaging with people, partners and communities.
Future innovations will be driven by this commitment to sustainability, the company said. That means an increased use of sustainable materials and packaging, and development of durable products with access to repairs and end-of-life solutions.
Samsonite, which was founded in 1910 in Denver, Colorado, will also commit to using 100% renewable energy while reducing carbon emissions to become carbon neutral by 2025. The company said it had planted more than 700,000 trees around the world since 2017.
“Throughout Samsonite’s 110-year history, our values of respecting our people, the planet and our impact on the world have endured,” said Samsonite International CEO Kyle Gendreau. “How we treat each other and how we care for the world we live in are guiding values that, together with our heritage of industry leadership, make it a natural step for Samsonite to take the lead on sustainability.
“While we’ve been focused on sustainability for several years, ‘Our Responsible Journey’ is how we will accelerate the implementation of sustainable business practices globally to meet our goals. This strategy will touch every aspect of our business to help us further our long-standing leadership in the industry.”
Samsonite, whose brands include Samsonite, Tumi, American Tourister and Gregory, said it had launched more than 50 collections worldwide since 2018 that have featured a sustainable material. These include recycled PET [polyethylene terephthalate], recycled nylon, post-industrial recycled polypropylene, wood waste, and cork.
Additionally, the company’s ‘Recyclex’ fabric is made from 100% post-consumer recycled PET bottles, which have so far diverted an estimated 52 million 500ml PET bottles from landfills, Samsonite said.
