It all started with a simple question from our founder Benjamin Mandos: What if plastic waste from coastal areas could become something useful?

A backpack made sense: it combines functionality with durability. By processing plastic waste from coastal regions, a robust companion is created that is designed to stay with you for as long as possible.

Symbolically, it fits well with our attitude: Together we contribute. Step by step, clean-up for clean-up, partnership for partnership.

We believe in long-term partnerships and in overcoming challenges together. These are our three pillars:

• From Trash to Treasure: We transform waste into minimalistic, durable backpacks and bags. We use recycled main materials such as RE:PET (recycled plastic waste from coastal areas) and RE:NYNET (yarn from recycled fishing nets). We use plastic waste for this, which is mainly collected through coastal clean-up activities by our partner organizations. This originally started with our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia. 
• Promoting local initiatives: We fund the clean-up and education program of our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia. It works closely with communities on Java to collect plastic waste from coastal areas, establish structures for functioning waste management, and implement educational projects to strengthen local environmental awareness.
• Building partnerships: We work with organizations such as Sea Shepherd and Coral Gardeners, who are committed to marine conservation and the well-being of the planet. Furthermore, we are continuously expanding our community: with people and partners who share our values.

We transform plastic waste from coastal regions into functional, durable backpacks and bags. We do not claim to solve the ocean plastic waste crisis by doing so. However, we want to contribute to overcoming it – bag by bag, clean-up by clean-up, partnership by partnership. At the same time, we use our reach as a platform to gain supporters – because it takes many to make a difference.

Our headquarters are located in Mainz, Germany. In 2020, we also established another location to have a presence in North America. Our office there is in Portland, Oregon, supplemented by two branch offices in Denver, Colorado, and Toronto, Ontario.

You can find our first official flagship store at Frankfurt Airport (Terminal 1, Concourse B). You can also discover and try on our backpacks and bags at our official retail partners on site. You can easily find locations near you via our Store Locator.

Yes. Since 2021, we have been consistently tracking our Corporate Carbon Footprint, which includes our internal processes and the entire supply chain (Scope 1, 2, and 3). These gradually refined data provide us with a solid foundation to precisely define our greatest reduction levers and to develop targeted measures for the significant reduction of our ecological impact by 2030.

We are currently defining absolute and intensity-based reduction targets and commit to publishing our comprehensive climate action plan in 2026.

In collaboration with ConClimate GmbH, we have assessed the entire life cycle of our ROLLTOP 2.0 backpack (in black) in compliance with the principles of ISO 14044. The assessment covered all environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, expressed in the unit CO2 equivalent (CO2eq).

The key findings:

• Total reduction: The ROLLTOP 2.0 has an ecological footprint that is overall approximately 22% lower than a hypothetical equivalent backpack made only from new, non-recycled plastics.
• Material savings: The use of primarily recycled materials leads to significantly lower emissions at the material level.
  
  

We plan to extend these life cycle assessments to other products in order to provide science-based information about our entire range.

We work closely with inspiring organizations and people who share our values, including Sea Shepherd and Coral Gardeners. You can find an overview of all partners here. There we also explain why we decided on the respective collaboration and how we are making a contribution together.

Indonesia is one of the countries with the greatest plastic problem in the world. According to a report by the World Bank, approximately 7.8 million tonnes of plastic waste are generated there annually – of which an estimated 346.5 kilotonnes enter the ocean each year. Where the challenges are particularly great, there is also the greatest potential for change.

This is exactly where the clean-up program of our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia comes in. On the Indonesian island of Java – in the regions of Demak, Jepara and Bantul – GOT BAG Indonesia works together with local communities to collect plastic waste from coastal regions. These areas are located at the mouths of several rivers that transport large quantities of plastic from the interior into the sea.

The collected plastic waste is sorted into recyclable and non-recyclable components. Locally, we have found partners who process the recyclable plastic into high-quality pellets for yarn in a technologically sophisticated process.

What is not suitable for our own production is further processed into new items by local organisations or used for energy recovery. In addition to collection activities, GOT BAG Indonesia establishes functioning waste management structures on site and leads educational programs to strengthen environmental awareness.

We use independent certifications to verify our standards and continuously improve:

B Corp™ certification: GOT BAG is officially B Corp™ certified. As a B Corp™, we are part of a global community of businesses that meet verified standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. You can view our score here. We are currently on our way to recertification.

Ocean Bound Plastic Certified: The certificate ensures that plastic waste is collected in regions without a functioning waste infrastructure before it reaches the sea – under fair conditions, with full traceability and compliance with social standards along the entire supply chain. Since November 2025, GOT BAG GmbH has held the OBP Scope Certificate. While the main material of our PET and nylon products already consists of recycled Ocean Bound Plastic, we have now laid the groundwork to label this as certified on the product in the future. Only products bearing the OBP seal are officially certified.

GRS – Global Recycled Standard: The GRS verifies recycled material and tracks it from the source to the final product. We, GOT BAG GmbH, are certified according to the GRS by Control Union Certifications (CB-CUC-1298685). Since a blanket claim for entire products is not permitted in our case, product certification always refers to individual components such as the main fabric or lining. Only products bearing the GRS seal are officially certified. You can find a current overview of our certifications here.

In the past, we referred to plastic waste from coastal regions that is at risk of entering the oceans or is already floating in them as Ocean Impact Plastic.

For more precision and transparency, we now use the direct term: plastic waste from coastal regions.

Our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia collects this plastic waste together with local participants. The foundation's holistic concept includes the collection of all types of plastic – regardless of whether they are recyclable or not. The plastic waste is sorted into recyclable and non-recyclable components. The recyclable portion is spun into yarn. Non-recyclable components are used for energy recovery.

Originally, GOT BAG Indonesia started collecting and processing plastic from the ocean together with local participants. From the initial clean-up experiences, the learning emerged that an equally significant lever lies in preventing improperly disposed plastic waste in the first place.

By creating basic structures for waste management on site, GOT BAG Indonesia takes preventive action against the improper disposal of plastic waste. This has many advantages: beaches become cleaner, waste becomes a recyclable material, and local environmental awareness is strengthened.

Since 2021, our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia has been able to collect and process over 1.8 million kilograms of plastic (as of 05/26). The total amount of plastic waste collected from coastal regions to date is recorded via a live tracker on our website. Together with the Berlin-based start-up “Cleanhub”, we document the performance of the clean-up program in Indonesia to make the amount of plastic collected and its composition transparent.

PET (e.g. plastic bottles): 10–15% - usable for the yarn of our products

PP (e.g. packaging film): just under 5%

HDPE (e.g. plastic bags): significantly less than 5% – however difficult to identify

LDPE/LLDPE (e.g. plastic bags): 15–20% 

Mixed: approx. 55% (film and plastic bag residues, various polyethylene variants, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polypropylene and containers without labeling as well as around 20% composite materials alone – for example sachets for shampoo or ketchup – which are particularly difficult to recycle due to the aluminum coating)

We are always looking for the best possible solution for the collected plastic waste. Our top priority is: no plastic ends up in a landfill. Through our partner foundation, all types of plastic are sent to individual recycling solutions. PP, HDPE, LDPE, PS and PVC are passed on to local recyclers and mechanically recycled. These are used to create side tables, coasters and lampshades, among other things.

Low-grade and non-recyclable materials go to cement plants, where they replace fossil fuels.

For our RE:PET yarn, we recycle PET (approx. 10–15% of the collected plastic). For other types, buyers are found for new products or heat recovery. Composite materials – mixtures with coatings or adhesives – can only be stored or thermally recycled, where they serve as an alternative to fossil fuels.

To this end, we cooperate with the Berlin start-up Cleanhub and hand over the residual materials to Indocement (a subsidiary of Heidelberg Cement AG). Cleanhub sells certificates to companies, which can use them to finance thermal recycling and offset their plastic consumption. In return, Cleanhub documents the quantities of plastic recovered and makes the clean-up performance of GOT BAG Indonesia transparent.

We are in daily contact with the 23 permanent employees of GOT BAG Indonesia. Our clean-up managers also visit the site several times a year to exchange ideas personally with our Indonesian team and plan further projects. In addition, a team of six employees from Germany visits the foundation in Indonesia every year to experience the clean-up structures directly on site. The goal is to gain a deep understanding of plastic pollution and its effects on the local community.

Every GOT BAG product is made with recycled main materials. In addition to RE:PET (recycled plastic waste from coastal regions, which comes from the GOT BAG Indonesia clean-up), we use RE:NYNET from discarded fishing nets and RE:PC from discarded water dispenser containers for our products.

Our products are robust, durable, and timelessly designed. They are designed to stay by your side for as long as possible. That is why we offer a spare parts and repair service and take products back if they no longer work.

For our products, we ship reusable and recyclable packaging made from recycled materials worldwide.

Yes, our products are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. No animals or animal components are used in the production and processing of our products.

In addition to recycled plastic waste from coastal areas, we use RE:NYNET® (a nylon fabric made from discarded fishing nets) and RE:PC (made from discarded water containers) for our products.

In addition to the parts we manufacture from our recycled main materials, we currently primarily use the following components for our bags and backpacks:

• Mesh fabric – rPET & PET (Recycled Polyester & Polyester)
• Buckles – rPA (recycled polyamide)
• Straps – rPET (Recycled Polyester)
• Padding (depending on the model) – PE (polyethylene), EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) or PU (polyurethane)
  
  

For some padding elements, we have not yet been able to find alternatives made from recycled materials that meet our quality and ecological standards. We currently still source these brand new, but are looking for alternatives made from recycled plastic together with local partners.

The entire fabric for our backpacks and bags is made from recycled plastic waste.

However, the proportion of the overall product fluctuates depending on the model. This is due to the other components such as buckles, zippers, straps and padding foams. For these parts, we choose recycled polyester (rPET) whenever possible. For some components, we have not yet been able to find alternatives made from recycled materials. We therefore source these brand new.

RE:NYNET® is a nylon fabric produced from discarded fishing nets. It is chemically recycled and has the quality of new nylon.

The nylon for yarn production can only be chemically recycled, for which there is currently no infrastructure in Indonesia. RE:NYNET® does not come from the clean-up in Indonesia. We source the material from our partner in Taiwan, who has many years of experience in processing nylon from used fishing nets.

We use RE:NYNET® for products that benefit from the light weight, soft feel and brilliant colors of the material.

Yes, this is possible. Especially with light-colored products, it can happen that dark or color-intensive clothing (e.g., new jeans, dark leather jackets, or other textiles with low colorfastness) transfers color pigments to the material of your product. This manifests as discoloration or abrasion on the surface of the product.

Such discoloration is not a material defect or quality flaw. This is a characteristic of the coloring garment. We therefore recommend being careful when in contact with new textiles, especially with light-colored bags.

Should discoloration nevertheless occur, try to carefully remove the stains with a damp cloth and mild soapy water. If you have any questions, you are always welcome to contact our Customer Happiness Team .

Since our products are made from recycled main materials, there may occasionally be small variations in structure and color. This is not evidence of a lack of quality, but merely the result of using recycled main materials. Nevertheless, it is of course our aim to manufacture a flawless product. Unevenness can be touched up at home with a damp microfiber cloth.

All fabrics we use are waterproofed on the inside with a PU or TPU coating and additionally finished with a water- and dirt-repellent PU coating or DWR (Durable Water Repellency) impregnation on the outside. 

You can find out whether a product is waterproof (suitable for heavy rain and prolonged outdoor activities) or water-repellent (suitable for light rain and short periods of wetness) on the respective product page under “Material”. 

Some of our ROLLTOPs are specially welded: For example, we manufacture our ROLLTOP 2.0 and ROLLTOP LITE 2.0 from a TPU- and PU-coated material using high-frequency welding. This welding process creates seams that are waterproof and have the same tear resistance as the fabric. This makes the entire product very robust and all seams are waterproof.

Padded products like the PUFFER, WAVY PUFFER, or CLOUD COLLECTION as well as RE:PET products (excluding MOON BAG SMALL and MOON BAG LARGE) must not be put in the washing machine.

In general, we recommend a gentle hand wash for all GOT BAG products. If you do choose machine washing, please note the following:

• Wash separately
• Delicate or short cycle
• Low temperature (30 °C)
• Use mild detergent
• Low spin cycle
  (≤ 800 rpm)
• Air dry

GOT BAG products are currently manufactured in Indonesia and Vietnam.

In Indonesia, our partner foundation GOT BAG Indonesia operates a clean-up program in which local participants collect plastic waste from coastal areas and the ocean and are compensated for it. Production in Indonesia contributes to supporting the local economy.

We also produce in Vietnam because the manufacturers there have many years of experience and specific expertise in the production of high-quality and functional travel equipment. Further information about our supply chain can be found on our Supply Chain page.

1. Our identity as a certified B Corp™

Since 2023, we have been a certified B Corp™, demonstrably meeting high social and environmental standards. For our re-certification in 2026, we are working specifically on improvements in areas such as climate protection and human rights.

2. Transparency & long-term partnerships

We believe in long-term partnerships based on trust rather than short-term contracts. We want to know exactly where and how our products are made – that's why we specifically select our partners along the value chain and visit the production sites regularly on-site. This creates space for honest dialogue and mutual development. This process is supported internally by our own expert for supply chain certification.

3. Independent Verification & Global Standards
To make our work measurable and remain transparent, we rely on strict external standards:

amfori BSCI: Fair wages and safe working conditions are an absolute prerequisite for us. As a member of amfori, we have our partners audited according to globally recognized social criteria. 

Global Recycled Standard (GRS): We certify our supply chain according to the GRS, among others. This goes far beyond the material itself: It guarantees us seamless traceability from the recycler to the finished product and ensures that strict environmental and social standards are also maintained during further processing.

The individuals active as collectors in Indonesia are paid by GOT BAG Indonesia based on the amount of plastic waste collected. To ensure their safety at work, they are trained on-site. Already in 2024, GOT BAG Indonesia introduced free accident insurance, which was very well received by the communities. Building on this, the access criteria were specifically adjusted in 2025 to make this essential service accessible to even more collectors who regularly supply plastic.

Our suppliers also commit to complying with our Code of Conduct, which ensures, among other things, that none of our partners tolerate child labor, forced labor, or discrimination.

We transport the recycled plastic waste for the RE:PET main material of many of our products in the form of pellets by ship from Indonesia to Vietnam for further processing.

The finished products travel by ship to Germany and the USA and are sent to GOT BAG customers using CO₂-neutral shipping methods where possible. Inland freight within the destination countries takes place by train and truck.

As an internationally active company, however, we are exposed to global uncertainties. For example, to avoid being sold out for months in the event of supply bottlenecks, we have had to resort to air freight in rare exceptional cases for a small portion of our deliveries in the past.

As with many companies in the fashion sector, over 80 percent of our emissions occur in the supply chain – including during transport. To address this challenge specifically, we have formed a cross-team working group that is developing a climate strategy tailored to our business activities. We are currently defining both absolute and intensity-based reduction targets and commit to publishing our comprehensive 2026 climate protection plan – to create even more transparency on this crucial topic.

For purchases in our online shop up to and including September 25, 2026: In addition to your statutory rights, which are available to you free of charge, we grant you a voluntary warranty:

• All backpacks and bags: 2-year warranty.
• All suitcases: 5-year warranty.

If you notice a defect during this period, please contact us via our complaints portal. Our Customer Happiness Team will review your case immediately.

Purchases from September 26, 2026:

In line with the new EU directive (Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition), we will focus on maximum transparency of your statutory rights from this date. For all products purchased in our online shop, the statutory warranty of 2 years continues to apply.

This means for you:

• Statutory protection: You are protected for two years against defects that already existed at the time of purchase.
• Repair before replacement: You are primarily entitled to a repair of your product or a replacement delivery.

Our goal is for your GOT BAG product to last as long as possible. We offer a spare parts service for all products purchased from us as well as support from our Customer Happiness Team for maintenance questions. You can request spare parts from our Customer Happiness Team.

Voluntary Warranty: All customers who purchased their product in our online shop up to and including September 25, 2026, can take advantage of the voluntary warranty within the respective warranty period (2 years for all backpacks and bags, 5 years for all suitcases).

Statutory Warranty: This applies to every customer who shops in our online shop. After September 25, 2026, we will focus our communication entirely on these statutory rights.

If you did not purchase your product in our online shop, please contact your point of sale directly in the event of a defect.

Please log in to the claims portal to do so. Our Customer Happiness Team will check whether there is a warranty claim and will then get back to you with all the further steps.

We deliver to all specified countries with DHL Go Green or national postal companies. For shipping to you, we charge a shipping fee, which includes all costs within the EU. Depending on the country and order value, we also offer free shipping. More information can be found in our overview of our shipping costs and delivery countries.

We ship within Germany using DHL GoGreen. In all other countries we serve, we ship either via DHL GoGreen or through the local postal services. These shipping providers offset the carbon footprint of the shipments.

We ship our products worldwide in reusable and recyclable packaging made from recycled materials.

You can return items within 14 days of receipt. Simply register your return using your order number and email address via our return portal. The purchase price will be refunded (minus the return fee) as soon as the return has been received by us. 

If you redeemed a GIFT CARD for your order, the purchase price will be refunded by reactivating your GIFT CARD. A payout is unfortunately not possible.

If you have purchased a bundle (e.g. consisting of MOON BAG SMALL and MOON BAG LARGE) and would like to return something, here is how it works:

Partial return: If you only return part of your bundle, the set discount no longer applies. We will then charge the regular individual price for the product you keep.

Full return: If the entire bundle finds its way back to us, we will of course refund the full purchase price including the original shipping costs.

You can easily return your ordered goods from within Germany and other European countries. For returns, we charge a small fee that partially covers the return postage and the processing and storage costs. The return fee will be automatically deducted from the refund amount. The amount of the fee varies by country. The return fee for Germany and Austria is 3.99 Euros. More information can be found in our overview of fees for all delivery areas.

As soon as your order is received, it is automatically sent to shipping so that it arrives quickly. The best way to check whether we can still stop it in time is directly here with your order details.

Unfortunately, we cannot add any more items or swap colors afterwards. If a cancellation is no longer possible, you can of course return your package to us after you have received it.

Since your order is prepared for shipping immediately, we have to be quick. Check directly here with your order details whether we can still adjust your address.

Unfortunately, we cannot give a guarantee – but of course we will try our best so that your package arrives exactly where you need it.

You are welcome to have your order delivered to a Packstation. Only for the WEEKENDER, RE:SHELL CABIN and RE:SHELL CHECKED is the packaging a bit too large. To avoid delays, it is advisable to have these products delivered to a private address.

As soon as we have handed over your order to our shipping partners, you will receive an email with the tracking data for your order. This usually takes about 2–3 working days from the moment of order confirmation. You can find more detailed information on shipping times and availability on the respective product page in our online shop.

You can choose your payment method individually in our shop. When paying by invoice via KLARNA, please make sure to use the bank details on your KLARNA invoice. You will receive this separately after your purchase.