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A good wallet will last you years. But, most wallets on the market today are anything but eco-friendly. They use synthetic materials, harmful dyes, or animal leathers with no transparency in where the leather even came from.
But, it doesn’t have to be that way. There are a wide variety of brands creating wallets using more earth-friendly processes and materials that don’t cause unnecessary harm to the people or animals involved in their production.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite sustainable wallet brands making card holders, billfolds, and more, to help you find your next wallet.
What Is a Sustainable Wallet?
A sustainable wallet is a wallet that’s made ethically using sustainable materials. Eco-friendly wallets can be made from various eco-friendly materials such as recycled plastic, recycled materials, cork, hemp, and recycled or eco-tanned leather.
Our Eco-friendly and Sustainable Wallet Brand Picks
1. Bellroy
Brand sustainability: Certified B Corp using LWG-certified leather & recycled materials
Wallet materials: LWG eco-tanned leather
Price: from $50
Whether you’re looking for a premium leather wallet or a recycled wallet, Bellroy has them all. The brand specializes in premium practical products like wallets, bags, and accessories that work with your busy lifestyle.
As a brand, their credentials are fantastic; they’re a certified B corp and pushing change for good.
Each wallet has RFID protection, and Bellroy has a whole range of intelligent, innovative designs. They’re definitely a brand to check out.
2. Corkor
Brand sustainability: PETA-Approved Vegan, sustainably harvested cork
Wallet materials: Cork leather
Price: £26 – £56
Corkor is a brand that creates all of it’s products from one material: cork. It’s completely natural, and has the added benefit of being water repellent, scratch resistant, and stain resistant, making it perfect for a wallet.
They stock a variety of men’s and women’s sustainable wallets, from slim card holders to billfold wallets that have space for cash, cards, or ID documents. The brand also has a range of eco-friendly RFID blocking wallets to keep your credit cards safe.
The cork used by Corkor is Peta-Approved Vegan, and comes from sustainably managed forests. Just like with real leather, your cork wallet will age and change with time.
Corkor also makes a range of vegan purses, briefcases, and bags, which are worth checking out if you like your cork wallet.
3. Elvis & Kresse
Brand sustainability: Living wage employer, Certified B Corp, Social Enterprise business model, recycled materials
Wallet materials: Recycled fire hose
Price: £40 – £120
Elvis & Kresse have been making ethical, luxury items since 2005. Their materials are unique: their eco-friendly wallets are made from recycled fire hoses that have been decommissioned by the London Fire Brigade. The brand then repurposes them into durable, water-resistant, and completely vegan wallets.
You can even have them laser-etched, making them ideal as a gift or to add extra personalization to your own wallet.
Elvis & Kresse will also repair your wallet for life, and 50% of profits from each sale go to The Fire Fighters Charity.
They have a range of eco-friendly wallets and recycled wallets, so whether you’re looking for a small card holder or a larger wallet with space for coins, cards, and cash, they’ve got you covered.
4. Will’s Vegan Store
Brand sustainability: Fully vegan, plastic-free packaging, plastic free Carbon Neutral supply chain, no discounting or fast fashion practices, recycling program for old products to be reused
Wallet materials: Bio-oil, viscose, and polyurethane
Price: $55
Since 2013, Will’s Vegan Store has been making a range of vegan products. In 2016, they became certified carbon neutral, and removed all plastic from their packaging. Since then, they’ve been continuously innovating and improving their business practices to become more and more sustainable. In short, you can’t go wrong buying from Will’s Vegan Store.
Their vegan leather wallets are more eco-friendly than most vegan options as they use mainly bio-based materials, rather than relying only on plastic-based PU.
The wallet pictured (Men’s Slim Billfold Wallet) has space for multiple cards, cash, and whatever other small things you need with you for the day.
The wallets are made in Portugal, and when you’re done, you can send it back to Will’s Vegan Store to be recycled into new products, which we think is an excellent initiative.
5. Svala
Brand sustainability: 100% vegan
Wallet materials: Italian vegan leather PU fabric, recycled polyester lining
Price: $55
Svala is a vegan brand creating a range of eco-friendly and sustainable card cases and minimalist wallets, alongside their core product line of handbags.
The card cases are made using vegan leather PU fabric, and have a lining made from recycled plastic bottles (don’t worry— you’d never know a plastic bottle went into it.
Each item is made in Los Angeles and has 4 card slots plus 1 open bill pocket, so there’s room for all of your essentials.
6. NAE
Brand sustainability: All vegan and cruelty-free, products handmade in Spain and Portugal, recycled and sustainable materials used throughout the brand
Wallet materials: Vegan PU leather, OEKO-TEX Certified lining
Price: $60
NAE was started in 2008 out of a need to create vegan and cruelty-free shoes to reduce the impact the fashion industry has on animal lives.
Since then, they’ve expanded their vegan product line into a range of men’s and women’s wallets.
The wallets vary in size to match what you need, but in the vegan wallet pictured, you’ll have 12 card slots, two note compartments, and clear photo windows.
Materials include a vegan PU leather, and a lining that’s OEKO-TEX Certified to be free from toxins and allergens. The production system is free of CO2 emissions, and NAE work to minimize all energy and water waste.
7. Matt & Nat
Brand sustainability: All vegan materials, supply chain audits, uses recycled materials
Wallet materials: PU vegan leather, recycled water bottles for the lining
Price: $80
Matt & Nat makes a range of excellent options if you’re looking for a vegan leather wallet.
The vegan leather exterior is made from PU, which is biodegradable, and the inner material is made from recycled plastic bottles.
The wallets are relatively large, and can be used as a standalone clutch bag. The women’s wallet pictured has 14 card slots, plus 2 bill compartments. so there’s more than enough room for all of your essentials.
8. 8000 Kicks
Brand sustainability: Biodegradable wallet from natural materials
Wallet materials: The world’s thinnest 100% hemp wallet
Price: $20
For a super thin, biodegradable wallet made from 100%, check out 8000 kicks. This wallet has RFID Blocker, and is 5mm thin with space for up to six cards.
8000 kicks create fantastic waterproof hemp sneakers and accessories, designed to be eco-friendly, durable and comfortable, the brand has now expanded and developed its first line of wallets.
9. Wave Case
Brand sustainability: All sustainable materials, carbon neutral shipping, partner with Surfers Against Sewage to support marine conversation
Wallet materials: Vegan cactus leather
Price: £30
Wave Case originally started out making a range of sustainable phone cases, but have since expanded their product line with a sleek-looking vegan card holder.
The card holder is made from cactus leather— a completely vegan and plastic-free leather alternative.
Wave Case is based in the UK, but ships all over the world for reasonable rates. The brand also offers carbon neutral shipping, which is great to see.
10. Rareform
Brand sustainability: Re-use and upcycle used materials
Wallet materials: Billboard vinyl
Price: $48
RAREFORM is another brand to look at if you’re hunting for a unique and sustainable wallet.
We love the concept – they collect used billboard vinyl material from around America, and repurpose it into durable, unique, and bold wallets.
They currently repurpose over 100,000 lbs of billboard vinyl per month, saving it from landfill.
The recycled wallets are colorful and abstract, and are all washed and cut in RAREFORM ‘s workshop in Los Angeles.
These recycled wallets have more than enough compartments for all of your credit cards, cash, and ID, but they’re still compact enough to fit into a back pocket.
11. TORRAIN
Brand sustainability: Upcycled materials, support artisans in Cambodia
Wallet materials: Recycled cement and feed bags
Price: $16 – $32
TORRAIN is a highly unique brand. They make all of their products from upcycled feed and cement bags that would otherwise go to waste.
Now, that doesn’t mean you’re getting a low-quality piece of plastic. These feed bags are durable, tough, water-resistant, and light— making them the ideal material for a wallet.
They also come in a range of completely unique designs, as TORRAIN keeps the original design of the feedbag, rather than printing over it.
The recycled wallets have multiple pockets and holders, and can easily be cleaned with a cloth, or in the washer.
The TORRAIN team works with artisans in Cambodia to wash, cut, and sew each of their products.
It’s a fantastic way to reduce waste and turn these items that would otherwise be discarded into genuinely useful products.
12. Finisterre
Brand sustainability: Certified B Corporation, release a regular Impact Report on their sustainability efforts, use recycled materials
Wallet materials: 100% Recycled polyester
Price: $27
If you’re looking for a robust but eco-friendly and recycled wallet, Finisterre has you covered. Their wallets are designed for durability and being active. They use recycled ripstop fabric, which you’ll struggle to damage, include a handy key loop, and have internal zip pockets for any important valuables you can’t risk losing or getting wet on a day hiking.
There’s also a larger version, called the Drift wallet, which has more card slots and holds more.
Finisterre uses an innovative packing solution, too— it looks like plastic, but it’s not. It’s a unique material that’s biodegradable, and water soluble, meaning it can be dissolved in boiling water and will break down leaving zero toxic residues.
If your product breaks, you can book a repair to have it fixed for you, saving items from being prematurely thrown away. All in all, we like what Finisterre is doing.
What Materials Are Best For A Sustainable Wallet?
We’ve chosen eco-friendly wallets made from the following materials in this list:
- Recycled Plastic – Made from post-consumer plastic waste, like PET water bottles, this material is durable and prevents plastic from polluting landfills and oceans.
- Cork – A favorite of ours, cork is a renewable and biodegradable material. It’s harvested from the cork tree without damaging the tree. Cork is durable, water-resistant, and biodegradable.
- Hemp – A renewable and durable fiber, hemp is used by brands like 8000kicks to create eco-friendly wallets.
- Recycled Leather or Eco-tanned leather – Some wallets are made from scrap leather that would otherwise go to waste, and brands such as Bellroy use eco-tanned leather, which means that the leather is processed without any hazardous chemicals.
- Vegan Materials – vegan materials are created from non-animal derived materials.
These materials are chosen for their low environmental impact, renewable properties, and biodegradability. When a brand creates a ‘sustainable wallet,’ its goal is to reduce waste and minimize using non-renewable resources.
Wrapping Up: The Best Eco-friendly and Sustainable Wallets
We hope you enjoyed our recommendations and have now found the perfect eco-friendly wallet. If you want to keep browsing, make sure to check out our guides on eco friendly backpacks.
You might also like…
If you’re on the hunt for eco-friendly accessories, we think you’ll love the Tropicfeel shell backpack, made from sustainable materials, perfect for travelling.
We’ve tested the bag and rate it, you can read our review here.
I love this blog! I’m always looking for new sustainable and eco-friendly wallets and this post has some great options!