What's Inside the Green Bag ? An Analysis of the Eco‐Design Options and a Visual Tool for the Development of Sustainable Fashion Accessories

Abstract

ABSTRACT Integrating eco‐design practices in product development from the start is essential for fashion accessories like bags and backpacks, which involve complex manufacturing, diverse materials, and strong socio‐cultural meanings. Building on this premise and drawing from the Lifecycle Design Strategy Wheel, this study aims to characterize the eco‐design strategies adopted in the fashion accessory industry in order to provide a practical visual tool for use by designers, professionals, and companies to support them in product design as well as in the communication of sustainability characteristics of products to consumers. After identifying 104 brands that offer online sustainable bags and backpacks claimed to be sustainable, data were collected regarding the materials used, the sustainability attributes associated with these materials, and the claims related to both aesthetic and functional durability. The findings reveal numerous examples incorporating plant‐based textile materials, although the market is still dominated by recycled plastics. The results led to the development of a tool that supports the creation, assessment, and communication of sustainable designs through graphic‐chromatic coding. This tool serves as a sector‐specific instantiation of material‐related eco‐design strategies and holds potential as a resource in educational, professional, and industrial practices.