IMPACT

We take our responsibilities as a leather bags brand seriously, prioritizing our environmental and social impact from the very start. We actively strive to reduce our carbon footprint, create longer lasting products that contributes to the environment.

LEATHER

The leather LODRO uses are a by-product of the food industry. We work with tanneries certified by the Leather Working Group (LWG). This means they have been given the highest environmental ratings in all aspects of their leather tanning processes, from traceability to chemical use, from worker safety to waste. Tanning is the crucial step that converts hide into leather. We use vegetable tanning which utilizes natural tannins extracted from plants and trees. This type of tanning allows the leather to age gracefully over time and develops a patina.

PRESERVING THE WATER TOWER OF ASIA

Nicknamed the 'third pole', the Tibetan Plateau contains extensive ice fields with the largest reserve of water outside of the Arctic and Antarctic, making it crucial ecological zone. It holds the source of many major rivers, including the three largest in Asia: the Yangtze, Yellow, and Mekong. These rivers are vital for the water supply and agriculture of over 1.8 billion people downstream.

THE NOMADS ON THE PLATEAU

For over nine millennia, Tibetan nomads have safeguarded the plateau through a lifestyle interconnected with nature. The yak’s fibers are used for clothing, tents, and bags. Its meat and milk is consumed for nutrition; even their dung is used to fuel their fires. The nomads move seasonally to find fresh pastures for their yaks, sheep, and goats. By rotating pastures, nomads prevent overgrazing in any one area, giving plants enough time to recover. This lifestyle encourages biodiversity, maintains soil fertility, and reduces desertification. It also plays a crucial role in reversing grassland degradation on the Tibetan Plateau.

CULTIVATING A VIRTUOUS CYCLE

With every LODRO purchase, we add in a small gift made from Yak Leather. Yak hides are a natural byproduct of the nomadic lifestyle and would otherwise go to waste. Through this small touch, our goal is to ethically purchase and save Yak hides from herder families rather than having them end up in landfills. We hope that through Yak hides, we can help support both the community and the fragile ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau.