Behind the bag: Sealand turns waste into functional (and good-looking) gear

It’s a blustery morning in Hout Bay. The smell of seawater hangs heavy over the harbour where hawkers are setting up for the day. Take a drive just a few minutes inland and you’ll find the Sealand factory store and production facility, The Sealand Campus.

Here, the proudly South African brand makes gear that not only lasts, but matters. Their philosophy blends longevity, smart material choices and functional design – proof that local isn’t just lekker, it’s sustainable, too.

And the secret ingredient? Poly twill: the tough, lightweight fabric used in high-exposure retail advertising banners.

Sealand’s twist on waste

Every Sealand bag starts with poly twill and every piece tells its own story.

Because poly twill is built to survive sun, wind and rain, it’s notoriously difficult to recycle and typically ends up in landfills or incinerators after short-term use. Sealand steps in to repurpose it, giving it a second chance at life.

Reusing polly twill has a twofold environmental benefit: it keeps end-of-life emissions and microplastics out of the environment, and it reduces the demand for new fabric – a carbon-heavy and water-intensive production process that contributes heavily to global carbon pollution.

It also addresses a much larger crisis.The fashion and textile sectors churn out about 100 billion garments a year and generate roughly 92 million tonnes of waste. To contextualise that for you, one rubbish truck of textiles is landfilled or burned every second and the industry is responsible for 8% to 10% of global CO2 emissions. That’s more than aviation and shipping combined.

Sealand’s interventions are targeted, traceable, and fill a gap that previously had no circular solution.

Every bag tells its own story

Because each banner has its own colours and quirks, no two Sealand bags are the same. The exterior is tough and weatherproof, but inside is a burst of colour – a quiet reminder that what we throw away still has value.

The impact is far more than aesthetic. Since 2015, Sealand has diverted more than 114 tonnes of textile waste, including 11.7 tonnes in 2023 alone. That diversion translates into more than 2,000 tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions. This significant ratio is due to the dual impact of upcycling: it avoids the heavy CO2 footprint of manufacturing new, virgin poly-fabric, and prevents emissions that would have resulted from the waste being incinerated or decomposing in a landfill. Put simply: when you sling your bag over your shoulder, you’re carrying a small win for the planet.

Local relationships, global responsibility

Circular design isn’t powered only by creativity, it needs logistics. Working with non-standardised waste requires a reliable flow of material, something Sealand achieves through long-term partnerships.

Collaborators like Digital Express Printing, Hirt & Carter and major retailers help collect, sort and deliver used banners. This reverse-logistics system elevates Sealand from a simple upcycler to a specialised waste-management partner helping retailers meet tightening circularity and reporting requirements.

The result is a small ecosystem of artisans, printers, retailers and designers all rowing in the same sustainable direction.

Beyond the bag

Sealand’s material philosophy extends into its apparel line, increasingly produced with recycled or responsibly sourced fibres.

Being a responsible brand means constantly pushing to do better – and this year, Sealand has taken two major steps forward. They introduced their puffer jackets made from NetPlus, a fully recycled material crafted from reclaimed fishing nets. They also launched the Sage range, a brand-new colourway made entirely from MajiTex, their own 100% recycled material developed in South Africa.

The Sealand Campus has grown into an innovation hub: part factory, part design studio, part creative community built on coastal energy and skilled craftsmanship.

But the message remains simple: waste can become something valuable, durable and desirable, but only if we choose to see it differently.

A local brand with a global conscience

For people who care where their gear comes from (and what it costs the planet) Sealand offers proof that adventure, utility and sustainability can live in harmony.

From upcycled poly twill linings to responsible apparel, their gear isn’t just made – it’s reclaimed, reimagined and repurposed.

The next time you’re on a trail, in the sea or navigating the city, know that your bag carries more than just your essentials, it carries a story, a mission and a deliberate choice to use the world’s resources more sustainably. DM