How does the idea for a new product come about?

The idea for a product can come from several sources: a suggestion from a customer shared with our customer service or in-store team, a need or idea from someone on our team, or even an inspiration spotted in the street...

Once the idea is formulated, we write a "brief," a sort of list of all the essential features the product must have. Often, the wish lists are long, so we try to prioritize what’s absolutely necessary versus what’s a bit less critical... It’s not easy!
Scale modelling

Then, our design team gets to work: sketches, 2D or 3D drawings, prototype models, real-life tests... They often work on several different designs before settling on the direction to focus on.

Once the design choice is made, it’s time to transform the drawing into a complete technical sheet to share with our supplier. Based on the provided information, they will create a prototype, and after several back-and-forths and adjustments with our internal team, the prototype is turned into the final product. There’s always a lot of excitement in the office when we receive the first prototypes: seeing our ideas come to life is pretty amazing!
Product testing

The work doesn’t stop there. Once we’ve received satisfactory prototypes, it’s time for testing. By who? Well, by you! After a call for volunteers, we select customers to test our new products ahead of the official launch and provide us with as much feedback as possible. Your opinions mean a lot to us, so if something doesn’t feel right about the product, we adjust and modify it.

Once the prototype is validated, it’s sent to the lab for a full range of quality tests. All prototypes developed by CABAIA are tested by an independent laboratory to ensure they meet our high standards of quality. Abrasion of the faux leather, accelerated aging of straps and handles, color fastness to rubbing, water resistance, tear resistance of fabrics...

Our backpacks are inspected inside and out, and we only approve prototypes that meet 100% of our stringent specifications. We don’t overlook anything!

67% of our backpacks and luggage are made with GRS-certified recycled plastic

In France, between 1.9 and 4.5 million tonnes of plastic waste are thrown away every year. Yet, the recycling rate for plastic waste in the country is only 26%.*

At Cabaia, we thought, why not reclaim some of this plastic and incorporate it into our backpacks? Oh really? How does that work? We know you probably have loads of questions, and we totally get it! Because we’re nice (and super passionate about the topic), here are all the answers.

Marie-Alphée, our Sustainability Manager, explains everything right here.

The GRS (Global Recycled Standard) label

But what does that mean? The GRS (Global Recycled Standard) label certifies that the materials used in a product come from recycling, whether from household or industrial waste. It also imposes strict requirements on the absence of hazardous chemicals, worker rights, and environmental protection, including waste management and water treatment. In short, this label guarantees that our rPET fabric, used to create our backpacks and luggage, is made in an ethical and sustainable way.

*https://www.paprec.com/en/

The figures vary depending on the studies, ranging from 1.9 million tonnes according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, to 4.5 million tonnes according to the WWF NGO.

Working with eco-friendly materials…

… It’s about working with materials that stand the test of time.

Recycled ultra-durable 900D nylon canvas certified GRS (Global Recycled Standard) from plastic bottles or non-recycled, OEKO-TEX Standard 100 and GOTS-certified cotton thread, vegan leather, or even recycled and recyclable stainless steel.

Cabaia carefully blends materials to craft its entire range of accessories.

The only criterion: the longevity of the materials.

Because an accessory that lasts is an accessory you don’t need to replace… And that means consuming less.

Learn more about our certifications

Working with eco-friendly materials… - Cabaïa Europe

Our Repair Workshops

At CABAIA, no bag is left behind!
When backpacks are returned to us under warranty, we give them a second life through our in-house repair workshop and the skilled hands of our two passionate seamstresses.

After sorting and analyzing the small defects, the backpacks are carefully repaired: sometimes we sew, sometimes we replace defective parts, and sometimes we change straps...Whatever the identified issue, the backpacks are lovingly restored before being re-labeled and put back on sale at a discounted price, ready to embark on a new adventure!

For backpacks that can't be repaired, they are sent for recycling with one of our partners, where they are transformed to offer a second life.

Each year, over 3,700 bags are repaired and resold at our second-hand corners.

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Responsible sourcing

What's the recipe for a Cabaia bag? For this second day, we're getting to the heart of the matter! What are our backpacks made of? Marie-Alphée will answer you right here.

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Repair and recycling of products

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Engagement

Cabaïa is now a certified B corporation !

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Priority to sea transport

Transport is the second world greenhouse gases producer. Driven by calendar pressure of the successive collections, lots of businesses choose ultra-fast modes of transportation, but also “ultra-polluting”. Cabaïa thinks different: we prefer to take our time and focus on greener modes of transport. We’re telling you everything right below!

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