Profits from The Lost Explorer’s ‘Another Bag’ Are Going to Its New Owner: Nature

In this age of overconsumption, what products should we actually buy and, how does that change the approach of a traditional business?

Those are the type of questions that have driven The Lost Explorer since its inception in 2015, and they’re the very questions consumers need to consider right now. Founded by explorer and environmental advocate David de Rothschild—famous for his voyage across the Pacific in a catamaran made of recycled plastic (incidentally journeys in the name of nature is a trend among people we admire)—The Lost Explorer serves up premium products that have been sourced and produced ethically, selling at places like Mr. Porter and END. Now the company is entering its next phase, marked by the launch of their new Another Bag.

The Another Bag is a durable bag made from responsibly sourced wood pulp, and has a unique rollout strategy. It’s being crowdfunded, but when you select the color combination you also have to choose one of four causes the profits will go towards: Amazon Reforestation, Indonesian Orangutan Habitat, US National Parks, or the Rwanda Women’s Collective. On top of that, each bag purchased will get 20 trees planted thanks to a partnership with the organization One Tree Planted. The campaign aims to meet a minimum of 75 bags (which amounts to 1,500 trees planted) by November 1st, but by only taking pre-orders, The Lost Explorer doesn’t run the risk of wasteful overproduction.

All of this is based on The Lost Explorer’s initiative to rethink traditional business models, which have been designed around increasing shareholder value. That’s why the company is now 100% owned by nature, a concept designed around increasing value for nature, instead. The brand is now a 501(c)(3) organization, and all of its net-profits go to environmental organizations. For fans of The Lost Explorer, this doesn’t change much. You can still get their products the same way you have before. However, this change signals the next step in The Lost Explorer’s goal of creating a sustainable new business model, one that actually accounts for the footprint it will leave on the planet.

Pre-order the Another Bag by November 1st, and learn more about The Lost Explorer’s commitment to nature