how depressing that sustainability and green have been co-opted and reduced to buzzwords. leather bags are not green or sustainable no matter how intensely researched, sophisticated or expensive.

They're greener and more sustainable than pleather bags.

true dat.
but there are other materials to make bags that are more sustainable. and trying to pass yourself off as "sustainable" when it's most certainly not is not nice.

Sustainable has many dimensions, there is no single measure of sustainable.

Leather is a byproduct of the meat industry. For all you wearers of leather shoes, belts, coats: Entermodal uses leather with scars. Leather is skin and scars cause the leather to be rejected otherwise.

Yes greenwashing and sustainowashing is a concern. Don't think that applies to these folks.

Leather is a byproduct of the meat industry....

Everything that went into raising those cattle that provided their skin is part of the cost of the bag.
And how do you turn cow skin into a leather bag? Not by drying it on rocks with salt. Chemicals, etc.

How about the water, pesticides and dyestuffs that your cotton jeans, T's and other items require? Own anything plastic?
Everything has an environmental cost. These guys use vegetable tanned leather, recycled/recyclable aluminum, and undyed organic cotton. Check out their website for more info, it's pretty informative. Whether you agree with their choices or not, it seems that they are genuine in their desire to do things better.