At GOT BAG, growth has never just been about scale. As we prepare for our B Corp™ Re-Certification, we are taking a deliberate pause to reflect on where we stand and where we want to go. One area we are focusing on with renewed intention: our commitment to Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI).
From Start-up to Scale: Why Now
We have come a long way from our early days as a start-up. With that evolution have come new structures, new responsibilities, and new opportunities for impact. The larger we grow, the more our decisions matter — not just for our team in Mainz, but for the partners and communities across our entire value chain.
That is precisely why the B Corp™ Re-Certification feels like the right moment to do more than check boxes. It is an opportunity to be honest with ourselves, to ask whether our values are truly reflected in how we operate every day — and to commit more strategically to making sure they are.
What We Already Know
We are proud of the culture we have built: one grounded in openness, respect, and genuine care for people. But living values and embedding them systemically are two different things. As a company making minimalist bags and backpacks with recycled main materials from coastal plastic waste, we know our supply chain reaches far — into coastal communities in Indonesia who are on the front lines of the plastic and climate crisis, yet often hold the least power to change the systems driving it.
We hold that awareness seriously. As a company headquartered in the Global North, we carry a responsibility to collaborate on equal footing and actively work against structural imbalances, both within our organisation and beyond it.
Our Next Steps
The B Corp™ Re-Certification process gives us a clear framework. Our first step is to formulate an official JEDI Statement — a compass for everything that follows. From there, we will conduct an honest internal assessment of where we stand today, and use those findings to define concrete next steps.
This is not about perfection. It is about progress — steady, intentional, and accountable.
Here is where we stand — and where we are headed:
Our JEDI Statement
Core Business & Impact
As a certified B Corporation™ creating minimalist backpacks and bags from recycled plastic waste collected in coastal regions, we employ over 80 people in Mainz and collaborate with partners worldwide. We fund the work of our partner foundation, GOT BAG Indonesia, which implements local collection and education programs.
We are aware that all our decisions regarding design, sourcing, team culture, and the support of local initiatives directly impact the livelihoods, safety, and daily experiences of many people throughout our entire value chain.
Stakeholders and Power Dynamics
In our JEDI work, we hold a particular responsibility toward our employees, our production partners, and the local communities in Indonesia who work alongside the foundation. As a company based in the Global North, we are acutely aware of the structural power imbalances within global supply chains. We pragmatically recognize that coastal communities in the Global South are on the front lines of the climate and plastic crisis, yet often possess less systemic power to influence decisions or dismantle barriers.
What JEDI means for GOT BAG
For us, Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion are the foundation of our Culture of Care. Guided by one of our values — "Individually we are one drop. Together we are an ocean" — JEDI means:
-
Identifying and dismantling unfair barriers and disadvantages within and around our organization with honesty.
-
Advocating for fair access to opportunities and resources.
-
Valuing diverse identities and experiences, acknowledging that the future is built through community.
-
Creating an environment where people can participate and raise their voices with dignity, on equal footing, and without fear of discrimination.
We are committed to operating in a just, equitable, and inclusive manner in our daily operations, for our customers, and within the communities we support through our proceeds. We know we do not have all the answers, but we believe in continuous action — progress over perfection.
Accountability
Our Leadership Team is responsible for approving and guiding this commitment, ensuring it is consistently reflected in our daily practices, our sourcing, and our partnerships — such as the CARE COLLECTIVE FUND. They are accountable to our stakeholders to explain this commitment transparently, to review our impact regularly, and to openly share the lessons we learn along the way.
