Biophilica, based in the UK, has developed and patented a plant-based alternative to leather that is 100% plastic free. Made from a formulation of lignocellulosic feedstocks from urban parks and gardens and inedible agricultural feedstock, Treekind® is an ultra-low resource material that is not only recyclable, but also home-compostable.
When fully scaled, the production of 1kg of Treekind® material uses less than 0.1% of the water required in traditional leather processing, contains no toxic chemicals, and has a reduced carbon footprint. Treekind® is a fantastic alternative to leather and can find application in watch straps, packaging, jewellery, fashion accessories (such as wallets, small "leather" goods), belts and trims on footwear.
Key features of product:
- Smooth, satin finish
- Standard thickness: 1.0 mm (± 0.2 mm). Can accommodate 0.6-1.6 mm.
- Available in black, with other colours (e.g. brown, green and red) available intermittently
- Made from green-waste streams and 100% bio-based USDA-certified
- Material delivers good ISO test results for tensile, elongation, flex, double edge tear, water spotting, UV, colour fastness, and chemical analyses.
Biophilica is also bringing to market Brightbond®: a 100% biobased adhesive with excellent bonding results suitable for gluing Treekind® (as well as paper, cardboard, textiles, wood) and are currently finalising the pre-commercial trial.
