In Mumbai, India, a startup called Bioleather has launched a new vegan leather made from tomato skin.
The company uses a patented process that extracts lycopene from the peels. The lycopene is then mixed with cotton, organic material from the tomato and its plant, and an unnamed biopolymer to produce the “flexible, durable, and ecological” vegan leather.
The 100% biodegradable material is suitable for bags, fashion garments and shoes and offers a viable solution to the environmental impact generated by the production of traditional leather.
Bioleather also noted the high global greenhouse gas emissions and freshwater requirements associated with producing animal leather.