22 January 2025
The fashion industry is experiencing a significant transformation as it addresses environmental challenges related to sustainability and carbon footprints. An innovative solution that is gaining traction is the use of next-generation materials, particularly plant-based and recycled options, in fashion design. Companies that traditionally produced leather or petroleum-based materials are now exploring this new territory, introducing their latest innovations to Materials+.
ISA Next-Gen Materials (Hong Kong)
ISA operates four advanced sustainable manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Vietnam, and China. As one of the largest leather suppliers worldwide, ISA produces LITE (Low Impact To the Environment) leather through the ISA TanTec unit. In line with the LITE concept, ISA has established a new business unit, COSM (Creation of Sustainable Materials), focused on developing and producing sustainable alternatives alongside ISA TanTec’s offerings.
Photo courtesy of ISA
Photo courtesy of ISA
COSM supplies next-generation materials, such as HyphaLite, which are made with up to 100% biobased content derived from mushrooms and other plant-based sources. These materials are designed to be biodegradable and part of a circular economy.
HyphaLite is a fully biobased, biodegradable, and compostable material composed of certified natural latex, FSC-certified regenerated cellulose fibers, and mushrooms. ISA has engineered these components to optimize HyphaLite™ for the footwear and accessories industry, focusing on essential physical properties like hand feel, softness, durability, breathability, and cost-effectiveness.
Valle Esina S.p.a. (Italy)
Photo from Valle Esina’s website
Originally a leather tannery, Valle Esina made a pivotal decision in 1968 to shift its focus to the recovery and recycling of industrial waste, transforming into a producer of regenerated leather.
Since that groundbreaking choice, the company has experienced continuous growth by adopting advanced technologies and systems, while consistently developing new products that meet market and customer demands. This has allowed Valle Esina to carve out a prominent position both in Italy and internationally.
What was once considered waste is now an exceptional raw material, serving as a vital resource for the footwear, leather goods, decorative objects, and furniture industries. They hold GRS certification for their bonded leather, and FSC certification for fibreboards.
Photo from Valle Esina’s website
Leather Reborn Trading Co Ltd (China)
Operating in both China and Japan, with an office in Italy, Leather Reborn boasts 20 years of experience serving renowned luxury and footwear brands. The company holds nine invention patents and has obtained GRS certification, the USA Certified Biobased Product Audit, and has successfully passed REACH and RoHS testing.
Leather Reborn collects leather scraps from a LWG Gold-rated tannery. After undergoing a cleaning process, the scraps are broken down into fibers. These fibers are hydro-entangled without the use of glue, forming a fiber web that becomes a leather-like base following dehydration and heat treatment. The material is then finished with transfer printing or KPU coating to create nubuck, crazy horse, and suede textures.
Photo courtesy of Leather Reborn
Their products consist of 73% leather fiber, 14% recycled polyester, and 13% solvent-free PU coating, all of which are GRS certified.
Zhejiang Zaker New Material Technology Co Ltd
Founded in 1996, Zhejiang Zaker New Material Technology is one of the pioneers in researching and developing water-based and bio-based synthetic materials. Initially focused on producing water-based PU materials, Zaker expanded its R&D efforts to bio-based materials in 2022 and has since emerged as a leader in this field.
Zaker’s plant-based materials include VEGETA, ECOWEL, Floracafe, and CoCoCycle, which serve as eco-friendly alternatives to traditional synthetic leathers. These products replace petroleum-based components with pure plant-based materials, significantly reducing carbon footprints.
The production of “Floracafe leather” involves recycling coffee residue post-extraction. This process includes degreasing, grinding, and crushing the residue, which is then combined with water-based polyurethane through a water-based production method to create an environmentally friendly material.
Products made with bio-based synthetic material, exemplified by CoCoCycle below, minimizes carbon resource usage while remaining non-toxic. Clothing made from this material is suitable for close-to-skin wear, offering benefits such as being environmentally friendly, odorless, moisture-absorbent, breathable, resistant to aging, machine washable, and easy to care for.
These materials can be widely used in high-end products, including 3C digital accessories, luggage, and maternal and child products. Zaker holds certifications such as GRS and Oeko-Tex Standard 100, supplying clients like Inditex, H&M, C&A, and M&S.
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