Kudarat Bioleather

What it does

A new sustainable material made from renewable resources such as algae & contributes in waste management (food & fibers),using all things natural. It resemble the properties of animal-based leather, is compostable, water proof, & possess good tensile strength

Your inspiration

Observing my mother who is fond of gardening, using organic food waste to make compost for her plants & growing more than a 100 species of flora made me curious about the properties of organic waste. While researching on its nutrient values, I learnt how food waste end up in the landfills, rots & releases harmful greenhouse gases such as methane contributing in global warming. Similarly,fiber waste from the textile industries pollute water bodies, enter our food chain and harms the life on land & underwater to a large extent. This motivated me to come up with a new material that utilize renewable natural resources & helps in waste management.

How it works

Kudarat Bioleather focuses on the aspects of circular design, sustainability and environment consciousness. A sustainable loop has been attained through the material development process, keeping the sustainable development goals (Climate action, Life on land & Life underwater) in mind, where all the raw materials are sourced from nature ranging from algae, nutrient rich fruits/vegetable peels that we throw away, and it goes back to the nature once it's purpose is served (biodegrade: 8-12 weeks). The development of material does not require large land or water resources and does not lead to carbon emissions. It is free from chemicals and the production requires temperature below a 100 degrees & is energy efficient. It resembles traditional leather in texture, look & feel and holds great strength, flexibility, durability, antimicrobial, water resistant properties. It is aimed to be used for industries such as textiles, lifestyle accessory, furniture, footwear.

Design process

With a background in science & engineering, I always wanted to bridge the gap between science, design and circularity. The project started off with the aim of utilizing the potential of microorganisms such as mycelium, algae and agricultural & food waste, in order to develop biocomposites such that a closed loop can be formed. Further ahead, research was done with respect to textile fibers waste, local natural resources, plant based dyes to understand their potential & composition so that they can be used in a new material development. Simultaneously, I performed several experiments using natural binders, biopolymers from algae, natural water proofing agents to understand their functioning under different conditions (variations in temperature, humidity). After finalizing the composition of raw materials and process, I began developing bioleather sheets and dyed them using plant based dyes that I procured from resources such as flowers (rose, marigold), vegetable peels, walnut shells, wood chips. Surface manipulation techniques such as zardosi embroidery were also performed on the material to understand how it behaves and to collaborate with the Indian craft sector & artisans so that local communities can also contribute to the circular economy, leading to a sustainable lifestyle.

How it is different

Kudarat bioleather use natural resources that doesn't lead to pollution unlike animal leather production that contribute to carbon emissions leading to climate change, land degradation & water pollution. Current methods of leather tanning & dyeing involve harmful chemicals that pollute water, land & causes serious health issues for the workers. Although many leather substitutes are available that are plant based however not all of them are easily compostable. Moreover, Kudarat aims at resolving the issues of food & fiber waste to minimize waste generation that end up in landfills. It involves usage of algae which is abundant, a good source of Co2 absorption, requires less time for harvesting & helps in controlling greenhouse effect. There is an involvement of local communities & artisans as well for positive social impacts such as reducing local communities’ dependency on imported materials, benefiting local economies and increasing their self-sufficiency.

Future plans

For the future, target is to get funds & perform more profound research with respect to usability, mass production, performance & testing of the material to improve tensile strength, durability, wear & tear, acquiring legal protection, development of a business plan, product prototypes, user testing, collaboration with engineers, artisans, designers, scientists to understand the scope of the material and its usability across different sectors & industries. I hope that through this material and its development process, we reach a point in the future where waste generation and usage of animal-based leather are minimized globally.

Awards

Green Concept Award 2022 winner; Green Concept Audience Award 2022 (Rank 5); CII Young Designer Awards 2021 (Top 6 in Product Design category)