“In a world overflowing with waste that has nowhere to go, why do we still feel the need to create new products?”
With increasing awareness of environmental issues and concerns surrounding industrial livestock farming,
materials known as 'vegan leather' and 'plant-based leather', which contain no animal-derived ingredients,
have emerged in various countries in recent years.
Unlike genuine leather made from animal hides, 'vegan leather' is produced using petroleum-based materials and non-animal sources such as plants. However, while some vegan leathers do include plant-based content, there is no standard for the amount, and most products contain only a small percentage of plant material mixed into traditional synthetic leather like polyurethane. While these materials help protect animals, they are not necessarily less harmful to the environment than genuine leather.
On the other hand, 'plant-based leather' is made from various plants and is considered a more sustainable option, offering an animal and eco-friendly alternative. These materials are unique, with some having biodegradable properties and others featuring attractive textures derived from plants. However, the supply of plant-based leather remains limited, and further development is needed to reduce the consumption of finite resources.
The challenges of genuine leather and synthetic leather (vegan leather), along with the global issues of textile and food waste, are common concerns. We are developing new materials as a means to address these social issues simultaneously.
Could we not find new value in waste, which originally came from the Earth's resources, and use it as raw material for new materials, allowing it to re-enter the cycle? We must now consider alternatives that are more compassionate to the planet and ourselves.
OUR ISSUE
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The manufacturing of genuine leather requires significant quantities of chemicals and water.
Throughout history, humans have taken the lives of animals, using every part—from skin to bones—without waste in order to survive. Implementing the use of these byproducts on a long term basis could be seen as the ultimate in sustainability. However, as times have changed from an era of taking only what was needed to industrialized livestock farming, can we truly say that it is sustainable? The current production of genuine leather faces numerous challenges, including deforestation caused by industrial farming and environmental impacts during the manufacturing process. For example, it is said that producing 1 kg of cowhide requires as much as 17 tons of water. Additionally, the tanning process, which is used to soften the leather, primarily uses chemical agents, and in regions where wastewater treatment is not properly managed, there have been reports of severe water pollution as a result.
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Synthetic leather is believed to take 400 years to decompose.
On the other hand, conventional synthetic leather is produced by layering fabric with resins like polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride, which are derived from petroleum. These materials are popular for being affordable and easy to care for. However, they are known to emit large amounts of carbon dioxide when incinerated, which contributes to global warming, and take close to 400 years to decompose, much like plastic. Many of the plant-based or vegan leathers that have been developed in recent years contain plant-derived components. However, there are no established standards for their content, and they still do not achieve the goal of being free from petroleum resources.
Moreover, what is known as recycled leather is made by crushing the scraps that result from using genuine leather and turning them into sheets using resins and other materials. Since the materials and methods differ between manufacturers, it is often challenging to obtain accurate information, making it difficult to make an informed choice. -
Every second, a truckload of clothing waste is produced.
In the fashion industry, approximately 100 billion garments are produced each year, generating 97 million tons of waste, of which about 18 million tons is estimated to be leftover fabric. Nearly 60% of all textile materials are synthetic fibers that release microplastics, and only about 20% of textile products are collected for reuse or recycling globally. According to a report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, as of 2015, approximately "one truckload of clothing is incinerated or sent to landfill every second" worldwide. The waste rate in the textile industry consistently ranks among the highest in the sector and is expected to rise by over 50% by 2030.
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30% of the Earth's agricultural land is used to produce food that is ultimately wasted.
In 2023, global food waste amounted to an astounding 1.3 billion tons, making this a global issue with significant impacts on the natural environment, ecosystems, and our daily lives—a challenge shared by the entire world. According to crop condition surveys from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, it is estimated that around 20% of the harvested vegetables in Japan are discarded for not meeting standards. Data from the autumn and winter vegetable harvest of 2020 shows that out of 2.9 million tons harvested, 580,000 tons were disposed of as non-standard vegetables. Each year, around 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted globally, representing approximately one-third of all food produced. This means that 30% of the world's agricultural land is used to produce food that ends up being wasted.
参考
- マッカーサー財団の報告書
- https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/
- 農林水産省
- https://www.maff.go.jp/
OUR PHILOSOPHY
- Why -
Towards a coexistence of natural cycles
and craftsmanship.
- How -
Developing new materials made in Japan
with the quality of Japan.
Utilizing waste and biology,
we create products that are more valuable than
existing ones through the power of creativity.
- Our vision -
To create a world where re-circulating existing products becomes the standard.