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BIO LEATHER

Biodegradable material

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Project Background

Almost all plastic is derived from materials (like ethylene and propylene) made from fossil fuels (mostly oil and gas). The process of extracting and transporting those fuels, then manufacturing plastic creates billions of tones of greenhouse gases. Not only production processes of plastic affect climate change, but left plastics also heat the globe temperature with gas emissions. Most of daily used plastic is discarded in landfills after a single use. Sunlight and heat cause the plastic to release powerful greenhouse gases, leading to an alarming feedback loop. As our climate changes, the planet gets hotter, the plastic breaks down into more methane and ethylene, increasing the rate of climate change, and so perpetuating the cycle. To end the loop, alternative approaches are suggested through societies. One of the alternative approaches is using bio-composites, bio-based materials are able to replace plastic materials in products.

Inspiration

Synthetic materials are a material that holds the appearance of leather but is not made from animal skin. These materials consist of natural and/or synthetic fibers, coated with a plastic polymer or similar. It is usually made from polyurethane (PU), polyvinylchloride (PVC) or textile-polymer composite microfibers. Most of these components are plastic which causes climate change.

The aim of reducing greenhouse gases was emerged. In order to produce flexible leather with eco-friendly components, natural polymers were considered and explored as a main material of the project. The chosen polymer was gelatin. It was experimented with various methods such as boiling and mixing with several ingredients for creating flexibility and texture of leathers.

Layers of ingredients

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