PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. — Material innovation company von Holzhausen, founded by Vicki von Holzhausen in 2015, is introducing Replant Leather, a plastic-free and plant-based leather alternative made from agricultural waste. According to von Holzhausen, Replant Leather is a fully customizable, highly tactile material that is scalable and lends itself to use in fashion, furniture, automotive, sports and more.
Replant Leather is now part of the company’s sustainable product portfolio, which also includes Technik-Leather, made from post-consumer plastic and plants, and Banbu-Leather, made from bamboo plants.
For Replant Leather, von Holzhausen sources the raw materials directly from farms where there is an abundance of plant waste left on the ground after harvesting. Farmers collect the fibers, and fiber suppliers send these to be spun into yarn. Mills knit the material and back it with pesticide-free organic cotton. Scientists then coat the material with von Holzhausen’s plant-based resin for durability.
The introduction comes in eight colors, including Sumi, Bone and Beet. With a drapey, yet subtle grain feel, the smooth matte material is stain, scratch and water-resistant, and it weighs one-third the amount of animal leather.
To show Replant Leather’s applicability in the furniture industry, von Holzhausen recreated the Afra & Tobia Scarpa’s iconic 1969 Soriana chair with the material. With this launch, von Holzhausen will offer its consumers the option to purchase yardage of the materials to reupholster their furniture and create their own sustainable designs.
Highlights of Replant Leather include:
- Replant provides traceability and has a lower carbon footprint and prevents CO2 from being released into the air and toxins into the soil.
- Replant contains non-viscous fiber, and no petrochemicals or toxic gases are used in the production process. It is coated with von Holzhausen’s plant-based performance topcoat to make it durable and biodegradable.
- Replant uses zero land, water and energy for the agricultural waste.
- Replant releases two times less carbon emissions, three times less energy use and uses 60% less water than cotton production.
- Replant is von Holzhausen’s most sustainable material yet, made up of more than 80% plant-based materials.
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