Lasting Leather showcases the results of a multi-year materials research project in which new materials and products were developed from salvaged industrial leather scraps generated during the cutting and processing process in the factory.
A waste of leather as a starting point
Leather is a by-product of the meat industry. As long as people continue to eat meat, there will be (cow) hides. Meat consumption may be declining in the Netherlands, but demand is growing worldwide. As a result, there is still a lot of leather available.
The European leather industry processes around 30,000 hides every day. A significant proportion goes to the automotive industry, accounting for 13% of the market. Because leather is a natural product, the hides are never completely smooth. Scars, insect bites or irregularities make some parts less suitable for production. During tanning, dyeing, testing and cutting, a lot of waste material remains. Around 40% of the leather is ultimately not used and ends up in landfill.
Material Sense LAB sees a future in this leather waste. What if, instead of discarding it, you use it as a starting point? Their material research project, Lasting Leather Lab, focuses on this leather waste stream. In this way, discarded material is given a new role as the basis for circular design.
New materials and products
Stricter regulations and scarcity of raw materials call for new solutions. That is why Material Sense LAB launched the Lasting Leather Lab project in 2019. Together with designers, researchers, educational institutions and companies, they are investigating what can be done with waste leather.
The leather scraps they work with are delivered unsorted and divided into three groups: large pieces (L), remnants (M), and scrap material that is ground into raw material (S). This is followed by an innovative processing method – traditional, mechanical, or technological. The latter sometimes also uses other waste streams, such as bioplastics from wastewater.
All materials, models and prototypes are designed to be circular. They are durable, can be taken apart and reduce waste of raw materials. Parts can be reused later for something else. The exhibition showcases the results of six years of continuous research. Everything has been developed with a view to upscaling and a circular future.
Lasting Leather is on display until 8 September 2025 in the Bodehuisje at Museum Schoenenkwartier and is part of the Sneaker Evolution exhibition.
Initiative and curator Lasting Leather LAB: Simone de Waart, Material Sense LAB
Photography: Loes Borghans Photography
