The world is constantly searching for sustainable solutions. Although it may seem like a modern topic, the debate over the use of leather and fur in fashion and interior design has been ongoing for decades, dating back to the 1970s, when animal rights organizations first began to challenge the ethics of using animal materials. During the 1990s, fashion brands faced protests and campaigns demanding an end to the use of leather and fur, while in the 2000s, the concept of ethical fashion developed, and more brands began switching to synthetic alternatives.
However, since synthetic leather is plastic-based, in recent years the focus has shifted toward plant-based options, which are both ethical and environmentally friendly. Materials made from pineapple, mushrooms, grapes, and apples have been under development since 2015, with commercial use expanding between 2017 and 2020. Today, plant-based leather is seen as a sustainable replacement that simultaneously addresses the issues of animal cruelty and plastic pollution.
Leather – although it cannot truly be called that – can now be produced from numerous alternative materials. Technically, these are not genuine leather but substitutes that imitate its appearance, texture, and functionality. They are often much more sustainable, cheaper to produce, and ethically acceptable since they do not involve animal products.
One of the most notable examples comes from Denmark. The company Beyond Leather Materials has developed an innovative material called Leap®, a sustainable and vegan alternative to natural leather. Leap is made from apple by-products – specifically, the leftover fibers from juice and cider production. Instead of discarding this biological waste, the company uses it as the base for a new material.
The name Leap comes from the abbreviation LEftover APples, and the raw material also includes natural latex, Tencel fabric, and a protective bio-coating. Leap consists of three layers: a fabric base, an apple layer, and a final protective coating. This creates a texture and look similar to leather, but without the use of animal ingredients or harmful chemicals. More than 85 percent of its composition is bio-based, and each square meter of Leap material prevents 1.8 kg of waste from ending up in landfills.
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In a world increasingly oriented toward sustainable solutions, apple waste – the remains from juice or cider pressing, such as peels, stems, and cores – becomes a resource. Globally, around three million tons of this waste (known as apple pomace) are generated annually, most of which is simply discarded. Although biodegradable, its large-scale disposal can have serious consequences: fermentation releases methane, affects soil, and creates additional costs for producers.
The Danish company sees precisely this waste as an opportunity for innovation. After seven years of development, Leap has become a high-quality material that is largely biodegradable, representing a sustainable alternative to animal leather and plasticized materials.
Leap is produced in rolls 1.5 meters wide, which is the industry standard, and has already been tested in the production of fashion accessories, furniture, interiors, and even the automotive industry. A new industrial production line in Germany, with a capacity of over 100,000 square meters per year, marked the company’s transition from research to serious production.
Beyond Leather Materials focuses exclusively on B2B cooperation (Business-to-Business), and Leap® is used as a material in industries that traditionally rely on leather, fashion accessories, interiors, furniture, and automotive components.
Interestingly, apple waste is not only useful for producing leather-like materials. It can also be used for generating bioenergy (biogas, bioethanol), extracting organic acids, aromas, antioxidants, and even bioplastics (biopolymers), as well as for producing fiber-rich food. However, Leap demonstrates how waste can be transformed into a high-value product with real market potential, particularly in the clothing and furniture industries, which are known for their high ecological footprint.
While traditional leather and its synthetic variants leave a significant negative impact on the environment, Leap and similar innovative materials change the way we think about waste – not as a problem, but as a resource. It symbolizes a paradigm shift: that it is possible to combine sustainability, functionality, and aesthetics. The material is certified as vegan-friendly, its production requires significantly less water, and it emits far less CO2 compared to traditional leather. It is adaptable, available directly from stock, and used in a wide range of products.
Leap is an example of how innovation can emerge from leftovers – and how the future of sustainable materials is already arriving in 1.5-meter-wide rolls, made possible by apples.
Prepared by Milica Vučković
The story was published in Energy portal Magazine CLIMATE CHANGE
