Treekind®
id card
Lignocellulosic feedstock + biobased pigments, coatings, adhesives & natural fibre textile backing
composition
Cellulose
building blocks
Organic
material origin
Sandwich sheet
shape
6 – demonstrated in relevant environment
TRL
Treekind® by Biophilica is a tangible leather alternative made from urban plant waste, agricultural waste & forestry waste.
In Biophilica they combine lignocellulosic feedstock with a patented mix of other plant-derived components, including 100% biobased pigments, coatings, adhesives and natural fibre textile backing to create this lovely green, waste-based material - all birthed thanks to one stray lonely leaf on the road.
Properties
Stable alternative to leather.
Zero plastic. Non-toxic and completely vegan.
Strength & grit, embossing possibilities (count hot stamping in too), laser etching & cutting - outstanding water performance as well.
Solving the problem of global 880 million tons of abundant feedstock. Waste no more!
Cyclability
Recyclable & Compostable.
Successfully tested for home composting as well.
Circular!
APPLICATIONS
Accessories, fashion garments, footwear.
FOOTWEAR APPLICATIONS
Upper
Production process
Once the leaves and other urban feedstock get harvested, it is time for them to go through the processing stages of our all-time-loved green chemistry, without the use of any toxic or harsh chemicals & matters whatsoever.
The lignocellulosic inputs even require no additional arable land and they never contribute to deforestation - it's approximated that the production of Treekind® uses less than 0.1% of the water compared to the production of conventional leather.
Additionaly, the carbon footprint is of about 2kgs of carbon per 1kg of Treekind® material.
Manufacturing facts
Currently approx. 3000 m2 / year (Q1 2023), aim for 100-300k m2 / year in 2026 with roll-production.
production time
This is a project which is in pilot stage, and they are looking for more investment.
Biophilica has set up batch production and a demo line producing Treekind® in Southwest London - at times manufacturing up to 60cm of the material's width.
the factory
Behind the screen
products
Mira Nameth
founders
2019
Earlsfield, Southwest London, UK
time & place
PVH, Bestseller, Adidas, Pangaia
partnerships
CERTIFICATIONS
PETA
ISO 14855 (home composting)
B Corp (in progress)