Matt & Nat Create Vegan Leather Handbags From Apple Waste

Matt & Nat, a vegan accessory company, has released its first handbag line, which features a novel bio-based vegan leather manufactured from waste from the fruit juice industry.

After an abundance of research, sweat, and tears, it’s finally here…The collection of all collections…One that is like no other and will blow your mind…Discover a collection that pushes all boundaries and takes ‘an apple a day’ to a whole other level.” Matt + Nat President and CEO Manny Kohli posted on Instagram. 

AppleSkin, a vegan leather patented by the Italian company Frumat, is an innovative material. AppleSkin is made in Italy from apples cultivated in Bolzano, a city in the country’s northern area, and is made by recovering the mushy pulp—made primarily of cellulose fibers from the skin and core—leftover from industrial apple juicing that would otherwise be thrown away.

Though the exact technique of creating AppleSkin is a trade secret, we do know that cellulose is ground into a powder and utilized to limit the amount of virgin ingredients needed in the vegan leather. The AppleSkin that results is roughly 20% to 30% apple. Fewer virgin materials imply less natural resources are removed from the globe, resulting in lower emissions and energy consumption throughout the supply chain.

Matt  & Nat collaborated with Frumat to produce the Studio 901 collection, which includes handbags with an AppleSkin exterior body and inside linings created from 100% recycled water bottles, as with all Matt + Nat bags. A backpack, mini satchel, bucket bag, and tote bag are among the 12 handbags in the line, which come in black, brown, and green with gold details like chain shoulder straps and V closures.

Vegan Apple Leather

In recent years, an increasing number of fashion and furniture manufacturers have increased their commitment to sustainability by creating products with textiles made from upcycled or repurposed plants and materials. Apple-based vegan leather is a versatile material that has been employed in a number of industries, while companies are adopting plant-based solutions such as cactus, pineapple, and mushrooms.

Gus* Modern, a Canadian furniture designer, incorporated vegan AppleSkin couches and lounge chairs in its Fall 2020 collection last year. “This new bio-based material saves apple peels and cores from going to landfills and is a harmonious addition to our other eco-friendly options [such as] Forest Stewardship Council-Certified wood and cushion fill made from recycled plastic bottles,” stated Anthony Santino, Vice President of Sales at Gus* Design Group.

Pamela Anderson, a vegan advocate and actress, collaborated with French fashion house Ashoka Paris to launch a line of AppleSkin handbags in a variety of colors and styles that same year. Anderson and designer David Mateo collaborated on the collection for 16 months, and each bag is embossed with the message “Resiste!” (Resist). Inside every beautiful person is an activist wanting to defend the planet.”

In addition, Volkswagen, a German automaker, unveiled an electric SUV concept car in 2019 with a 100% vegan leather upholstery manufactured from apples. At the Shanghai Motor Show, the full-size, zero-emission ID Roomzz, which was planned to be sold in China, was first unveiled.

Source: “MATT + NAT MAKES VEGAN LEATHER HANDBAGS FROM APPLE WASTE FOR THE FIRST TIME” by VegNews