Banofi
The circular material is made from banana fibres and is a plant-based leather alternative to leather of animal origin.
Production process
Banofi is made using green chemistry principles from waste banana crops, especially the banana stem.
The leather is supported by a thin backing fabric, either made from recycled PET bottles or organic cotton, the tests of which are still in process.
A provisional patent (Application No. 202221047455) is filed for the material, and the IP is owned by the company. IP certainly gives a competitive advantage since exclusive rights to use certain materials or processes will give Atma Leather an edge over its competitors.
Material properties
The material is made of banana pseudostem, polymers, adhesives, and dyes. The current composition is 65% banana fibre, 20% natural ingredients like rubber and gum arabic, and 15% synthetic ingredients like adhesives, acrylics and polyurethane. This has been through finding biobased replacements and systematically improving the pretreatment steps of the banana fibre.
The majority of the material's properties, such as tear resistance (82.3N), flexibility (11.8 N/MM2), appearance, and feel, are comparable to those of animal leather. It has a thickness of 0.7-0.9 mm.
Banofi can currently be used to make purses and wallets while testing for shoe applications is still underway.
Banofi’s proof of concept is a leather notebook which demonstrates its functionality, durability, and finish. Yale University was the first customer of these notebooks.
Availability
Made in India. The MOQs are currently 100 skins with a size (of 40*27inch), and Banofi sells the material in individual sheets.
Circular features
Banofi is 100% bio-based, vegan and cruelty-free leather. The material has transitioned from 45% biobased content (April 2022), 55% (September 2022) to 70% (January 2023) and is now at 80% in March 2023. The material's sustainability has been certified by global standards such as REACH (EU) and CAL PROP (USA). Banofi is one of the 120 brands certified by PeTA Vegan (Global) as 100% vegan.
Atma Leather has conducted a thorough Life Cycle Assessment and found that the material can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90%. Not only does this significantly reduce their impact on the environment, but also helps to sequester more carbon by using crop waste that is typically burned. Compared to animal leather, Banofi uses 90-92% less water. For every meter of Banofi Leather sold, Atma Leather prevents the equivalent of 70 kg of carbon and saves 8000 litres of water.
The manufacturing process of this plant-based leather also avoids any harmful substances like H2S and chromium, which are generally used in animal-based leather.
Furthermore, it has a positive impact on local farmers and communities by cleaning up their waste, preventing emissions and providing them with extra income.
Raw Materials
- Banana stem pulp
- Natural adhesives
- Synthetic polymers
Afterlife Plan
- Biodegradable
- Take-back program to reconstitute Banofi leather into new Banofi material
- Recycling in a closed loop (same as scrap leather, by shredding and mulching with a binder to form a pulp)
Supplier
Image source: Banofileather