Wastea
Wastea stands for Was Tea Now Leather and is a material made from waste extracted from tea production.
Production process
The tea waste is collected from the biggest tea producer in Turkey: Caykur. It is a level 4 waste that cannot be reused, not even for generating biogas or bioenergy. The only alternative is to bury it in a landfill, which Wastea prevents from happening.
Wastea can be produced in both dry and wet production. Mainly manufactured using mixed techniques, starting as wet and finishing on dry machinery, it results in a high bio content as well as high quality.
Material properties
Wastea uses at least 30% of tea waste, along with bio polyol, thus making it 40-95% bio-based. The base material consists of certified backing fabrics, such as recycled polyester, natural cotton, hemp, etc.
The material has the same feel as leather. It finds its applications in shoes, garments, automobiles, bookbinding, etc.
Availability
Made in Turkey.
Circular features
The material is 100% plant-based and vegan, thus substituting animal leather.
Compared to cow leather, Wastea has a 95% difference in emissions. It can also be remanufactured into new materials (preferably added to cement). It can be vertically incorporated in any sector which uses animal-based or plastic-based leather.
Wastea supports 13 out of 17 Sustainable Development Goals. It aims to maintain carbon-neutral logistics along with green energy use for production.
Raw Materials
- Tea waste
- Bio Polyol or SCY-U (made in-house)
- Recycled or natural fabrics/materials
Afterlife Plan
- Recyclable (Internally in a closed loop)
- Recyclable (Industrially)
- Collection points for the future are in the planning stage
Supplier
Image source: Wastea