Treekind(R), a unique PU-free leather alternative: Material analysis to produce consistent flex performance for the footwear industry

Biophilica开发了Treekind(R)，这是一种正在申请专利的皮革替代品，由绿色废物制成。虽然Treekind(R)在皮革制品应用方面全面表现出色，但在鞋类应用方面，其柔韧性能可以得到改善。2019年，素食鞋类行业价值181亿英镑，预计在2020年至2030年期间将以7.2%的复合年增长率增长（2019年未来市场洞察）。鞋类是最大的细分市场，占2019年整个纯素皮革市场的30% （Grand View Research 2019）。可持续发展是关键，阿迪达斯等全球品牌用环保材料重现经典。客户正在寻找不含石化和不残忍的材料——然而这些都是罕见的（素食经济学家）。只有另一种皮革替代品不含石化产品——美国NFW生产的Mirum(R)。Treekind(R) *完全不含石化产品和毒素*估计碳中性*可堆肥和可回收*由丰富的绿色废物原料（英国每年600万吨，世界每年8.8亿吨）制成。由于这些环境效益，Treekind(R)已获得以下认可：市长企业家，制造业期货，draper, Global Good，商业绿色领袖，Vogue Yoox和超细纤维创新挑战。这些优点也使Treekind(R)对英国和国际领先的鞋类品牌具有吸引力，这些品牌正在寻找传统皮革的替代品，以及避免使用石化、不可生物降解的PU或PVC的新材料。我们与几个领先的鞋类品牌建立了合作关系，包括奢侈、经典和休闲，他们希望将我们的材料用于胶囊系列，并在工厂使用真实的设备和技术。Biophilica是“可持续创业加速器”、“时尚为善”和剑桥可持续领导力研究所的一部分。提高Treekind(R)的柔韧性能很重要，因为这意味着我们可以进入利润丰厚、不断扩大的鞋类市场。*节约资源和成本，减少制造过程中的浪费。*证明可持续/无pu材料可以具有高性能。*通过进入这个市场，我们的材料取代了不可回收的皮革和石化材料，增加了英国和世界的废物问题。英国每年有超过3亿双鞋子被丢弃，其中大部分被填埋（多佛区议会）。在这个项目中，国家物理实验室和Biophilica将合作分析样品，以更好地了解导致失败和成功的原因，并构想新的解决方案，以实现一致和高性能（超过10万次弯曲）的目标。

Biophilica has developed Treekind(R), a patent-pending leather alternative made with green waste. While Treekind(R) has excellent performance across the board for leather goods applications, the flex performance could be improved for footwear applications.The vegan footwear industry was worth £18.1 billion in 2019 and expected to expand at a 7.2% CAGR between 2020 and 2030 (Future Market Insight 2019). Footwear, the largest segment, accounted for 30% of the entire vegan leather market in 2019 (Grand View Research 2019).Sustainability is key, with global brands like Adidas recreating classics with eco-friendly materials. Customers are searching for petrochemical-free and cruelty-free materials -- however these are rare (Vegconomist). Only one other leather alternative is free of petrochemicals -- Mirum(R) by NFW in the US.Treekind(R) is* completely free of petrochemicals and toxins* estimated carbon neutral* compostable and recyclable* made from the abundant green waste feedstock (6 million tonnes in the UK, 880 million tonnes in the world, annually)Treekind(R) has, because of these environmental benefits, been recognised by: The Mayor's Entrepreneur, Manufacturing Futures, Drapers, Global Good, BusinessGreen Leaders, Vogue Yoox, and The Microfiber Innovation Challenge.These benefits also make Treekind(R) attractive to leading UK and international shoe brands looking for alternatives to conventional leather and new materials that avoid the use of petrochemical, non-biodegradable PU or PVC.We have relationships with several leading shoe brands, spanning luxury, classic, and casual, that want to use our material for capsule collections and in factories with real-life equipment and techniques.Biophilica is part of accelerators Sustainable Ventures, Fashion for Good, and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leadership.Improving the flex performance of Treekind(R) is important because* It means that we can enter the lucrative, expanding footwear market.* Resource and cost efficiency with less waste in manufacturing.* Demonstrate that sustainable/PU-free materials can have high performance.* By entering this market, our material replaces leather and petrochemical materials that are not recycled and add to the UK's and world's waste problem. Over 300 million pairs of shoes are discarded in the UK annually -- the majority going to landfill (Dover District Council).In this project, NPL and Biophilica will collaborate on analysing samples to better understand what drives failure and success and ideate new solutions with the goal of achieving consistent and high performance (over 100k flexes).