82111Biophilica Leather: Turning Green Waste into an Advanced, Sustainable MaterialClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKFashion waste is a huge problem: It is linear (as opposed to circular), carbon-intensive, water-intensive, destructive to biodiversity and very environmentally unsustainable. The **fashion industry is responsible for 10% global emissions** and uses vital resources, such as fossil fuels and water, on materials like cow-hide leather and cotton. Plastic microfibres, which are not biodegradable and derived from fossil fuels, are also one of the largest sources of microplastics, contributing 35% of all marine waste. Fashion processes, such as dyeing materials are, in the most part, toxic and harmful. **COVID-19 has demonstrated the** **fragility of the global materials supply chain** and the need for UK to build resilience in the supply of raw materials. Biophilica presents an opportunity to produce premium textiles here in the UK. Our vision is to scale an alternative circular material that is similar to leather but leaves no harm to the environment. **Biophilica Leather is a vegan leather that is:** * Made from green waste that would otherwise be used for compost, and contains no petrochemical materials or compounds derived from fossil fuels -- no polyurethane or PVC * A circular material that biodegrades on land and in water * Carbon negative and offset by being a natural source of waste derived from plants * Low water, and uses ~0.003% of the water used to make the same amount of cotton * Zero waste and circular, where all waste materials from the production process can be reused In early lab testing, Biophilica Leather is more durable, versatile and hard-wearing than comparable synthetic leathers. It is an appropriate substitute that will excel under the same strains and stresses of bags, belts or shoes made from alternative leathers, and will be extensively tested to ISO standards within the project. The number of people identifying as vegan has **increased by 25% in the Covid-19 pandemic**. The vegan leather industry is rapidly growing and projected to be worth $89.6bn USD (2025). Policy incentives to shift to alternative materials include (i) intention to reduce microplastics and marine pollution, including UK regulation on single-use plastics, (ii) growth of the circular economy, supported by business-led initiatives such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (iii) MP debate on a 1p clothing tax for high street retailers to fund an annual recycling scheme. Biophilica offers a tangible and scalable solution that could be commercialised by 2022\. This project involves Biophilica, CPI, Intertek and Southwest Environmental Limited.