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#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

‘Beyond Leather Materials’ develops new, >85% bio-based leather alternative made with apple waste

Danish company ‘Beyond Leather Materials’ collaborated with German materials manufacturer Covestro to develop a protective coating based on INSQIN® technology for Beyond Leather Materials’ LEAP®. LEAP® is an innovative leather alternative made using apple waste generated in juice and cider manufacturing. The jointly developed coating uses INSQIN® technology based on polyurethane dispersions made with partially bio-based content.
Combining low-VOC, partly bio-based INSQIN® technology with inventive materials like apple waste makes for innovative leather alternatives. © Covestro
Combining low-VOC, partly bio-based INSQIN® technology with inventive materials like apple waste makes for innovative leather alternatives. © Covestro


Partly apple waste-based leather alternative keeps durability at the core

Beyond Leather’s approach captures the value of apple waste – of which around 4 million tons is produced every year – by upcycling it into a high-performance and more sustainable alternative to conventional leather made with animal skin. With a high content of short fibers and polymers, apple waste (including cores, seeds, and stems) can be activated to give a strength and suppleness to the final material, recreating the functional and aesthetic properties that make leather so desirable. To produce LEAP®, the apple-waste blend is applied to a TENCELTM textile backing and finished with the protective coating containing INSQIN® PU.

Inspirational leather-look products; aspirational performance

For brand customers and end consumers looking for leather alternatives, the launch of LEAP® stands as a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration.

“With around 25% of an apple discarded after pressing, we wanted to capture this waste’s value in premium applications. We believe that looking into waste streams and using upcycling is crucial to reduce emissions. It is our mission to show how much value there is in waste and, ultimately, make waste beautiful,” says Mikael Eydt, Co-Founder & CEO, Beyond Leather Materials.

“Covestro is delighted to have contributed to the development of this leather alternative made with apple waste, which has significant potential to improve textile sustainability in a wide range of industries,” says Dr. Torsten Pohl, Head of Global Textile Coatings Covestro. “Our low-VOC, low-emission, waterborne, and partly-bio-based INSQIN® coating technology is the perfect fit for LEAP®, enabling the premium durability, flexibility and perceptual quality needed in today’s market while offering a more sustainable solution for partners like Beyond Leather. We look forward to continuing our collaboration in applications spanning everything from small goods typically made of leather such as wallets, purses, and key cases, to automotive interiors.”



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#Smart Textiles

Covestro, FILK Freiberg, and OUT e.V. develop flexible, conductive polymer smart textile system

As the smart textiles market continues to grow across healthcare, personal protection, sportswear, and automotive applications, developers are seeking new ways to integrate electronic functionality directly into textiles, without the rigidity and complexity of conventional wiring. To address this challenge, FILK Freiberg Institute, an independent research institution with expertise in polymer coatings for textile applications, collaborated with Optotransmitter-Umweltschutz-Technologie (OUT) e.V. The joint project, funded under the German Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) program of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), focused on developing flexible, conductive polymer surfaces for next-generation smart textiles.

#Techtextil 2026

Covestro to exhibit solutions for a more sustainable and productive textile industry at Techtextil 2026

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#Technical Textiles

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

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#Textile chemistry

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

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#Associations

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Autopsy, the new trend book by Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris, deciphers the fractures of our time through 12 creative signals

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#Yarn & Fiber

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

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#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

Global size study for brands and retailers to optimize fit and market coverage

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#Research & Development

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

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#Carpets

DOMOTEX Hannover 2028 off to a strong start with expanded portfolio

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#Knitting & Hosiery

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

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#Research & Development

TERNAfil wins first place at PitchMiUp Night 2026 in Minden

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