Apple leather
Let Kapper introduce you to Apple leather.
How it started
From conducting research throughout a period of 2 years, where Jonas Kapper started the journey with conventional leather. He was working as a consultant for a leather tannery and helped them sell their products. The products were made from vegetable tanned leather, which is leather tanned in a (more) sustainable way. Short described: Instead of putting skin into a bath of acid, you just let it sit in water for an extended period of time to let the birthmarks and impurities slowly be dissolved.
Throughout the research, Jonas Kapper learned that some tanneries are good, but a lot are doing a lot of harm to people and local resources.
If you are more curious about leather, you can read this in-depth study about tanneries done by Madda Walabu University - link
If you are curious, you can read more about it here: link or here: link (note: this source is for certain has colored opinions, but most facts check with the other research Kapper has conducted).
How Apple leather came into the picture
Throughout this research-fase, Jonas Kapper found multiple different vegetable alternatives to leather. Everything from pineapple to cork to grapefruit. Most alternatives had questionable looks and only a few of them had the potential to become good-looking handbags. This was: Apple leather and cactus leather.
Apple leather vs. cactus leather
The elements of cactus leather and apple leather are almost identical, with a few differences. Both are made from a mix: PU(Polyurethane)- and Apple/Cactus.
- Cactus are planted to be harvested to make Cactus leather.
- Leftovers from an already existing industry are used for Apple leather.
And ...
- Cactus leather is a new material (est. 2020 or 2021), and falls short in regards to technical details about the %-mix.
- Apple leather is a fairly old (est. 2011) material with detailed information regarding ingredients.
And ..
- Cactus leather is made in South America
- Apple leather is made in Italy.
Apple leather was chosen over cactus, because it aligns with the ambitions Kapper has as a brand. The look was better for bags, and so was Kappers opinion towards the grade of sustainability.
The ambition has always been to design a product that the average consumer would buy. If not commercialized, the products would be hard to introduce to the market and make a proper change.
Kapper believes that change happens in volume, not by creating a product that only a few people would wear.
Kapper believes that it should be an easy choice to be (more) sustainable and that consumers should not have to choose between sustainability and non unsustainable.
Apple leather described by itself
The process of apple leather is exciting. When producing apple juice or apple cider, none of the fibers from the insides or skin is used. For many years, the waste has just been thrown out.
Now, a lot of the waste is used for recycling projects, including Apple leather. The fibers are extracted and then mixed with PU (another word for a type of plastic) and then mixed with coloring. It is then coated onto a cotton surface, which gives the insides of the bag a nice and soft feel.
We have asked the suppliers if they are using recycled PU or new PU, and for the time, they have only been able to produce the material using new PU. We are currently not in a position to leverage anything, which means we must settle for now.
“Apple leather is not sustainable, but at least we are not lying to you about it”
Apple leather is not as sustainable as buying something used, please note that. If you really want to be sustainable, you should leave the shop and go find a bag on Vestiare Collective (re-using) or somewhere else, where you can find pre-loved items.