Biophilica says Treekind is the first vegan leather produced in the UK to achieve the USDA biobased certification. Credit: Biophilica.

Treekind, which is a home-compostable, plastic-free leather alternative made from leaves is said to be the first UK vegan leather to receive the certification.

The USDA BioPreferred Programme, which administers the certification, aims to increase the development, purchase, and use of biobased products. The process involves rigorous third-party verification and laboratory testing to confirm a product’s biobased content.

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Vernell Thompson from the USDA BioPreferred Programme commented: “Biophilica Ltd. joins an expanding list of businesses combating inaccurate marketing claims and the practice of greenwashing, while also contributing to a thriving bio-economy that decreases our reliance on petroleum.”

Treekind is said to offer significant environmental benefits compared to conventional leather. When fully scaled, the production of 1kg of Treekind material reportedly uses less than 0.1% of the water required in traditional leather processing, contains no toxic chemicals, and has a reduced carbon footprint due to its biobased content.

It uses lignocellulose from urban and agricultural sources, combined with a natural binder, to create a flexible, leather-like material. The product is designed to break down in soil or water within one year with the assistance of microbes.

Mira Nameth, Biophilica’s CEO and co-founder stated: “Achieving the USDA BioPreferred Certification is a huge milestone for Treekind because it offers a very tangible and internationally recognised confirmation of our material’s plant-based credentials.

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“Biobased materials are the future and we’re excited to offer companies solutions to transition to more sustainable means of production. While the Biophilica team always knew that Treekind is 100% biobased, now brands and end customers know it too.”

In June she told Just Style in June she’s on a mission to make the fashion industry more sustainable by replacing conventional leather and plastic-based materials with sustainable, plant-based alternatives through her company Biophilica.