HOW CAN A BAG BE MADE FROM APPLES?
Uppeal™ is a vegan leather alternative made from bio-based materials which consist of 40% apple waste. The peels, stems and fibres of apples are ground down to a fine powder, mixed with cotton, polyester and viscose, and then coated with PU. This process is essential to the strength and durability of the material. The final result is a 100% vegan material, ready to be made into O My Bags. More information on the production and sustainability processes can be found here.
WHY DID WE CHOOSE APPLES?
When it comes to the environmental impact, Uppeal™ has a small impact on the land, energy use, and resource consumption, compared to other available materials. The apple waste is already a bi-product of the fruit-juice industry, meaning we can repurpose a product that would typically go to waste.
It was hard to find a material that could compete with our real leather on durability and looks, but would also meet our high sustainability standards. Our real leathers are known for their quality, thickness, and their natural ageing process. We evaluated many different materials such as pineapple, cactus and mushroom, comparing and testing the durability, look and feel. We also wanted to work with a partner who was committed to innovation and shared our sustainability goals. After extensive research, we can positively confirm that Uppeal™ is the best leather alternative out there. It has a high-quality look and feel, and becomes slightly darker with age, developing a light patina - just like our natural leathers. In addition, working with both FRUMAT and Mabel Synthetic enables us to continue improving the entire production process in order to lower our carbon footprint.
WHAT DOES THIS VEGAN MATERIAL LOOK LIKE?
We were searching for a material with leather-like properties, not just for aesthetic purposes but also for longevity. Uppeal™ has the same high quality appearance as our cow leathers, and a similar feel. As a vegan leather alternative it has a firm and thick texture, which is also supple, perfect for our bags and accessories. The finished product is slightly lighter in comparison to the weight of our cow leathers and each piece can be identified by the interior ‘Made of Uppeal™’ label.
Audrey Mini Cognac - Vegan Uppeal™ | Sonny Square Wallet Cognac - Vegan Uppeal™ | Audrey Black - Vegan Uppeal™
IS UPPEAL™ ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?
The material is created as a by-product of the food industry and utilises “waste” to create something new. This inherently has large environmental savings in resource consumption, land use and energy in comparison to creating or harvesting a virgin material. Also, the repurposing of the peels keeps them from de-composting and producing methane that affects the climate.
Another plus of this leather alternative is that the producers of Uppeal™ are continuously learning and improving (like us) and have big goals to develop their material to be 100% circular. This is just the beginning, and as we keep evolving as a company, so will our products and materials to always give our customers what we believe are the best options. We can honestly say that this is the best leather alternative out there in line with our requirements and we're thrilled to announce to you our first Vegan Collection!
Check out the whole Vegan Collection now! Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date with our exciting New Arrivals.
Love,
Team OMB x
