Vegan Uppeal™

At O My Bag we continue to evaluate and improve our material use, and as technology develops, so do new possibilities. To accommodate our customers that chose not to purchase animal products we've been on the lookout for a durable, low impact leather alternative. After years of searching, we finally found Uppeal™. In addition to providing a leather alternative, we are excited to support the innovation and development of new sustainable materials.

Uppeal™ is a vegan leather alternative produced at Frumat, an innovative factory based in Italy. It’s a bio-based material and utilizes the waste from the local fruit juice and apple sauce industry. Once the juice has been extracted from the apples, the peels, stems and fibers are ground into a fine powder, and this powder is then mixed with a secondary powder blend of polyester, PU, cotton, and viscose, which is used to strengthen and support the apple waste which is essential to the durability of the material.

The final powder is then delivered to the producing facility, Mabel Synthetic, where it is combined with solid PU (extruded thermoplastic polyurethane) and via a solvent based process, turned into a liquid material. The liquid is then pumped into large containers where it transforms into a solid state. The solid material consisting of 40% apple waste is then pressed to achieve a leather look, and colored before entering a large oven to dry. Any leftover material is melted down and reused for producing new batches. The final result is a 100% vegan material, ready to be made into O My Bags.

It wasn’t easy to find a material that could compete with our natural leather in regard to the durability, aesthetic and our high sustainability standards. Our real leathers are known for their quality, thickness, and their natural ageing process. It was important for us to find a leather alternative that also had these similar qualities. We evaluated different materials such as pineapple and cactus leathers, however Uppeal™ was the superior option for O My Bag. Not only does it have a beautiful look and feel, it also becomes slightly darker and develops a light patina over time, just like our real leather. In addition, we are proud of our partner factories sustainability goals. Both Frumat and Mabel Synthetic are currently focused on their sustainability, waste management and circularity, which includes switching to recycled materials and becoming 100% circular.

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 when compared to creating or harvesting a virgin material. The repurposing of the peels keeps them from de-composting and producing methane that affects the climate.

Uppeal™ however, does require a 60% PU (Polyurethane) composition, which is a synthetic material, and uses a conventional fossil base. PU and PVC are commonly used in leather alternatives due to their water resistance and durability, but PU is considered more sustainable than PVC due to its lower environmental impact. Our production partner Mabel Synthetic chooses to work with conventional PU, because they are able to recycle and reuse 98% the water and solvents used in the production process, resulting in a much lower footprint compared to other vegan leather alternatives, including bio-based plastics.

The use of Bio based plastics has also increased in the industry, but ultimately all solutions utilize plastic. Although bio- based plastics are made from plants, they require genetic modification, heavy cultivation and high water use. Because of this, the carbon footprint of bio-based plastics is much higher than that of a fossil base. This is why Mabel Synthetic chooses to work with conventional PU.

In an effort to reduce our impact further, Mabel Synthetic are continuously working on new innovations to improve sustainability. This involves partnering with European universities to develop their own bio-based PU alternatives with a low-impact cultivation process, however there is no viable alternative yet. The long term goal is for our vegan leather alternative to consist of 80% organic materials by increasing the 40% ratio of apple waste, and improving the PU composition.

Although Uppeal™ and other vegan alternatives to leather do not rely on animal products, there is still an environmental impact, which is influenced by industry practice, especially if the PU composition is higher than 60%. At O My Bag, our vegan products have a slightly lower footprint when compared to our real leather products, however the longevity of Uppeal™ is not yet known. For more information regarding the environmental impact of vegan leather, our 2023 Life Cycle Analysis Report provides more detail and further comparison.

Our Vegan Uppeal™ Collection is now live, featuring a few select products in our Uppeal™. Make sure you subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date.