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 AppleSkin™, known as Apple Leather. In addition to providing a leather alternative, we are able to support innovation and development of new sustainable materials. 

Apple Leather, officially known as AppleSkin™ is a vegan leather alternative produced at FRUMAT, an innovative factory based in Italy. AppleSkin™ is 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 fibres are ground into a fine powder which is mixed with an organic pigment and transformed into Apple leather. Apple leather consists of up to 40% residual apple waste from skins, stems, and fibres of the fruit. The remaining material is a blend of polyester, PU, cotton and viscose, which is used to strengthen and support the apple waste. This combination is currently 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.

It wasn’t easy to find a material that could compete with our real 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 AppleSkin™ 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. FRUMAT 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 in comparison to creating or harvesting a virgin material. The repurposing of the peels keeps them from de-composting and producing methane that affects the climate. 

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