n/a

Leather

Plant-derived

2016

Netherlands

4/5

Founder(s): 

Koen Meerkerk, Hugo de Boon

http://fruitleather.nl/introduction/

About the Company

Koen Meerkerk and Hugo de Boon met as students at the Willem de Kooning Academy. As a class project, they focussed on finding a use for the nearly 7000 kg of plant waste from the twice-weekly fruit market in Rotterdam. Although vendors in Rotterdam are required to pay to dispose of waste, most is simply left behind. They began collecting unsold fruits from the vendors and experimenting with ways of making edible fruit leather (also known as fruit rollups) to create a leather material for applications in accessories and shoes.

After experimenting with different types of fruit waste, Meerkerk and de Boon determined that mangoes were best suited to the production of their material, also called Fruitleather Rotterdam.

Technology

The process of creating Fruitleather Rotterdam is labor intensive. Unsold mangoes are first collected from the Rotterdam fruit market and pitted by hand. The fruit is then pulped in a large food processor. This soup-like mixture is cooked to evaporate some of the water, prevent fermentation, and kill most bacteria. The resulting paste is spread onto a glass tray in a smooth, rectangular layer and placed in a dehydrator, where the water content is further reduced. These pieces are transported to a separate manufacturing location for coating, embossing, and testing.

Footwear, accessories

Selected Brand Partnerships

Allégorie, Luxtra London, Iamoo, Windmillkey, and Saye.

Allégorie wallet made with Fruitleather Rotterdam

Luxtra London's clutch made with Fruitleather Rotterdam.

Saye sneaker made with Fruitleather Rotterdam