The new material is made using 50% of discarded mango pulp and could be an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic leather.

Indian startup Aamati Green has constructed a 30,000 square meters capacity plant to produce an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic leather.

It comes after CSIR-CLRI (Council for Scientific & Industrial Research- Central Leather Research Institute) in Chennai developed a technology to make leather-like products using mango pulp. It licensed the technology to the Mumbai-based start-up.

Mango pulp leather

CLRI scientists developed the patent technology using mangoes after testing a wide range of agricultural products and by-products including rice straw, wheat straw, sugarcane straw, orange peels, banana peels etc.

The new material comprises 50% mango pulp. It is an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic leather. It degrades more quickly than polyurethane leather.

The team at CLRI mixed mango pulp with a biopolymer in both liquid and powder forms, and then employed a straightforward process to turn it into a sheet-like substance.

They tested the new manufacturing technique with all major varieties of mangoes – Alphonso, Kesar, Banganapalli etc. and proved that it can be done with mangoes that come in from across India.

After applying a surface covering and designing eye-catching patterns, the scientists were able to create sturdy bags and laptop cases out of the resulting mango leather.

The material is currently undergoing further refinement to improve its suitability for use in footwear.

Vegan leather benefits

Mango-based material can’t match the longevity of animal leather although it can last at least five years after which it quickly degrades after disposal. This is an advantage over synthetic leather, where the degradation process takes decades

The mango-based leather also offers other advantages over animal products in terms of ease of production, lower carbon footprint and ethical alternatives.

“The technology of producing the material from mango pulp can be mechanized and we can make a good quantity of the mango-based sheets in three days, whereas the same quantity of original leather would require more than two weeks to make,” Dr Thanikaivelan Chief Scientist, CSIR-CLRI told WION.

Moreover, he added: “Animal leather requires huge quantities of water and other chemicals for the manufacturing process, whereas it is minimal for the mango-based material.”

Best from waste

India is the world’s greatest mango grower (20 million tonnes per year), yet farmers abandon up to 40% of the mangoes in the fields because they fail regulatory and market standards.

According to Pratik Dadhania, founder, of Aamati Green Private Limited, these discarded mangoes are utilised as the company’s raw material.  

In response to how the company intends to commercialise the use of this leather, Dadhania said:  “We will collaborate with fashion houses and brands to create eco-friendly bags and clutches. Our manufacturing costs about 60% less than the current price of synthetic leather.

“By employing circular solutions, our company envisions acting on the problem of mango waste, incentivising farmers and making vegan leather in a sustainable manner.”

The startup is also looking at producing leather-like products from wasted pineapple and apple pulp too. 

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