Pangea unveils sustainable leather from agricultural waste

Pangea, based in Rochester Hills, has introduced four new sustainable leather solutions for the automotive industry. The new products, Ecoda Agave, Ecoda Avocado, Vendura Agave, and Vendura Avocado, are developed using waste materials such as discarded agave leaves and avocado pits sourced from Mexico.

To support this initiative, Pangea has partnered with agricultural stakeholders in Mexico. These natural byproducts, which are usually thrown away, are now converted into biopolymers and used in the company’s leather production process.

In the agave industry, around 2.4 million metric tons of agave piña are harvested each year. Nearly half of the plant’s weight is discarded during harvesting. Pangea uses these leftover leaves to produce biopolymer mixtures, where each kilogram of agave leaves can generate 1.5 kg of usable material. Waste from a single large agave plant can produce enough biopolymer to treat approximately 80 leather hides.

Similarly, Mexico’s avocado industry generates around 530,000 metric tons of pit waste annually. These pits are processed through milling and heat treatment to create biopolymers rich in natural compounds such as tannins.

Roger Pinto, Director of Sustainability and Innovation at Pangea, stated that the new products combine luxury with sustainability. He explained that by working with local communities and industries, the company is transforming agricultural waste into high-quality leather materials.