Spinnova develops textile fiber from waste leather

Spinnova, a sustainable natural material firm, and KT Trading, the leather partner of premium shoe brand ECCO, have collaborated to launch a fiber made from leather waste- Respin. Respin’s pilot-scale manufacturing will begin at the end of 2021, with the natural durability of leather and the lightweight feel of a conventional textile.

The textile industry is still on the lookout for modern, environmentally friendly, and circular fabrics. Spinnova and KT Trading have succeeded in manufacturing a raw leather cloth made from leather waste that is free of toxic chemicals after extensive research and testing.

CEO of KT Trading, Kristian Geert Jensen, said leather is a fantastic, high-quality material with its own set of characteristics. They’ve taken another step toward achieving the circular economy for leather with this new textile.

Spinnova has established the Respin company, a new joint venture with KT Trading, ECCO’s main leather supplier. In Finland, the companies are currently building a pilot plant for the manufacture of leather fibers.

Janne Poranen, Spinnova’s CEO and co-founder said they’re overjoyed to be able to complete the leather circle with their mates. This is about more than upcycling; it’s all about developing a promising new material that the industry has been waiting for. This is also an example of how they have a technology that can work with a variety of different feedstocks.

Since 2018, ECCO’s Applied Research division and Spinnova have been working together on R&D and have completed promising trials spinning protein biomass into the fiber. Spinnova does not need to create any new technologies to process leather raw material. The firm has already shown that the process works on wood-based raw materials.

Poranen adds they have a fantastic working relationship with ECCO and KT Trading. both have an innovative mindset, extensive experience, and long-term development goals. They can transform leather waste into a circular material and set new industry expectations if they work together.

KT Trading is a multinational firm headquartered in Switzerland that is in charge of importing leather raw materials. KT Trading is one of the industry’s leading companies, collaborating through a worldwide network and serving as the principal leather affiliate and provider to ECCO, a global shoe company.

Geert Jensen said their collaboration with Spinnova, combined with ECCO’s sponsorship, provides them with a once-in-a-lifetime chance to be industry leaders. Their enthusiasm for technical creativity is fuelled by the entrepreneurial spirit that characterizes KT Trading, Spinnova, and ECCO, and with Respin, they have made a genuinely unique advance in the way they push leather making to the next level.