Can you imagine that you can grow leather in a jar?!
It’s possible with a Circular Economy, where waste is treated as a source for producing new items. Kombucha is known as a delicious beverage, but it’s also a source for sustainable vegan leather. SCoBY (jelly-like mat appearing on top of the tea during fermentation) is used to produce leather – sounds good, right?

CEO or Circular Economy Optimist is a place in this blog, where we’re discussing sustainable ideas and projects to transfer “waste” to new commercially successful products and also inspiring leaders (usually CEOs of their own companies), who are standing behind these projects.

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By the way, if you prefer the video version – find the link to my YouTube channel and also link to my Podcast Platform.

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What is Kombucha?

First things first, let’s talk about what kombucha actually is. Kombucha is a fermented tea you could also hear another name “tea mushroom” and no, it’s not a new hipster beverage: kombucha has been known to humanity for thousands year.

Where Kombucha was invented?

Lets check your knowledge or intuition: which country is known as a motherland for kombucha?

(drum beats – drum beats)
China is considered to be the place where the first kombucha was grown. The beverage is traditional in this country and has been known since 221 B.C. 

But this beverage become widely popular around the world and commercially successful only during the last decades. The global kombucha market size was valued at USD 2.64 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand more and more. 

SCoBY: mother Kombucha

The growth of the kombucha market means not only that people who make it become more rich (no jealous at all), but  also increase of the waste generated during the manufacturing process. 

When I say waste the first thing I mean is the strange-looking substance called SCoBY which stands for Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast.

The SCOBY forms a thick, jelly-like mat on top of the tea during fermentation. This mat, also known as the pellicle, is often referred to as bacterial cellulose.

But here’s the twist: this cellulose can be transformed into a leather! Call it magic, but I call it circular economy!

How to make the leather with Kombucha?

You might be wondering, how is it even possible to make leather from kombucha? 

Ok, I will share with you, but need to make a warning: it might sound like a mad scientist’s experiment!

1. Fermenting: Start by brewing kombucha. This part is simple—just tea, sugar, and your SCoBY. And if you’re wondering where you can take initial portion on SCOBY: I recommend you ask friends or check online communities in your city: people usually sharing this jelly substance with pleasure. Let it ferment for about 1-3 weeks. Think of it as the SCoBY’s SPA all-inclusive: as during the period it would be getting thicker and thicker.
2. Harvesting: Once your SCoBY is thick enough it’s time to harvest. This is like getting the perfect avocado—timing is everything. By the way, take into account that your SCOBY will lose 90% of its thickness during the next steps. 
3. Cleaning: Rinse the SCoBY to remove any tea and sugars. Imagine giving your SCoBY a gentle bath, no bubbles though!
4. Drying: Lay the SCoBY flat to dry. Plan a minimum of four layers of kombucha to create a truly viable piece of vegan leather. Think of it as layering up for winter—more layers, more protection.
5. Conditioning: Once dry, condition it with oils to make it supple. This is like giving your SCOBY a moisturizing spa treatment.

And voila, you have kombucha leather!

This is the raw material that you can use for any purpose: there is plenty inspiring projects around the world: designers create clothes and shoes, interior lamps, wallets, accessories and many other cool things.

And the thing that I like the most – at the end of the life cycle of the item made from kombucha you can place it into the compost – as it’s natural and really biodegradable material – no greenwashing!

Is Kombucha Leather durable? Prod and Cons of Vegan leather

Now, let’s weigh the pros and cons of kombucha leather.

Pros:

• Sustainable Fashion: It’s a vegan and biodegradable alternative to traditional leather.
• Repairable: The kombucha product is easy to repair if any tears, cracks, or holes occur.
• Eco-Friendly: At the end of its life, it can be composted.

Cons:

• Durability: It’s not as durable as animal leather, making it better suited for shorter-life products.
• Water Resistance: Kombucha leather isn’t naturally waterproof, so avoid wearing those kombucha leather shoes in the rain!

Future Perspectives of circular Economy

So, what do you think? Would you like to try having some things created from kombucha leather? Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to like and subscribe, so you never miss our latest on circular economy innovations.

Thanks a lot for watching. Stay green, stay tuned and see you soon!

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