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Nike launches 50 per cent recycled leather material

Going ahead with its corporate sustainability plan to reduce its carbon footprint Nike has announced the launch of Flyleather, a new leather material made from leather scraps. Hannah Jones, Nike Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of the Innovation Accelerator one of the greatest opportunities is to create breakthrough products while protecting our planet.

Flyleather reduces waste in leather manufacturing. In traditional leather processes, up to 30 percent of the cow's hide is thrown away. Similar to Nike's campaign in the 90s to recycle rubber from old sneaker soles, Nike has now gone to tanneries and gathered up their scraps to make a new fabric. Flyleather uses 50 per cent genuine leather and its hand feel can mimic the touch and fit of athletic leather, reminiscent of old basketball shoes. Nike fuses the scraps with synthetic fibers to create a new material that can be dyed and put on a roll to be cut like pleather.

Tony Bignell, Nike VP of Footwear Innovation says unlike with traditional leathers, Flyleather can be produced with a consistent grade across a broader range of product. Since the material is produced on a roll it can be used like a cut-and-sew fabric that maximizes yield and minimizes waste. From a sustainability standpoint, the Flyleather uses 80 to 90 percent less water than traditional leather and has half the carbon footprint.

The new fabric is 40 percent lighter than traditional leather and five times more durable than real leather in abrasion tests. Nike foresees using Flyleather in apparel and accessories as well as across multiple sport categories. The first Flyleather product called the Nike Flyleather Tennis Classic is now available at Nike's 21 Mercer, the Nike SoHo store and Dover street market in New York City.

 

 
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