The Turkish company Scays Group launches vegan leather from tea waste!
In a world where environmental concerns and animal welfare are taking center stage, finding sustainable alternatives to traditional materials has become a priority for many industries. This includes fashion, interior design, and product development. In this pursuit, the innovative material known as Wastea, created by the Turkish company Scays Group, is making waves. Wastea offers an ingenious solution, repurposing tea waste that would otherwise find its way into landfills or be incinerated.
Turning a Problem into an Opportunity
Scays Group, founded in 2015 by Erdem Dogan, an impassioned entrepreneur with a vision to make a positive impact on the world, specializes in crafting sustainable and circular solutions for various industries. At the core of the company's ethos is the transformation of waste into value, creating products that not only meet functional and aesthetic standards but also uphold ethical and environmental values. Wastea, in particular, is a remarkable creation derived from tea waste, addressing a significant global problem.
Tea waste, which accounts for approximately 10% of total tea production, carries a substantial environmental footprint due to its water consumption, carbon emissions, and the presence of chemical residues. Scays Group saw this as an opportunity to innovate, employing a patented process to convert and integrate tea waste into a material that's durable, flexible, and breathable, closely resembling traditional leather.
Wastea vs. Traditional leather
Wastea presents numerous advantages compared to conventional leather:
Fire Resistance: It boasts fire-resistant properties.
Vegan and Animal-Friendly: Wastea is produced without causing harm to animals.
Water and Stain Resistance: Thanks to its natural coating, it repels liquids and dirt effectively.
Lightweight and comfortable: The material adapts to the body's shape and temperature.
Versatility and Customizability: It can be dyed, printed, embossed, or stitched to match specific design requirements. Moreover, the fabric contains significant bio-based content, ranging from 45% to 95%, including bio-based polyurethane (Bio Polyole).
Applications across industries
Wastea has already piqued the interest of fashion brands and designers, who have harnessed its potential to create an array of products such as bags, shoes, jackets, wallets, belts, and more.
Beyond the fashion world, this innovative material finds application in furniture, interior design, and even the automotive industry.
Wastea material – © Scays Group
Additionally, Scays Group's expertise in the textile sector and access to cutting-edge technology enable the company to upcycle waste, utilizing different layers of the material to create new resources. The lower fabric base is recovered and used to generate new fabrics, while the upper layer is transformed into fine particles and combined with cement and other natural elements, leading to the development of Wasment, an advanced cement alternative with remarkable features.
Circular Economy and Social Impact
Wastea not only offers an appealing option for those who seek to align their fashion choices with their environmental values, but it also serves as an exemplary illustration of how innovation and creativity can address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. By incorporating Wastea into our designs, we support a circular economy that minimizes waste and emissions while contributing to a social cause. This cause empowers tea farmers and workers who participate in the fair trade of the secondary resources they produce.
In the quest for sustainable and cruelty-free alternatives to traditional leather, Scays Group's Wastea stands out as a symbol of progress. By ingeniously repurposing tea waste into a versatile, eco-friendly, and animal-friendly material, this Turkish company has not only created a valuable product but has also set a remarkable example of how innovation can drive positive change in the fashion industry and beyond.