Shoes and bags made from tomatoes! That’s exactly what got The Bio Company (TBC) the Best Innovation in Textile at the PETA Vegan Fashion Awards in 2021.
As bioleather — a type of leather made from plant materials — gains popularity, Pritesh Mistry, the 26-year-old founder of The Bio Company has innovated a way to turn tomato waste into fashionable products.
Using tomatoes as the primary raw material, combined with a process free of polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), TBC, under the brand ‘Bioleather’, offers a completely sustainable alternative to leather with the added benefit of not having to harm any animals.
Why tomatoes?
“India, being the second-largest producer of tomatoes with about 44 million tons produced annually, faces the challenge of 30-35% of it going to waste,” Mistry says, explaining why he chose the fruit.
“This waste, primarily in the form of skin and seeds, provides a sustainable raw material for Bioleather,” he adds.
Additionally, Mistry says that tomatoes are rich in pectin, a natural polymer that enhances flexibility and strength. Their fibrous structure and natural oils help create a leather-like texture while ensuring biodegradability.
“By utilising tomatoes, we address both food waste and pollution, transforming an overlooked by-product into a valuable, eco-friendly material,” he informs.
With a bachelor’s in biotechnology from Mumbai-based Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Mistry’s quest to create bioleather from tomatoes had started as a final-year project that led him to the tanneries of Kanpur.
Here, he witnessed firsthand the environmental pollution caused by the leather tanning industry. Around the same time, he visited farms and saw the staggering amount of food waste being generated.
“These experiences made me realise there had to be a better way—something that addressed both pollution and waste,” says the bioentrepreneur.
Mistry developed the prototype of Bioleather while in college. “It took months of experimenting with tomato by-products, testing different formulations, and working on the texture and durability to create something that resembled leather, yet was fully sustainable and biodegradable,” says Mistry.
TBC has patented both its technology and the process involved. This protection helps safeguard its intellectual property and ensures that the alt-leather start-up continues to lead in the development of eco-friendly alternatives to traditional leather.
How is tomato leather made?
Since launching its first product, ‘Original Bioleather’, in 2019, the company has committed to making affordable leather that is vegan, carbon-neutral, biodegradable, and dyed with all-natural dyes.
To achieve this today, TBC sources tomato waste from local food processing units and farms, in regions where tomatoes are grown in abundance like Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.
“The by-products would otherwise go to waste, so, we form partnerships with suppliers to collect and repurpose them into a valuable resource,” says Mistry.
At its Surat plant, Bioleather is crafted using tomato by-products, combined with biopolymers, plant-based binders, and natural fibers. The process involves blending these components, followed by non-toxic curing to achieve a durable, leather-like texture.
A final plant-based coating enhances water resistance and durability, resulting in a PU- and PVC-free, biodegradable leather alternative with minimal environmental impact.
Who is using tomato leather?
The early adopters of Bioleather span across fashion, accessories, and automotive sectors with several sustainable brands converting the product into jackets, bags, and footwear.
“Bioleather is PU/PVC free which sets it apart from conventional faux leathers. It’s an extraordinary innovation and its plant-based leather stands out for its unique origin: rejected tomatoes,” says Toronto-based Natasha Mangwani, founder & CEO, of Satuhati, a plant-based handbag label.
“We started designing samples with the Bioleather in May 2024 and began commercial production three months later. After an incredible Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale, we restocked for the Christmas markets, and the response was beyond our expectations,” she adds.
In the automotive industry, some brands are exploring Bioleather for upholstery and interior design, seeking a sustainable alternative to traditional leather, Mistry informs.
Asked whether his innovative products smell like animal leather, he is quick to respond and says that Bioleather has a pleasant, neutral scent that avoids the typical plastic-like or chemical odours often associated with synthetic leathers.
Currently, TBC manufactures around 5,000 meters of Bioleather per month at its Surat-based plant.
“This production capacity is scalable, and as demand increases, we are working to expand our output while ensuring the quality and sustainability of the material remain top priorities,” says Mistry.
Edited by Arunava Banerjee
