Green Dot, based in Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, has developed a compostable synthetic leather made with the company’s Terratek Flex – the first elastomeric bioplastic.

It combines the look and feel of high quality leather with a lighter environmental footprint compared to traditional leather tanning or conventional synthetic leather manufacturing.

Green Dot’s new synthetic leather is made without the use of solvents or glues and is free from phthalates, Bisphenol A and other toxins often found in the soft plastics used for synthetic leathers. And because it’s made with Green Dot’s compostable bioplastic, the material can be composted when its useful life is over.

Terratek Flex GDH-B1 has been independently tested and verified to meet European (EN 13432) and US (ASTM D6400) standards for compostability in an industrial composting facility and has also been found to biodegrade in a home composting environment.

Green Dot has completed initial trials with manufacturing partners in the United States. The new synthetic leather can be made in a wide range of colours, textures and thicknesses with a variety of naturally biodegradable backings. The starch-based bioplastic provides a soft touch and better breathability compared to other synthetic leathers and it is also ideal for printing and can be easily scented to provide further product differentiation.