8 CEFEM: A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO LEATHER BIOMA Lab has developed a truly sustainable alternative to leather with CeFem. It is 100% biobased, made from bacterial cellulose (from kombucha, for example) and has similar properties to leather: soft, flexible, strong and water-repellent. The name CeFem refers to Cellulose, Fermentation and ‘Feminine’, because the company is run by women. “Leather is a labor-intensive product, for which many chemicals are used and animals are killed”, says Charlotte van Alem, founder of BIOMA Lab. “Also, many plants and trees are used to make textiles and paper out of cellulose. This negatively impacts the environment and climate. We believe that cellulose via fermentation will become the raw material of the future. It’s circular and can be made locally.” The decision to start CeFem, and so focus on leather, is very deliberate. “With bacterial cellulose you can also make packaging, or textiles. But we find leather more interesting”, says Yvonne Das, co-owner. “So far, only plastic has been seen as an alternative to leather. Then it’s called ‘vegan leather’, which is just greenwashing and fosil-based. We want to change that.” Bram Visscher of HAN BioCentre at the bioreactor
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