From Food Waste to Textiles: Peelsphere by Youyang Song.

Designed by Berlin-based textile designer Youyang Song, Peelsphere is a truly circular material made from fruit waste and algae. This 100% biodegradable material offers a new alternative to natural and synthetic leather within a very pretty package.

Designed to tackle the widespread food waste problem, a range of discarded fruit is transformed into usable products—from orange and banana peel to soybean. Youyang uses advanced material engineering to create a new textile that is adaptable and aesthetically pleasing.

The material follows nature’s lead, with the final products of Peelsphere existing in a closed-loop ecosystem that can be infinitely recycled. This follows Youyang’s vision of a business model with zero-waste and zero-pollution guidelines. “I’m passionate about biomaterial research and sustainable development. My purpose is to inspire and contribute to a better planet with new eco-friendly materials and sustainable strategies,” Youyang elaborates.

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Sitting at the intersection of design, aesthetics, and material science, this sustainable material focuses on the renewability of plants. Peelsphere is a flexible and waterproof material that can be embroidered, sewn together, silk printed, laser cut and is strong to boot. The material has already been used in a range of applications from handbags and totes to decorative objects, biodegradable buttons, and room dividers.

Youyang has collaborated with Oatly and Mercedes on special projects and has won the German Sustainability Award. She ultimately hopes to inspire new methods and mindsets and challenge our existing food waste system. Watch this space.

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[Images courtesy of Youyang Song.]