TEXTILE

Eco-Friendly,
Leather-like Textile

Gelatex has invented the first eco-friendly leather-like material that is 100% non-toxic, made of waste and is easily scalable.

 

It is made from gelatin nanofibers by up-cycling meat industry waste, an abundant and under-valued resource.

 

It is a unique material, different from any other, but closest to suede or leather.

Gelatex x Stella Soomlais

The relationship with Estonia's most well-known fully circular leather bags and accessories brand Stella Soomlais was established in the early days of Gelatex in 2016. Stella Soomlais designers and crafters have tested the material multiple times in the manufacture of different products and are continuously giving us valuable feedback.                                                               

Website: https://www.stellasoomlais.com/

"What really caught my attention about Gelatex was its many positive sides such as sustainability, constant quality and that it            comes in rolls."                       

 

–Anna Lehmusniemi

Founder & Designer at NO/AN

"What excites me the most about Gelatex is the scalability and even topography of the material, which in other words means smaller leftover percentage"

–Stella Runnel

Founder & Designer at Stella Soomlais

Interested in samples or collaboration?

Benefits of Gelatex Leather-like Textile

Upcycled

Redesigned from
livestock waste

Breathable

Structure of the mesh creates porous material

Sustainable

No toxic chemicals, little energy and water used in production

Lightweight

Thickness and weight can be customized

Comes in Rolls

Reduces material waste and saves your time

Stable Quality

No scratches, no thickness variations

Cost Competitive

Zero Waste

Quick automated production keeps the cost down

There is no wastewater or solid waste from Gelatex production 

The Process: From Waste To Textile

Re-Direct

01

Our core component is gelatin— a versatile yet undervalued byproduct of the livestock industry.

Gelatin Production

The livestock industry uses only 60% of slaughtered animals for meat. The other 40% is often discarded.

Re-Directed

Discarded waste includes bones, skin scraps and tendons that can be used to make gelatin – a natural versatile protein. Over 5 million tons of this material is currently incinerated in the EU only. 

Gelatex Platform

At Gelatex, we use the gelatin that is upcycled from this waste as a core component of our natural, safe, and sustainable materials.

Spin

02

Gelatin is mixed into a solution. We then use a proprietary method of spinning gelatin into insoluble nanofibrous mesh.

We mix a solution from gelatin

Then spin

nano-fibers

To build non-woven mesh

Formulate

Once the mesh is created, the structure becomes a perfect base that can be processed further to suit diverse applications and industries.

The mesh is  finished with sustainable ingredients 

03

And laminated with cotton for durability

Creating a Sustainable Leather-like Textile 

Photo gallery

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Building automated production line

We are currently building a fully automated pilot production line that would enable to produce Gelatex material in continuous line with stable quality.

FAQ

Can you send the technical data sheet?

Please write us at info@gelatex.com and we will try to provide you as much information about the material as we can. However, please understand that the product is currently in development and the properties of the material are constantly changing.



What kinds of colours do you have? Can you colour the material?

The natural color of the material is beige or light camel. But the coolest part with coloring the material is that we can add the coloring pigments inside the solution before we make the fibers. This means that there is no wastewater from dyeing process, the material is coloured in the same way thoroughly and the color does not fade off that easily. We have now light camel, grass green, salmon pink, dusty grey, and night black as color options.



How is Gelatex made?

Gelatex is made of gelatin - a natural protein derived from the waste created in the meat or leather industries. Our proprietary process includes preparing a solution from gelatin, making the nano-fibrous non-woven mesh, laminating it with cotton and finishing with sustainable ingredients to offer durability and final touch. Please see the process description earlier on this page.



What is the composition of Gelatex textile?

Final composition varies depending on thicknesses and treatments that we are working on but approximate one is 80% gelatin, 10% cotton, 3% glucose, 7% other additives. The main component gelatin is a natural protein upcycled from the meat industry waste. Currently we use pig origin gelatin, but it is possible to use also fish origin gelatin or even gelatin that is produced in the lab without animals.



How can I buy Gelatex?

We are working now on pilot production line and durability improvements to get material quality and production capacity stable. The material is currently available for selected brands interested in co-development. Please get in touch for more information.



What makes Gelatex material sustainable?

Gelatex is made from gelatin - a natural protein derived from the waste of meat processing industry that otherwise would be incinerated. Just in Estonia - a country of only 1.3 million people where we are coming from - over 2 million square meters of Gelatex material could be made each year if upcycling the waste that currently gets incinerated. You can just imagine what is the impact in the whole world.
 Gelatex production process is also fully automated and very efficient, using 78% less energy and 28% less water than leather production. There are no toxic chemicals used in the production process. Also, as colour pigments are added before we create the fibers, it means that there is also no wastewater from the dyeing process which is usually the most polluting in textile or leather industries.



Can I get samples?

As we have limited production capacity now, we do not send out free samples at the moment. We would like to get to know you and your plans better and then we can discuss the options. Please get in touch by sending us e-mail to info@gelatex.com or fill in the form below.



Is Gelatex waterproof?

Gelatex is water resistant, but not waterproof.



I have a project idea. Can we collaborate?

We are always interested in testing our material on new products or collaborating with you on projects that share same values with us. Please get in touch!



 

Join us to develop it further!

Get in touch to ask about collaboration possibilities.