Frequently Asked
Questions

Material properties

• Is Leap® leather?

  No, the term leather only applies to materials made from animal hides and skin. Leap® looks and feels very similar to leather, even though it's made partly from apple waste. That’s why we don’t call Leap “Apple Leather”, we see Leap® as a next-gen material.

• Is Leap® animal-free?

  Yes, 100%.

• What are the other bio-based ingredients besides the apple?

  Our goal is to produce Leap® with the highest amount of apple waste possible. Besides the apple, the apple waste blend contains natural rubber and other confidential bio-based ingredients.

• Is Leap® plastic-free?

  Leap® is made of three layers, a textile backing, an apple waste blend, and a finishing coating.
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  The coating is partly bio-based and partly made of fossil-fuel derived ingredients. This is a necessity in order to keep the balance between durability and sustainability, but it is in our scope for the near future to make Leap® completely natural.

• Can Leap® be washed?

  No, we don’t recommend washing it. You should care for Leap® as you would for leather, wiping it with a damp cloth.

• What are the current product applications?

  As of now, Leap® is best suited for small leather goods, furniture and interior design and soon the automotive industry.

Technical properties

• How thick is Leap®?

  Leap® comes with a standard thickness of ~1.1mm. We can adjust the thickness according to your needs, f.e. by increasing the thickness of the apple layer.

• In what size is Leap® available?

  Leap® samples are available in ~A5 size (15x15cm). Otherwise Leap comes by the linear meter with a usable width of ~1.45m. Leap is produced on 1.5m wide and 25m long rolls.
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• What are the available textures and colors?

  Leap comes in various colors. Please ask and check for our catalog to get the full overview on which colors are currently available. We will also offer customization of Leap®, available in nearly endless color and texture variations, which comes with a MOQ. Reach out to us to learn more.

• How do you color Leap®?

  We only color the topcoat with pigments. There is neither tanning process nor toxic chemicals present.

• Is Leap® waterproof?

  No, Leap® is resistant to water but it is not waterproof. We recommend cleaning it with a damp cloth, not fully immersing it in water as it may damage the material.

• Is Leap® heat resistant?

  Yes, but we don’t recommend subjecting Leap® to a temperature higher than 90°C for a long period of time.

• Can Leap® be printed?

  Yes, but as it is a finished material with a coating, we cannot guarantee that the material is going to keep its properties after printing.

Production & Processes

• Where is Leap® produced?

  We have a small production facility located near Copenhagen, Denmark. Roll-to-roll production is taking place from at our production facility in Germany, starting with 1.5m wide rolls.

• How is Leap® made?

  To learn more about how Leap is made, please visit this page.

• Is Leap® commercially available?

  Yes! Reach out to orders@beyondleater.dk for our catalog and if you want to learn more about theLeap® ordering process.

Sales & Purchase

Samples

• Do you have samples?

  We do provide  Samples. Learn more about the sample options here.

• Do you have swatches?

  No, we do provide a Sample Box. You can learn more about the content of the Sample Box here.

• Can you provide us with a catalog?

  To receive our catalog, please reach out to us via our contact form or orders@beyondleather.dk.

• What is the lead time to receive a Sample Box, linear meters or a Roll?

  We send out Sample boxes regularly, once a week. The lead time for the linear meters can be between 1-2 weeks. Roll lead time can vary from order to an order, but you can expect 2-6 weeks after payment confirmation. In case you need to know more, please reach out to us via our contact form.

Sales

• How much does Leap® cost?

  The price for the Sample Box is 20€ excl. VAT (plus shipping) Reach out to us to learn more about pricing of Leap® meters and rolls.

• What is the MOQ?

  There is no MOQ for our standard Leap® variation. Each customized version comes with a MOQ and the price varies depending on the customer's requirements.
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  If you would like to learn more, please reach out to us.

• Do you sell to private customers?

  Leap® is only available for registered companies and businesses.

• Do you ship worldwide?

  Yes, we do.

• Can I arrange my own shipping?

  It depends on the order size. Please organize with our commercial team.

• Do you work with distributors?

  No, you can only source Leap® directly from us.

Sustainability

• How does Beyond Leather handle off-cuts and remaining trims during the production process?

  As we're continuously optimizing our production, we are trying to reuse the cut-offs and remaining trims produced, ensuring that every piece of material is utilized to its fullest potential. Instead of discarding, we give them a second life by offering them to students or using them for different testing processes.

• What is the solution for end-of-life?

  Our approach is first of all to create a high quality long lasting product that keeps its properties for many years. We are working towards circularity as we want to collect and reuse as much Leap® as possible to create new products with it. Therefore, it is in our scope for the future, as we are currently talking to our customers to also understand their ideal ways for reusing so that we can create a system that fits well with our customers’ plans as well.

• Could you provide information on the biodegradability of Leap®?

  At the moment, Leap® is not 100% biodegradable.

• From where do you source the apple waste?

  The apple waste is sourced from Danish and European juice and cider producers who process local farmers’ apples into juices.

• Where is the natural rubber sourced from?

  The natural rubber comes from Asia and is FSC certified.

• Can you share what the fossil-fuel-derived element of Leap® is and what percent of the final material it makes up?

  The fossil fuel derived element in Leap® is a part of the uttermost layer, the top coating. Depending on the actual makeup of the material, the fossil fuel derived percentage is between 5% to 11% of the overall weight of Leap®.

• When will the Life Cycle Assessment be conducted and will the findings be made public?

  We've conducted a LCA on both our existing operations and upcoming setups, which serves as a guiding framework, informing our initiatives to scale up our processes with a strong emphasis on circularity. However, we can’t share our LCA publicly, as we’re waiting for a third-party verification. We are committed to transparency and will be happy to share the findings once the review process is completed.

Various

• Do you work with students on projects, internships or thesis?

  We aim to help students as much as we can, but we cannot guarantee that we have the capacity to contribute to every project.

• Are you looking for apple suppliers?

  We stick to our local, European apple pulp suppliers as we like to source ingredients that are closest to our hand. Therefore, we don’t look for new suppliers on at the moment.

• Can you recommend a manufacturer that can make products for us with Leap®?

  Yes, we can put you in contact with various manufacturers.