New Delhi: Students of Delhi University's Ramjas College have developed vegan leather from discarded banana peels and will receive the Youth Changemakers for Animals Award from PETA India, according to an official statement.
The student members of Enactus Ramjas, a group working on sustainability and community development through entrepreneurial initiatives, spent nearly a year developing the banana-peel-based material, which they have named "Sehar", the statement said.
The material is durable and flexible and aims to give discarded fruit peels a second life while providing an alternative to animal-derived leather, according to PETA India.
Kanishka Yadav, president of Enactus Ramjas, said the students were motivated by concerns over the treatment of animals used for leather as well as the environmental problems associated with discarded fruit waste.
"The poor conditions endured by cows and buffaloes during transport and in slaughterhouses deeply affected us and inspired us to look for a compassionate alternative to animal leather," Yadav said in the statement.
"At the same time, through our work in waste management, we saw the environmental challenges posed by discarded fruit peels. Bringing these concerns together led us to create Sehar, a durable vegan leather that transforms waste into something valuable while helping spare animals from suffering," she said.
According to the statement, the students experimented with fruit waste before developing the banana-peel material and worked with faculty members while refining the process.
PETA India Director of Corporate Affairs Ashima Kukreja said the students' work demonstrated how food waste could be converted into an alternative material while addressing concerns related to animal use.
"By creating an innovative material from food waste, these students have shown that young people know future businesses must incorporate animal and environmental protection," Kukreja said in the statement.
PETA India said leather production involves the use of chemicals during the tanning process and that waste from tanneries can affect waterways and people living and working around such facilities.
The organisation also said animals used for leather in India can face overcrowding and injuries during transportation before being taken to slaughterhouses.
The statement said alternatives to animal leather are increasingly being developed from materials including pineapple leaves, cork, fruit waste, recycled plastics, mushrooms, mulberry leaves, teak leaves, coconut waste and tomato composites.
PETA India also cited pineapple-leather production being considered in Meghalaya as an example of plant-based alternatives that can create opportunities for farmers.
The students' work is being recognised ahead of International Youth Day, observed on August 12, according to the statement.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.