It is different, new, both to the touch and to the eye. It is a paper made with 25 per cent leather, 30 per cent recycled cellulose and 45 per cent virgin raw material, both certified FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). Produced by Favini, a paper mill based in Rossano Veneto in the province of Vicenza, Remake is an excellent example of what is meant by circular economy: a product that was previously considered waste, today becomes available again for a new cycle, replacing raw materials that would otherwise have to be extracted, processed and transported. With a considerable environmental impact.

Remake, an example of circular economy

"The circular economy, in which our country is a leader, is based on the development of the reuse and recycling of materials and products, thus reducing the extraction of natural resources and raw materials from the environment," declared the Under-Secretary for the Environment, Silvia Velo last February, confirming the efforts that many Italian companies make to innovate and grow. "An efficient use of resources, in fact, represents the cornerstone of the new European strategy defined in the recent 'Action Plan' for the circular economy that the European Parliament is about to discuss."

In this case, a by-product from another industrial sector is being reused — one that would otherwise end up in landfill — creating a versatile material with entirely new characteristics. "In the design and production process we sought to give value to the residues from the leather goods supply chain from a circular economy perspective," explains Achille Monegato, head of research and development at Favini. "On one hand, the upcycling of a low-value by-product such as leather residues, to be used in place of tree cellulose for the production of fine papers. On the other, the development of a paper with characteristics such as compostability, biodegradability, bulk (paper volume) and special tactile properties."

Remake combines two fibres with different characteristics

An unusual, exclusive process, during which the fibres had to be separated from the leather residues and a process developed using both, despite their differences. "As regards the composition of leather, it is made up of clusters of fibres called collagen. Collagen fibres share many similarities with cellulose fibres and can be separated — a process called 'fibre elementarisation' — exclusively through physical processes. We used a specific technique available in other industrial sectors, succeeding in obtaining fibres with dimensions and characteristics comparable to the cellulosic ones used in paper production," explains Monegato. "Once the collagen fibres were obtained, we addressed the subsequent stage of paper production using the technologies in use in the sector, but introducing some variations. It was a matter of combining two types of fibres with different chemical characteristics, but with a similar morphology."

The result is the birth of a new material: biodegradable, recyclable and circular.