Led by AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, in collaboration with Pikolinos, Evatalking, and the Footwear Technology Centre of La Rioja (CTCR), the project is supported by Spain’s Ministry of Science and the EU Next Generation funds.

Spain’s Valencian Community, which produces 65% of the nation’s shoes, generates approximately 3,500 tonnes of leather waste annually. ECOFAP aims to transform this waste into new materials for use in 3D printing, particularly for footwear components like soles and heels. This approach aims to reduce waste, lower the industry’s carbon footprint, and aligns with increasing demand for customisation in manufacturing.

The project focuses on breaking down leather scraps into particles smaller than 10 microns, enabling them to be combined with polymers to produce 3D-printable filaments. This process, though technically demanding due to the elastic nature of collagen fibres in leather, represents a significant step towards sustainable innovation in the footwear sector.

image AIMPLAS