Know the problem, find the solution 

“So often, most leather is coated in plastic, almost any pair of trainers is, and it's why [the leather] doesn't ruin in the rain,” says Hindmarch. “It’s also why it doesn't biodegrade and leaves plastic in the soil. It's a disaster. It just contributes to landfill.” The use of plastic, combined with the practice of chrome tanning - which inhibits biodegradation, pollutes the environment, and impacts human health – means that leather can take decades to break down, even in favourable conditions. So Hindmarch embarked upon a project: Return to Nature, a collection of biodegradable bags made from fully traceable leather.

“I’ve done a lot of projects around landfill, and it poses the question: there’s no waste in nature, so how does nature get it so right and us humans get it so wrong? So, the Return to Nature project looked at leather and making a handbag that could never end up in landfill,” Hindmarch says.

“We looked at every aspect of the tanning process and worked to find a way to have no chrome in the tanning,” she continues. “We worked with this new technique that doesn’t have chrome called Zeology, which replaces the chrome with zeolite, which is a natural clay process.” Hindmarch and her team explored vegetable tanning too, but found that Zeology tanning provides “fatter hands'' which, in the leather world, means a more plump and luxurious feel. Created by Nera Tanning, Zeology-tanned leather is biodegradable up to 75% after 20 days, compared to just 5% for chrome-tanned leather.

The bags have no metal hardware, which would need to be removed prior to composting, while the threads used to stitch the bag together were chosen as they break down in nature. A particularly crucial step was to replace plastic coating, and for that Hindmarch turned to Activated Silk Technology, a natural substitute for chemical waterproof and stain resistant coatings. “We found that the Activated Silk was amazing and protects the bag,” says Hindmarch of the product, which can be used for everything from food preservation to skincare.

Ironing out the kinks 

Despite the effectiveness of Activated Silk, a little extra protection was still necessary. “On one of the tests, when we thought we'd got there and nailed it, we went out in the rain and the rain spots were seeping through. They leave little black spots. You almost can’t see it, it’s just a tiny watermark, but we felt we needed another barrier, so we worked with this amazing British company called Chambers,” explains Hindmarch. The company, which makes fresh, natural alternatives to everyday products, worked with Hindmarch to create a wax formulated from coconut oil, beeswax, and jojoba. It’s 100% natural (Hindmarch even applies some as lip balm during the interview) and adds an extra layer of protection from rain and water marks.

Tackling trade-offs

The wax can be applied as little or as often as the owner likes, but Hindmarch does note that this is a trade-off. “There's a bit more of an effort. For me, that's such a pleasure, that's the badge of honour of doing something more responsible. But it takes time to persuade people to do that. So that's the trade-off,” she says. However, Hindmarch does also point out that the only reason we no longer wax our bags or polish our shoes like we used to is because of plastic coatings - so a trade-off now could prompt behaviour change in future.

Another trade-off came with the decision to leave the backs of the skins unbuffed and therefore “slightly hairy.” Although a smooth, velvet-like finish is the norm for Anya Hindmarch bags, refraining from buffing and instead leaving that texture allows for water ingress, which accelerates the biodegradation process. “Not to say it wouldn’t break down anyway, but it would take a bit longer and I wanted to really push it and see if I could make a bag that would break down in a sensible timeframe,” says Hindmarch.

The results reflect the effort 

The process of developing the Return to Nature collection took two years, and each product or prototype test cost GBP 3,000 (USD 3,631), but the results of that effort and expense are evident, and proven. Tests to determine the biodegradability of the leather found that it had a relative biodegradability of 89.2% when compared to untreated collagen (i.e. it biodegrades just 10% slower) and that 100% of the sample disintegrated in 45 days in heated conditions. A compostability test showed that the bags are compostable, plus further testing revealed that plants showed 20% stronger growth in soil nourished by Return to Nature leather. The results are impressive, but Hindmarch never intended to simply confine the technology to her own brand.

Sharing the knowledge 

“I have no vested interest because I can make bags out of anything, I can make handbags out of recycled materials, all sorts of things, so it doesn't bother me if I don't use leather at all,” says Hindmarch. So, why go to the trouble? A combination of believing that responsibly reared, responsibly treated leather is part of the solution for soil health and the climate crisis, and having a platform from which to influence others and share innovation.

“Of course, not many people might put their handbags in landfill, but the point is: can you actually make fashion that has an end-of-life designed into it that is not damaging? I think that's really where we need to get to as a North Star,” Hindmarch says. And for that reason, Hindmarch is happy to share the details of her materials, suppliers, processes, and research on the dedicated Return to Nature website page. “We try to do everything, as much as we can, open source. Hopefully people will be inspired and either use the same process or find even better routes. It’s eco over ego,” she says.