CM Rajesh (left), Scientist-D, SPDDC, CSIR-CLRI and Sachin Sharma, Technical Assistant, AML, CSIR-CLRI with products created from coffee husk at the CSIR-CLRI Lab, Chennai.
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Rice straw left behind after harvesting, wheat residue often burnt in fields, banana and mango waste discarded after processing, and coffee husk generated during bean processing may seem unlikely ingredients for a handbag or wallet. But scientists at CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI), Chennai, are working to transform these agricultural residues into leather-like materials.The Institute’s latest initiative centres on coffee husk. On August 27, CSIR-CLRI signed a licensing agreement with Bengaluru-based start-up Husk & Hide to transfer its technology for producing leather-like material from coffee-processing waste.The development adds coffee husk to a growing list of bio-resources being explored as alternatives to conventional leather and synthetic materials. Coffee processing alone produces significant volumes of husk. With India producing around 3.5 lakh tonnes of coffee annually, more than one lakh tonnes of coffee husk is generated during processing.For such waste streams, disposal can be a challenge. Residues are often burnt, buried, sent to landfills or used as low-value fuel. CSIR-CLRI is attempting to change that equation by treating agricultural waste as a potential industrial raw material.“There is a lot of waste generated from agricultural practices, and the idea is to use that as a raw material and convert it into a leather-like material,” P Thanikaivelan, Director, CSIR-CLRI, told businessline.The institute began developing the broader technology around 2020. By 2022-23, it had developed the process and started transferring the technology to companies for different raw materials, including rice and wheat straw. Some of the early technology takers were start-ups in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.CM Rajesh, Scientist-D at the Shoe & Product Design and Development Centre of CSIR-CLRI, who has been involved in the coffee husk project, said the concept is already finding commercial applications. A Mumbai-based company has developed leather-like products, including wallets, using mango pulp, while another company is making carry bags from rice straw, he said.The process involves converting agricultural residues into sheet-like materials, followed by drying, surface coating and embossing. The embossing gives the material a grain pattern similar to conventional leather, allowing it to be used for products such as bags, wallets, belts and open footwear.The technology does not require the addition of conventional animal leather. Agro residues are processed with eco-friendly chemicals before being converted into sheets and finished to achieve the desired appearance and properties.Natural leather depends largely on hides and skins generated as a by-product of the meat industry, while PU and PVC-based alternatives pose disposal and biodegradability challenges. Agro-based materials offer a third possibility—using renewable biological resources to create higher-value products.The materials are expected to be more expensive than synthetic leather but cheaper than genuine leather, said Thanikaivelan. The initial focus is therefore likely to be lifestyle and fashion products, while applications such as automotive interiors and high-end upholstery will require further development, he adds.Published on September 7, 2026
