Life-cycle assessment of Bioleather1

Abstract

Modern Meadow (MM) has developed an innovative class of next-generation materials, called Bioleather1 (BL1). BL1 is powered by MM's BIO-ALLOY™ technology platform that leverages molecular-level interactions between protein molecules and bio-based polymers to enable enhanced material performance characteristics. BL1 is designed with the intent of reducing environmental impacts, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in the materials sector. BL1 also supports development of new sustainable technologies, like the BIO-ALLOY™, that can nourish the materials world and, more indirectly, adjacent industrial sectors like food, fuel and other bio-based consumer products.This report details key environmental impacts associated with the production of BL1. The following impact categories were identified as most critical to assess for BL1: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, non-renewable energy consumption, eutrophication potential, land use, and blue water consumption. These categories were determined not only to be pinch points across the materials industry, but also areas where significant reductions in impacts would help combat climate change and preserve critical resources globally. These categories are assessed through a cradle-to-material gate attributional life cycle assessment (aLCA) of BL1 in accordance with ISO 14040/14044 framework for conducting LCAs.BL1 is designed to perform well in applications that use traditional leather or polyurethane-based synthetic leathers. Thus, these materials are used as references to identify important environmental impact categories for the materials industry, and as references to compare the environmental impacts of BL1 to the incumbents. The aLCA results show that the base case BL1 model reduces GHG emissions by nearly 80% and 21% compared to conventional leather and synthetic leather, respectively. Primary energy from non-renewable resources is also reduced by 50% compared to leather, and by 18% compared to synthetic leather. These results show BL1 is capable of significantly mitigating climate change if widely adopted in the materials industry. BL1 also reduces eutrophication potential, land use and blue water consumption impacts by over 95% compared to traditional leather. These ecosystem impacts are higher for BL1 than for conventional synthetic leather mainly because BL1 uses crop-derived inputs. Their agricultural footprint drives BL1 impacts in these categories and highlights the need to carefully select and responsibly source bio-based inputs.Consequential and indirect environmental impacts of BL1 production and adoption are not captured in the aLCA. BL1 enables a move to bio-based inputs and corresponding technology and infrastructure that will help society shift away from petrochemical and animal supply chains both for materials, and for other consumer products, including fuels. In this way, the positive environmental impacts of BL1 go beyond what is captured in the aLCA.