18 October 2021

What if you could repurpose used flowers to something unique? Phool.co, a sustainable and eco-friendly company, is all set to dive into creating alternate leather that could change the fashion game. And with funding, the RnD has been skyrocketing.

Alia Bhatt is now an investor in the D2C brand Phool. Phool is focused on creating a circular economy that converts floral waste into incense and other wellness products. The company collects used flowers from religious and other places for its raw material. India produces around eight lakh tons of flower waste every year, which is a perfect solution to curb it. The company has also recently developed bio-leather by chance called 'Fleather.' The company took a year and a half to get the texture right. This is sure to revolutionize the sustainable fashion industry. 

Image Source: Economic Times

The company now has a new investor, a well-known face from Bollywood, Alia Bhatt. In a statement, Alia Bhatt said, "Phool incense stands out for its fine natural fragrances and amazing packaging. I admire the founder's vision of making incense and bio-leather from recycled flowers that contribute to keeping our rivers clean, creating a humane alternative to leather, and providing employment to women in India's heartland."

Phool has constantly been achieving 130% YoY growth, and this investment is just a significant boost for the company to expand its operations and RnD. Earlier, the company raised around $2 Million as seed funding. 

From Flowers to Haute Couture

The creation of Fleather has put 'sustainable fashion' on top again. This is an excellent opportunity to change the fashion game. Phool has also presented 'Fleather' in Lakme Fashion Week, and was awarded PETA's Best Innovation in the Vegan World. Fleather stands as a single solution to fight both animal exploitation and river pollution. The process of making Fleather takes around 13 days. The product is said to have the same look, touch, and feel as that of original leather. 

Image source: New India  Express

Talking about this, Ankit Agarwal, the founder, said, "At Phool.co we aim to drive systemic change through innovation. Alia's investment sets us on a path to build a global success story from a tier 3 city. The investment and support will help us expand our footprint globally and also step up the pace of RnD. I can proudly say, Phool.co is a business built, led, and now even invested in by women."

Giving waste flowers a new form

“Intrigued by the formation of a leather-like white layer on unused piles of flowers, our R&D team discovered the growth of a microorganism which used flower petals as a nutritional source”, says Ankit Agarwal, Co-Founder of Phool.

He also adds, “Leather contains collagen which provides it strength and durability, whereas Fleather has chitin, a kind of protein, that gives it the same properties. Collagen and chitin are natural analogs, making Fleather a perfect substitute for leather.”

So how is Phool.co converting waste flowers to vegan leather? Flowers dumped in the rivers or other places are not free of dirt and other elements. At Phool, the process of repurposing starts with hands.

Image Source: Verve Magazine

Daisy, marigold, and rose are the most commonly found flower waste readily available across various religious places. The flowers are brought to the unit and are segregated as per their species. They are then sprayed with organic bioculum that will offset the chemical residue. The flowers are then washed, crushed, and sundried. The water used in this is utilized for vermicomposting.

The sun-dried petals are then fermented to form a thick fibrous mat. The technique used is plasticization that results in the making of Fleather. It takes about four months to create a multi-layered Fleather sheet. For one square meter, around 73kgs of flower waste is used. Phool is currently in talking terms with various global brands to provide Fleather sheets that will readily be available in at least three colors in size of 5X5 feet.

Using Fleather for accessories and fashion

Fleather has a striking resemblance to original leather in terms of look, feel, and texture. The current version of Fleather can be used to make everyday items like wallets, upholstery, jackets, bags, and other decorative items.

For products prone to wear and tear, like shoes, a thicker version is needed, which can be achieved through multi-layering. To mark Fleather safe for consumer use, the product will undergo skin sensitization response at the Institute of Industrial Research and Toxicology. 

One important thing to note is that there is no use of hydrofluorocarbons in the making process, making it a much better and sustainable option.

The Impact

With Phool, 7600kg of waste flowers and 97kg of toxic chemicals are stopped from polluting our rivers. By investing in innovations, celebrities are paving the way to development in sustainable products and supporting vegan fashion.

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Also Read: Leather Made Out of Fruit Waste? Yes, Please!