Searching for a biodegradable faux leather? For decades, performance vinyls and faux leathers have been essential materials in commercial interiors, valued for their durability and cleanability. Yet recycling faux leather remains a complex global challenge.
At Materialised, we work closely with Textile Recyclers Group (TRG) to recycle a large portion of our production offcuts, including standard polyester, waterproof polyester and acoustic panels. At this stage, faux leathers are not able to be processed through these recycling streams. This is a limitation shared across the industry worldwide.
If circularity is a non-negotiable requirement for your project, we can now offer a new generation of coated upholstery. Designed not only for high performance in demanding commercial environments, these faux leathers provide a more considered end-of-life story.
100% Hyphyn™
Terrapebble and Terraleather are crafted from Hyphyn™, an innovative material engineered to perform during its service life and biodegrade at the end of it. The result is a responsible alternative to conventional vinyl upholstery for architects, designers, manufacturers and specifiers seeking materials that align with evolving sustainability expectations.
Performance That Doesn’t Outstay Its Welcome
Traditional vinyl upholstery can persist in landfill for generations. Hyphyn™ takes a different approach.
How?
Within the material is a patented enzyme system that remains dormant while the product is in use. When the material ultimately reaches the anaerobic conditions of a landfill, those enzymes activate, enabling the vinyl and backing to break down by more than 90% within approximately 24 months.
For specifiers navigating the complexities of material sustainability, this represents a meaningful shift: a performance upholstery designed with its entire lifecycle in mind.
Introducing Terrapebble
Terrapebble offers a softly grained surface inspired by natural pebble leather. The texture provides visual depth while remaining subtle enough to integrate easily across a broad range of interior schemes.
Its refined grain helps conceal wear in high-traffic settings while delivering the tactile appeal designers expect from premium faux leather.
Introducing Terraleather
Where Terrapebble offers texture, Terraleather delivers the classic look of smooth upholstery leather with a clean, contemporary surface.
Both are ideal for:
- Healthcare and aged care seating
- Hospitality banquette upholstery
- Workplace breakout and collaboration spaces
- Education environments
- Feature seating
- Lounge and guest seating
- Hospitality and hotel interiors
- Corporate and workplace environments
Built for the Realities of Commercial Interiors
Terrapebble and Terraleather are engineered for the environments where durability matters most. Alongside their sustainability credentials, both offer the performance expected in contract applications:
- High abrasion resistance
- Superior stain resistance
- Bleach-cleanable surfaces for hygiene-critical settings
- Excellent colourfastness
- Compliance with key flammability standards
This balance of design flexibility, durability and cleanability ensures they are equally suited to healthcare, hospitality, workplace, education and public environments.
Rethinking the Lifecycle of Materials
Sustainability conversations in the design industry have traditionally focused on recycled content or material reduction. Increasingly, however, attention is turning to what happens after a product’s useful life.
Terrapebble and Terraleather represent an important step in that direction, acknowledging that performance materials must also account for their environmental legacy.
For those seeking upholstery solutions that combine specification-grade performance with progressive material thinking, these new biodegradable faux leathers offer a compelling alternative.
Performance upholstery designed for today’s interiors, and tomorrow’s expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What makes these faux leathers biodegradable?
A proprietary enzyme system that lies dormant while the textile is in use.
2. Does that compromise it being commercial grade?
Absolutely not. Materialised only works with commercial-grade, fit-for-purpose, fire retardant products. The extraordinary Terraleather and Terrapebble products still offer high abrasion resistance as well as being biodegradable.
3. In what environment does it biodegrade?
The vinyl will not degrade until it’s in anaerobic landfill conditions, where its enzymes interact with landfill-specific microorganisms to break the material down into organic matter.
4. If 90% biodegrades after 24 months, what happens to the other 10%?
These products were tested to 90% biodegradation within a 2-year period. At that point the testing ceased, to be able to continue with the other sustainability testing (such as soil health). Had testing continued, the material would have continued to biodegrade, due to nature of the enzymes and the rapid degradation they achieved.
5. Are any harmful chemicals released during the biodegrading process?
The process leaves no microplastics or toxic residues, converting the material into inert gases that can be captured and used as energy in modern landfill systems. In fact, tests show it even leaves soil healthier than before.
Beyond biodegradation and soil safety, Hyphyn™ has been tested for incineration and dioxin release. When incinerated, Hyphyn emits over 99.5% less dioxin than conventional vinyl and offers another safe, responsible, end-of-life option.
6. What tests have been carried out on these products?
- Biodegradation Testing – ASTM D5511
- Material Safety and Post-Biodegradation Soil Testing – Eurofins Chem ST
- Soil Health Test – ASTM E1963 PYMS Plant Germination and Soil Toxicology Analysis
- Incineration Testing – NIEA M801.13B Dioxin Content Analysis
- Indoor Air Quality Testing – California Department of Public Health Section 01350
Learn more through our Project Sales Managers by booking an appointment to see the collection, or login to your trade account to order samples online.
About the Author: Catherine McGowan
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