1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,600 Speaker 1: What to do with old Kiwi fruit? Will you take 2 00:00:01,639 --> 00:00:03,560 Speaker 1: the byproduct, you process it, and you turn it into 3 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: a leather alternative. Yes, we are delving into the world 4 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:10,480 Speaker 1: of biomaterials here. Shelley Houston, founder of Kiwi Leather Innovations, 5 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: as well as Shelley good morning, Good morning. 6 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:13,840 Speaker 2: How are you. 7 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: I'm extremely well as I read your story. You're sitting 8 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:19,599 Speaker 1: at home in Papamoa. Your son, who works in Kiwi Fruit, 9 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 1: brings a whole bunch of this stuff home. You make 10 00:00:21,720 --> 00:00:23,960 Speaker 1: a lot of baking and then you think, I'm sick 11 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:25,759 Speaker 1: of baking this stuff? What else can I do with it? 12 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:27,680 Speaker 1: Next thing you know, you've got the leather alternative. Is 13 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:28,320 Speaker 1: that how it worked? 14 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,000 Speaker 2: Yes, pretty much, that's the way it worked. I used 15 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:34,440 Speaker 2: to have a makeup brand that I started in my 16 00:00:34,520 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: kitchen as well. And there's just a bit of chemistry 17 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 2: is a bit of a hobby of mine. So I'd 18 00:00:40,200 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 2: seen overseas that they were already creating other biomaterials off 19 00:00:45,360 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 2: grapes and mangoes and pineapples capped as anything like that 20 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 2: you can find. So I give it a go with 21 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: the good old Kiwi fruit. 22 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: What do you need physically to take the kiwi fruit, 23 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: put it into what that does what to give you 24 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: the alternative to leather. 25 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 2: There's lots of different ways that you can do it, 26 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,320 Speaker 2: so I'm still kind of experimenting with that at the moment. 27 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 2: But yeah, there's there's a few little tips and tricks 28 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,480 Speaker 2: that they give you, some different ways of putting in 29 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 2: plastics and regiments and stuff like that, so I'm avoiding 30 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: all that side of it. Some use polyester as a backing, 31 00:01:23,040 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 2: so I won't be doing that either. I can't really 32 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 2: say too much about what's in it, but I can 33 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 2: tell you what's not in it. And is it no? 34 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: But you but you've got it. You've got a secret recipe. 35 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: You've got a thing that you know what it is, 36 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: and you could you know how it can be made? Yes, okay, 37 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 1: what's the mathematical equation? How much of the old kiwi 38 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: fruit do you need to make, say a square meter 39 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: of the leather alternative. 40 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 2: It's about five hundred grands, is that all? Yeah? Well, 41 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 2: at the moment to make to make half a square meter. 42 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:03,240 Speaker 1: Gosh, So that's being for buck in that case, isn't it. 43 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: You're making a lot of leather alternative with comparatively, I 44 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 1: didn't visits. You needed a skip load of the stuff 45 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: and it sort of breaks down and then the next 46 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 1: thing you know, you've got a small piece of leather 47 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: out the end. 48 00:02:14,200 --> 00:02:16,920 Speaker 2: Not quite but yeah, almost like that. There is a 49 00:02:16,960 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 2: lot of waste out there, a lot of byproducts, so 50 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:23,640 Speaker 2: usually it goes through to big stuff for cows. So 51 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 2: there's definitely a lot more available than I thought there was. 52 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,040 Speaker 2: But we're still kind of getting through the process of 53 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 2: missing it up and trying different techniques to get it 54 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:33,840 Speaker 2: out the other end. 55 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: What are you going to do with it? You're going 56 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: to make leather pants? What are you going to do. 57 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,400 Speaker 2: Clothing? Shoes? I really want to get it into automotive, 58 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:45,359 Speaker 2: So tensilers know now only to use captives leather BSW 59 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: users capture some pineapple and mushroom leathers. Suddenly leavers really 60 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:52,839 Speaker 2: popular at the moment, and it's a great one. 61 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: Do you know if anyone else is doing this. 62 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 2: In New Zealand? I keeped from protech is doing with 63 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 2: sundy leather. YEP, so him and I, you. 64 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: And Keith started Yeah, yeah, you and Keith have got 65 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 1: the alternative leather market stitched up. 66 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 2: No pun intended we have we definitely have good on you. 67 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: Well, we'll stay in touch, Shelley. I think it's fantastic 68 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: by products into something else, and there's a lot of 69 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: that that car idea. I love because there's a lot 70 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 1: of that stuff going on. It's sort of super cool 71 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:24,200 Speaker 1: not to have leather anymore, and you know it's made 72 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:28,080 Speaker 1: of a pop plant or whatever it was beforehand. For 73 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news talks. 74 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,760 Speaker 1: It'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast 75 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.