ECOFAP project turns leather waste into 3D-printed f - leatherbiz: Lea Leatherbiz

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ECOFAP project turns leather waste into 3D-printed footwear components

12/11/2025
ECOFAP project turns leather waste into 3D-printed footwear components
Spain’s footwear sector is exploring circular economy solutions to cut waste and reduce environmental impact. The ECOFAP project transforms tanned leather scraps from cutting and assembly into fine particles for 3D printing filaments used in soles and heels.

Led by AIMPLAS with Evatalking, Pikolinos, and the Centro Tecnológico del Calzado de La Rioja, the initiative combines waste valorisation with additive manufacturing. The materials are suitable for luxury, sports, orthopaedic, and sustainable footwear, enabling lighter, optimised components while reducing reliance on virgin polymers.

Paula Maestro, engineering researcher at AIMPLAS, said, “Leather scraps are transformed into functional components, turning waste into soles and heels.”

More on ECOFAP can be read in the current issue of World Leather magazine.


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