Been London unveils handbag made of brewery waste

British accessories brand Been London has collaborated with London-based materials start-up Arda Biomaterials to develop a snakeskin-style handbag crafted from spent grain sourced locally from London’s ‘Beer Mile’ in Bermondsey.

The new version of Been’s bestselling ‘Millais’ shoulder bag marks the first to debut Arda’s pioneering leather-like material, animal and plastic-free material, ‘New Grain’ engineered using leftover plant proteins in spent grain from London breweries.

‘New Grain’ is described as “an extraordinary next-generation material,” and aims to offer a leather-like appearance with the same luxurious feel and premium quality, while turning a globally abundant byproduct of the beer brewing and whisky distilling industries into something new.

Arda states that by bypassing animal-derived materials, ‘New Grain’ “significantly enhances resource efficiency while achieving unique qualities unattainable by animal skins”. The fabric is crafted from the ground up, allowing for customisability in patterns, thickness, colours, elasticity, flexibility, and scents.

In addition, the production process generates 97 percent fewer CO2 emissions compared to traditional leather and avoids the harmful tanning process, contributing to a cleaner environment and zero microplastics.

Been London collaborates with materials start-up Arda Biomaterials

The handbag is the first item in a forthcoming collection of accessories, which will include wallets, laptop cases, and more bag styles, launching later this year.

Edward TJ Mitchell, chief technology officer of Arda, said in a statement: “We’re extremely proud to see our partnership with Been materialise into the first tangible product made from New Grain.

“The concept bag is the culmination of continuous R&D, where we experimented with various thicknesses, colours, patterns, material flexibility, designs, and more. Been’s expertise working with innovative materials enabled us to transform our next-gen material into a finished product in record time.”

Genia Mineeva, founder of Been London, added: “Collaborating with Arda has been a fantastic experience. This partnership allows us to pioneer new materials and lead the charge in circular design and sustainable fashion.

“As a brand making premium products entirely from materials that would otherwise be discarded, we’re really excited about the possibilities of Arda’s innovation. The New Grain handbag is just the beginning of what we can achieve together.”