Manufacturing of Sustainable Leather-Alternative Material from Recycled LDPE Plastic Bags for Consumer Products

Plastic waste has become one of the major environmental challenges worldwide due to the extensive use of single-use plastic bags and the slow degradation rate of plastic materials. Simultaneously, the leather industry contributes to environmental pollution and animal exploitation through conventional leather production processes. This research presents a sustainable and low-cost method for converting waste Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) plastic bags into durable and flexible sheet material that can be used as an alternative to conventional leather. In this process, waste LDPE plastic bags are collected, cleaned using warm water, stacked in multiple layers, and processed through a heat press machine at a temperature of 155°C. The material undergoes two heat-pressing cycles of 15 seconds each under normal machine pressure. The resulting sheet exhibits flexibility, durability, and processability suitable for manufacturing products such as wallets, pouches, bags, and sneakers. The developed material provides an eco-friendly approach to plastic waste management while reducing dependency on animal leather. The proposed method is economical, simple, scalable, and suitable for small-scale as well as industrial production. This research demonstrates the potential of recycled LDPE sheets as a sustainable material for consumer product manufacturing.