Nagano’s apple leather wallet launched to reduce waste

SORENA Corporation, which aims to contribute to environmental actions and create new industries in areas with shrinking populations, began selling wallets made of apple leather. Their signature Ringo Leather® is a synthetic leather that effectively utilizes apple pomace from the apple juice- and cider-making process in Iiami Town, Nagano. Despite being derived from plants, it is as durable and water-resistant as conventional synthetic leather.

Though struggling with shrinking population, Iiami Town produces very tasty apples, with about 1% of the nation’s production. Inspired by the town’s effort to “continue to make local assets shine without waste,” SORENA initiated this apple leather project. They launched the crowdfunding site Makuake on December 22, 2022 for a limited time.