CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI), Chennai, has created a leather-like material using coffee husk waste. India produces about 3.5 lakh tonnes of coffee a year, leaving around 1 lakh tonnes of husk. The husk is turned into a matrix with plant-derived materials and then coloured, coated and embossed. The process follows a zero-liquid and zero-solid-waste discharge approach. The material can be used for bags, wallets, footwear and notebook covers, and is meant to replace petroleum-based synthetics such as PU and PVC, not genuine leather.