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13. IMPLICATIONS + APPLICATIONS: SACRED SCRAPS/SAGRADA SANGRE

SS by Aleksandra Piotrowska

WHAT

what is SACRED SCRAPS?

SACRED SCRAPS is a project that takes slaughterhouse by-products such as blood, bones (in the form of gelatin), and skin (leather scraps) to create innovative contemporary biomaterials. The project aims to bridge the gap between the leather industry and the biomaterial industry, two sectors often seen as standing in binary opposition. While both stand for sustainability, they approach it from fundamentally different perspectives, leading to misunderstandings and missed opportunities for collaboration.

The leather industry emphasizes reusing existing by-products, such as leather derived from the meat industry, arguing that creating new biomaterials contradicts sustainability principles by introducing additional processes and materials that often require new disposal systems and infrastructure to degrade. On the other hand, the biomaterial industry focuses on developing renewable alternatives that are biodegradable, regenerative, and align with circular economy models, viewing traditional leather as a perpetuation of harmful practices associated with animal agriculture. This divide has created tension between the industries, even though they share a common goal: reducing environmental impact and fostering more sustainable practices.

SACRED SCRAPS seeks to challenge this difference in perspective by showing how innovative biomaterials can harmonize the values of both industries, leveraging the strengths of each to create a more integrated and sustainable future.

WHY

why does this matter?

The leather industry produces millions of tons of by-products annually, much of which goes to waste. This project challenges traditional waste practices and promotes a circular economy, rethinking how by-products like blood and bones can be utilized to create new materials.

hidden waste:

    𖡎 17 million tons of animal by-products are generated annually in Europe, much of which remains unused.
    𖡎 Blood and gelatin account for 6–8% of an animal’s body weight, representing untapped material potential.

WHERE

where will this be implemented?

The project is centered at the intersection of sustainability and material innovation, with possible applications in:

    𖡎 fashion (my main focus)
    𖡎 architecture
    𖡎 art

WHEN

when will it take shape?

The project will follow a timeline:

    𖡎 JANUARY: collaboration with a local farm; material research and initial prototyping.
    𖡎 FEBRUARY: prototyping and refining biomaterials; developing an idea for fashion piece design.
    𖡎 MARCH: final product development, pitch and presentation.

HOW

how does it work?

SACRED SCRAPS transforms blood, bones (gelatine), and leather scraps into biomaterials through drying, powdering, blending, and shredding teckniques. My plan is to try to implement 3D-printed molds in order to give shape to the materials. The final material must be versatile, durable, and customizable* for various applications, especially the fashion industry.

MANIFESTO

I have decided to rename my project from SACRED SCRAPS to SAGRADA SANGRE. The reason for this is my ongoing dissapointment with Sagrada Familia, the blind worship of Barcelona. SAGRADA SANGRE isn’t about glorifying the untouchable. It’s about exposing the RAW. This project is everything the Sagrada Família pretends to be but fails to deliver.

REFERENCES

    𖡎 Environmental Impact - Leather Working Group (no date) www.leatherworkinggroup.com. Available at: https://www.leatherworkinggroup.com/our-impact/environmental-impact/ [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 European Commission (2023) ‘Animal by-products’. Food Safety. Available at: https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/animal-products_en [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 Gupta, A. K., Fadzlillah, N. A., Sukri, S. J. M., Adediran, O., A., Rather, M., A., Naik, B., Kumar, V., Bekhit, A. E. A., Ramli, M., A., Jha, A., K., Neog, P. R., Bhuyan, S., Rustagi, S (2024) ‘Slaughterhouse blood: A state-of-the-art review on transforming by-products into valuable nutritional resources and the role of circular economy’. Food Bioscience. Volume 61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2024.104644.
    𖡎 Kazimierska, K., Biel, W. (2023) ‘Chemical Composition and Functional Properties of Spray-Dried Animal Plasma and Its Contributions to Livestock and Pet Health: A Review’, Animals, 13(15), pp. 2484–2484. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13152484.
    𖡎 Leather Panel (no date) Leather Panel. Available at: https://leatherpanel.org [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 Sertoglu, K. (2021) ‘Scientists 3D print biodegradable leather products made of silk’, 3D Printing Industry. Available at: https://3dprintingindustry.com/news/scientists-3d-print-biodegradable-leather-products-made-of-silk-189706/ [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 Stoessel, P.R. et al. (2015) ‘Porous, Water-Resistant Multifilament Yarn Spun from Gelatin’, Biomacromolecules, 16(7), pp. 1997–2005. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.5b00424.
    𖡎 Sustainable fashion and design (no date) Real Leather. Stay Different.Available at: https://chooserealleather.com [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 Sustainable Leather Foundation (2024) Sustainable Leather Foundation. Available at: https://sustainableleatherfoundation.com [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 TEDx Talks (2022) ‘Why I use blood as a material | Basse Stittgen | TEDxVienna’, YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCYBHBqLEVM [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 Thompson, J. (2015) ‘The Future of Clothes Is Muscle, Blood, and Bone’, VICE. Available at: https://www.vice.com/en/article/slaughterhouse-threads-the-future-of-clothes-is-muscle-blood-and-bone/ [Accessed 15/12/2024].
    𖡎 United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) (2000) ‘Fourteenth Session of the Leather and Leather Products Industry Panel’. Zlin, Czech Republic, 13–15 December 2000. Vienna: UNIDO.
    𖡎 VNS Matrix (no date) The Cyberfeminist Manifesto for the 21st Century ⁄ VNS Matrix, VNS Matrix. Available at: https://vnsmatrix.net/projects/the-cyberfeminist-manifesto-for-the-21st-century.