"We are here to change the rules of the game," writes German company Revoltech. "Prove that it is possible to reinvent materials. Make them clean. Honest. Uncomplicated."

"Our mission is to have maximum impact by making responsible and creative use of what the earth has in abundance. No exploitation. No fossil fuels. With combined forces, we are bringing together agriculture, engineering and material design to achieve our common goal: Transforming the way materials are made."

The company has invented a material called LOVR. It's a leather substitute made from hemp waste produced by the food industry.

"[It] is an all-natural, 100% biological single-layer surface material called LOVRTM (the letters stand for leather-free, oil-free, vegan and residue-based) that is being developed specifically with the automotive industry in mind. The hemp fibers and a fully bio-based adhesive are combined using a special technology and processed to become a surface material. This truly circular material is sourced from regional hemp fields and is fully recyclable or compostable once it has reached the end of its service life. It is produced from residues of the hemp industry that have no further use. In addition, it can be manufactured on existing industrial plants, thus enabling swift scalability – and is therefore also suitable for use in large-scale production."

The material has attracted the attention of Volkswagen, who is investigating its application for automotive seating. If it passes VW's sniff test, the company says LOVR could start showing up in their vehicles by 2028.