WO2008059215A1

WO2008059215A1 - Recycled materials

Info

Publication number: WO2008059215A1
Application number: PCT/GB2007/004299
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kevin Lowe
Original assignee: Texon Management Ltd
Current assignee: Texon Management Ltd
Priority date: 2006-11-13
Filing date: 2007-11-09
Publication date: 2008-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2009-05-13
Also published as: GB0622561D0; TW200901907A; EP2081457A1

Abstract

A recycled material comprising leather particles having a size up to a desired particle size combined with an extrudable binder, the material comprising up to 30% by weight of leather particles associated with the extrudable binder to provide a sheet or pellet. The extrudable binder material's having a thermoplastic binder such as materials used to form footwear components, e.g. toe puffs and counters.

Description

Recycled Materials

The present invention relates to recycled materials and in particular to recycled materials utilised in the footwear and shoe industries.

The ability to recycle materials and therefore make significant cost savings as well as better utilisation of original sustainable material sources is an ongoing objective in a number of manufacturing endeavours. With regard to footwear manufacture and in particular manufacture of shoes having leather components, utilisation of the scrap webbing once leather shoe components have been cut has been fertile ground with respect to recycling processes. A number of previous processes and materials have been provided which utilise leather typically in powdered or fibrous form as a filler within extruded or otherwise formed materials. Nevertheless, it will be appreciated that natural leather in particular suffers from variability due to its nature and susceptibility to acquiring different levels of moisture content. Clearly, variability with respect to variations in the source material leads to potential problems with regard to ongoing recycling of such recovered leather.

As indicated above, prior processes have been utilised with regard to recycling and recovering materials from sheet or other components utilised in footwear manufacture. European patent number EP1200258 illustrates one process for recycling laminate materials by mixing that recycled laminate material with virgin extrudable thermoplastic material. Such a process effectively allows recovery of the waste laminate material taken from cutting shoe components such that an overall increase in utilisation of original source materials is achieved.

Aspects of the present invention provide a recycled material comprising leather particles having a size up to a desired particle size combined with an extrudable binder, the material comprising up to 30% by weight of leather particles associated with the extrudable binder to provide a sheet or pellet.

5 Possibly, the particle size is up to 10mm, more preferably up to 1 to

4mm and most preferably up to about 1.5mm.

Generally, the leather particles are macerated.

I O Typically, the extrudable binder is taken from a source including at least 40% by weight of extrudable thermoplastics material. Generally, the extrudable binder is taken from granulated scrap shoe stiffener. Generally, the granulated scrap shoe stiffener material is combined with virgin extrudable thermoplastic material such that the whole comprises at least 40% by weight

15 of extrudable material. Possibly, the extrudable binder comprises a recovered recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

Typically, the material incorporates a hot melt adhesive. Possibly, the hot melt adhesive is EVA or PU or a polyester adhesive. 0

Possibly, the material incorporates less than 1 % by weight of calcium carbonate.

Possibly, shredded recycled material in accordance with aspects of the 5 present invention is combined with new extrudable binder and leather particles in order to form a subsequent recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Possibly, the shredded recycled material is recovered recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention. 0

Advantageously, the material has a fabric secured to one side. Beneficially, the material has a fabric secured to both sides when formed as a sheet. Generally, the fabric is a non-woven fabric. Possibly, the material is impregnated with a Styrene-Butadiene rubber. Possibly, the material is coated with an adhesive such as EVA.

Generally, the recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention is utilised in order to form components for footwear and other components.

Also in accordance with aspects of the present invention there is provided a method of forming a recycled material comprising:

a) taking an amount of waste leather and chopping that waste leather to a size no larger than a process size; b) > wetting the waste leather; c) macerating the waste leather originally at less than the process size to a size no larger than a particle size; and, d) combining the waste leather with an extrudable material.

Generally chopping of the waste leather is provided in a drum with rotating knives and the drum having apertures to allow the leather of the process size to fall through.

Generally, macerating the waste leather is in a drum with rotating blades and a drum having apertures to allow the leather of the particle size to pass through.

Generally, the wetting of the waste leather is provided whilst the leather is at the or less than the process size. Typically, wetting of the waste leather is provided by passing the waste leather through a water bath and/or spraying system. , Generally, combining the waste leather with the extrudable material is conducted by extrusion. Typically, the extrusion is at a temperature of 170 - 21O⁰C.

Possibly, the chopping and macerating stages are combined in a single step such that the process size and the particle size are substantially the same.

Generally, the particle size is determined by a screen. Possibly, the screen is provided by apertures in a drum as described above.

Generally, the waste leather at the particle size is combined with an extrudable material including at least 40% by weight of extrudable thermoplastic material. Typically, the thermoplastic material comprises extrudable binder taken from granulated scrap shoe stiffener material. Possibly, virgin extrudable thermoplastic material is added. Generally, the material is formed into pellets or a sheet by the method subsequent to combining the waste leather with an extrudable material.

Possibly, the extrudable material at least in part is prior recycled material formed in accordance with the present invention. Possibly, the extrudable material is recovered material used to form shoe components.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic cross section of a recycled material in accordance with a first embodiment of aspects of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a schematic cross section of a second embodiment of a recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention; Fig. 3 is a schematic illustration of a third embodiment of a recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic illustration of a fourth embodiment of a recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic cross section of a drum to form particle waste leather in accordance with aspects of the present invention; and,

Fig. 6 is a block diagram illustrating process stages with regard to a method of providing a material in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

As indicated above, leather recycling has particular advantages with regard to both economy and for the fuller utilisation of original source materials. Unfortunately, leather being generally a natural product it can be variable in terms of response and therefore may create problems with regard to incorporation within recycled materials. In accordance with aspects of the present invention waste leather particles are created by an appropriate process in the form of fibres or dust which can then be incorporated within a recycled material by combining them with an extrudable binder which itself is recycled from laminate materials utilised to form shoe stiffeners. It will be appreciated that by appropriate choice of the particle size of the waste leather and providing an appropriate proportion of extrudable binder material that a useable recyclable and recycled material is achieved.

The leather waste, as indicated, is processed into a particle size suitable for recycled materials. This process, as will be described below, generally involves cutting and macerating scrap leather taken from forming and cutting out components from a sheet leather source. The cutting and macerating process generally provides particles, that is to say dust or fibres having a preferred size range up to 1 ,500 microns, but possibly up to 10mm. Conveniently, this cutting process is provided in two stages with a first stage reducing the presented waste or scrap leather to a size no greater than a desired process size to allow subsequent maceration to a desired size. It will be understood that a leather sheet from which components have been cut will generally have a large skeletal or web format with the components cut most judiciously in terms of grain, colour and to maximise the number of components cut from a single leather sheet (hide or skin). In accordance with the present method this scrap leather in the form of web skeletal remains is cut or chopped by placing the waste or scrap leather in a drum having cutting blades. The leather is therefore thrown around the drum and the blades cut the leather into pieces typically of less than 4-5cm. To ensure such process sizing is achieved generally the drum will incorporate apertures to act as a screen. These apertures will have a size consistent with the desired process size for the scrap leather such that once the leather has achieved that size or less it will fall through the apertures in the drum screen. With the waste leather now at a process size or less it is generally dampened such that the more intrusive maceration stage can be more conveniently performed. It will be appreciated that maceration will generally reduce the leather to a particle size significantly less than the process size and therefore the nature of blade cutting and processing may result in overheating the leather scorching it and reducing its acceptability with regard to incorporation within a recycled product. It will be appreciated if the leather is scorched it will tend to harden and therefore may be less susceptible to incorporation and impregnation or otherwise combining with the extruded material possibly resulting in grain separation, cracking and graining of the recycled material. Wetting of the waste leather will reduce such scorching effects.

In order to be usable the waste leather is next macerated into a finer particle size as indicated generally up to a preferred 1 ,500 microns in size. This is achieved typically again through provision of a drum containing cutting knives such that the waste material at the process size is again tumbled and cut by those process knives. The drum will incorporate apertures which have a small size consistent with the particle size desired such that the leather will remain within the drum continuously cut and macerated until the leather reaches the desired particle size. The apertures will therefore be chosen in order to achieve that particle size such that the sufficiently chopped and macerated leather may fall through in a sieve like process.

By the above process particle waste leather is achieved which is neither scorched nor overly crushed or compacted by the cutting and maceration process. In such circumstances the waste leather can be more readily associated with extrudable binder materials whether obtained from recycled scrap material or recycled scrap material and virgin binder. Generally, through the above formation process with regard to creating waste leather at the particle size, it will be understood that the nature and source of the leather is less important such that it is envisaged that most forms of leather, and in particular natural leather, may be processed into the waste leather particle size envisaged by aspects of the present invention. Artificial leather may also be used provided it does not include a thermoset coating or otherwise. Nevertheless, the leather prior to processing will be sorted to remove any debris such as paper in the form of packaging or other contaminants.

As indicated, generally a two stage process is desired to ensure efficient provision of waste material at the particle sizes. It will be appreciated if a single cutting and maceration process were performed with a single cutting drum and drum sieve the potential for over heating of the leather is exacerbated.

At a basic level waste leather at the particle size is combined with an extrudable binder. This binder may include some material of a virgin nature such as a mixture of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer and polypropylene with the proportions varied in order to achieve a desired stiffness in the final recycled material. The binder will include recycled sources of waste material incorporating extrudable material. Thus, as described in European patent 1200258, granulated scrap shoe stiffener material may be cut, chopped and processed in order to provide granules of material which can then be mixed with the waste leather particles in accordance with aspects of the present invention and normally a proportion of the virgin extrudable material in order to provide a combination which can then be heated and extruded to form a sheet or pellets as required. In such circumstances the recyded material will recycle two sources of waste material, that is to say waste leather and waste footwear stiffener materials.

It will be understood that a number of thermoplastic polymeric materials may be utilised as the extrudable binder in accordance with aspects of the present invention subject to achievement of a desired end performance characteristic for the recycled material.

Fig. 1 provides a schematic cross section of a first embodiment of a recycled material 1 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. This first embodiment simply comprises an extrusion of thermoplastic material with incorporated waste leather 2 at an appropriate particle size. The thermoplastic material will typically comprise a combination of virginal thermoplastic material with recycled sources of thermoplastic material with the whole heated and melted to create an extrudable mass to create a sheet of recycled material as depicted in Fig. 1.

The effect of the particle size leather waste in the material depicted in

Fig. 1 is to act as a filler and/or reinforcement. In such circumstances the particle size will be determined such that the relatively flaccid nature of the leather will not cause undue weakness within the recycled material whilst not being too dusWike to provide the desired objectives of a filler and reinforcement. It will be appreciated if the particle size is too large then the relative compressibility and the physical/mechanical characteristics of the leather may undermine the performance of the recycled material particularly if it is desired to use that recycled material as a stiffener in footwear.

Fig. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of a recycled material 20 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. The material produced as

Fig. 1 can be considered a solid core material comprising leather and an

, extrudable binder taken from a recovered thermoplastic material source such as described by European patent EP1200258. This core material 1 in itself may not be usable and therefore, as will be described below with regard to Figs. 2 and 3, surface layers may be added in the form of a fabric as depicted in Fig. 2 or other plastics materials as described in Fig. 3. Although these Figs. 2 and 3 show both sides of the respective material 20, 30 are coated, it will be understood in some circumstances only one side will incorporate a coating layer. In Fig. 2 a core material 21 is generally formed with a composition as depicted and described with regard to Fig. 1. Fabric layers 22, 23 are located either side of the core 21. The thickness and nature of these layers 22, 23 will be determined by expected operational performance. The layers 22, 23 will be a fabric and normally a non-woven fabric using polyester and/or nylon fibres. Normally, the layers 22, 23 will be impregnated with a flexible material such as Styrene-Butadiene rubber and an adhesive coating may be applied to the layers 22, 23 in the form of an EVA. In such circumstances the material 20 may be used to form footwear components with the layers 22, 23 masking or augmenting decorative limitations with regard to the core 21 and also augmenting operational performance of that core 21.

Fig. 3 provides a schematic cross section of a third embodiment of a recycled material 30 in accordance with aspects of the present invention. As indicated above, use of waste leather within a recycled material may create problems with regard to the variable nature of that leather. In such circumstances in order to achieve desired performance or surface appearance a central recycled material 31 which incorporates waste leather at the particle size may be sandwiched between solid or reinforced layers 32, 33 which do not include any waste leather or a reduced amount of waste leather in order to provide stiffness or surface characteristics which are more acceptable in the recycled material combination. In such circumstances, relatively high proportions of waste leather can be incorporated into the 5 recycled material 31 having the waste leather whilst by provision of layers 32, 33 an acceptable mechanical characteristic or performance is achieved.

Fig. 4 illustrates as a schematic cross section a further alternative recycled material 40 in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

10 Thus, as indicated previously, recycled materials such as granulated shoe stiffener materials 24 are incorporated within the material 40 having waste leather 42 at a particle size in accordance with aspects of the present invention. The recycled material, as indicated, may be granulated shoe stiffener material 42 which itself will already incorporate a proportion of

15 recyclable material which can then be combined with virgin thermoplastic material and the waste leather in accordance with aspects of the present invention to create a recycled material or recovered material previously formed in accordance with aspects of the present invention. The nature of granulated or other recycled materials is that they tend to be less susceptible

20 or have age or otherwise induced variations in their characteristics. In such circumstances these additional granulated recycled components to the recycled material may remain identifiable in. that material. For example, the granulated recycled material may itself incorporate fillers which will remain as granular or other components within the final recycled material. In such

25. circumstances by judicious choice of the proportion of waste leather, granulated recycled material and virgin polymeric material an acceptable final recycled material is achieved. This final recycled material may be used directly or have layers applied to its surface to augment performance or to improve decorative appearance.

30 As indicated above, the proportion of waste leather which can be incorporated in a recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention will be dependent upon eventual function of that recycled material. Typically, up to 30% by weight of the recycled material may be provided by waste leather at the desired particle size. Generally, the proportion of waste leather will be in the order of 15% by weight but this will depend upon particle size and the nature of the extrudable material binder utilised in forming the final reformed material along with other constituents such as granular scrap material taken from other sources which may include further reinforcement and filler components. It will also be understood that certain processing aids with regard to forming the recycled material may be used. These processing agents may include inclusion of calcium carbonate or chalk at a proportion less than 1% by weight of the recycled material.

Generally, the recycled material will contain a number of components as indicated including the waste leather at the particle size desired along with the extrudable binder material. A typical formulation for the extrudable binder is in the order of 65% recovered material comprising up to about 99% recycled scrap shoe counter material and 1% inorganic filler, although up to 50% may be original polypropylene, 20% EVA at 18VA content and 15% homo polymer propylene, all percentages by weight although other compositions are possible. In such circumstances a typical recycled material will incorporate in the order of 60 - 80% by weight thermoplastic with the remainder non thermoplastic including the waste leather in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Typical ranges are 57 - 69 weight percent thermoplastic binder material with 31 - 43% non thermoplastic material including recovered waste leather are typical.

As indicated above generally the recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention will be extruded. In order to avoid degradation of the leather which, as indicated, is potentially more susceptible to scorching and detrimental effects due to heat due to its particle size it will be understood that the extrusion temperature will be limited to 170 - 21O⁰C.

This will be the situation whether the leather recovered as waste is natural leather or synthetic leather. It will be appreciated that the particular extrusion temperatures, the thickness and other factors will be chosen dependent upon particular circumstances and compositions. Nevertheless, it will be understood that it is important that the extruder achieves a desired thickness of film whilst also presenting the polymers, waste leather and other constituents appropriately. A table A below provides examples of recycled materials with fabric outer layers as described with regard to Fig. 2 above and in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

In view of the above, it will be appreciated that recycled materials in accordance with aspects of the present invention incorporate waste leather processed to an appropriate particle size to enable incorporation within a binder material which itself may be of a combination of virginal thermoplastic nature and granular or other sourced scrap thermoplastic material such that the conglomeration can be formed by extrusion or otherwise to form sheets. It will also be understood that the recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention may take the form of pellets for transportation which can subsequently be rendered molten to form a core for sheets or other components as required. By aspects of the present invention waste leather material can be incorporated within useful recycled material which in turn ensures fuller utilisation of original sourced materials.

As described above, generally the waste leather material in accordance with aspects of the present invention will be chopped and macerated appropriately to achieve the desired particle size. This will generally be achieved through provision of a drum incorporating apertures through which the particle leather can fall. Fig. 5 provides a schematic cross sectional illustration of a drum utilised in accordance with aspects of the present invention in order to achieve the particle size desired. Thus, the drum

51 incorporates apertures (not shown) through which waste leather particles

52 fall. Within the drum 51 a cutter 53 is provided with blades 54 typically in a configuration similar to a cylindrical lawnmower. These blades 54 cut and chop waste leather 55 repeatedly until the leather acquires a desired particle size. As indicated above, generally a two stage chopping and maceration process will be utilised with respect to waste leather. In such circumstances in a first process stage a drum will be provided with apertures of a size to allow waste leather to pass through of a process size which, as indicated above, will generally be in the order of less than 4 -5cm. Such processed size leather can then be provided in a finer macerating drum which has apertures to allow only leather through of a size less than or equal to a particle size for utilisation within a recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

It will be appreciated that a recycled material may be formed from differing sources for components.

There are three basic recycled extrudable material combinations containing leather waste in accordance with aspects of the present invention. These basic combinations are outlined below:- 1. Up to 30% leather waste combined with an extrudable binder made from a virgin polymer, that is to say the leather waste in an appropriate particle size is combined with EVA and polypropylene. This material may be used ' in first and further generation materials as described below.

2. First generation material in accordance with aspects of the present invention is formed by using recycled counter material obtained by an appropriate process such as described in EP1200258. This recycled counter material is chopped and processed for combination with leather particles in an appropriate size. Possible quantities of ingredients are 84% recovered/recycled counter material pellets (EP1200258), 15% leather waste in appropriate particle size and 1% calcium carbonate as a processing aid. The recovered/recycled counter material pellets contain up to 99% scrap reformed material (such as produced in accordance with EP1200258) and 1% inorganic filler. In principal no extra virginal polymer (EVA/polypropylene) is added although, as will be described later, this can be provided to supplement any expected performance or property shortfall with regard to extrudable binder in accordance with aspects of the present invention. 3. Second and subsequent generation recycled materials are produced in accordance with aspects of the present invention or other recycling processes with respect to for example counter material are utilised. The approximate quantities of ingredients are 84% used or recovered materials as formed in accordance with the first generation combination described above along with 15% leather waste in an appropriate particle size and 1% calcium carbonate, scaled as appropriate dependent upon cycling. The pellets contain approximately as described in paragraph 2, 84% scrap counter material, 15% leather waste and 1% calcium carbonate. The leather waste is sprinkled onto the scrap counter material taken from previous processes as it is chopped.

It will be understood that with second and subsequent generation materials in particular it may be necessary to replenish the polymer level within the material by mixing and blending recycled/recovered materials from shoe counter materials, materials manufactured in accordance with aspects of the present invention and/or other sources by adding some virginal polymer to the pellets or the mixture heated extrudable form.

Tig. 6 provides a basic schematic block diagram of the processes involved with the method of producing a recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention. Thus, an original source of recycled material 61 is utilised in order to create footwear components. Typically, as much as 30% of the recyclable material 61 remains in web or skeletal form. This waste is chopped and processed into acceptable sized elements to allow compounding 62 with waste leather 63 obtained in accordance with processes as described above. As also described above process aids such as calcium carbonate or chalk are added to the compounding stage. This compounding stage will generally produce pellets having a composition as desired for onward processing. This composition will typically comprise about 84% of the recycled materials 61 , about 15% of the waste leather particles 63 and about 1 % of process aid materials 64.

The compounding stage 62 will typically produce pellets combining the constituents 61 , 63, 64 for further processing 65. This processing 65 will combine the pellets produced by the compounding process above with other constituents including virgin extrudable material 66 and other elements 67 such as cover layers as described particularly with regard to Figs. 2 and 3 above, adhesive coatings and impregnants such as SPR. It will again be appreciated that the proportions of constituents in the processing stage 65 will depend upon necessary function for the final products 68. Typical 5 constituents will comprise about 65% of the pellets formed by the compounding process 62 and 35% comprising the virgin extrudable material 66 and other elements 67 to provide recycled materials such as those outlined above in Table A. It will be understood that the processing stage 65 will generally create sheet materials or again pellets for subsequent processing. I O In any event, the final products 68 will be specified for purpose such as footwear components.

The final product 68 will be utilised appropriately and with regard to footwear components will generally have those components removed by a

15 cutting process 69 to leave waste which is returned through the process cycle lustrated in Fig. 6 as recycled material 61 or may be added directly at the compounding stage 62.

Modifications and alterations to the present invention will be

20 understood by those skilled in the art. For example, combinations of particle leather sizes of particular benefit and graded for overall performance within the recycled material may be utilised. Furthermore, a proportion of extrudable binder combined with the waste leather along with other components such as a fabric will be varied in order to achieve desired final performance criteria. It

25 will also be understood that the recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention may be coated or coloured or otherwise processed for final usage. For example, the recycled material may be coated with an adhesive on one side to allow the material to act as a stiffener material for footwear components.

30 Whilst endeavouring in the foregoing specification to draw attention to those features of the invention believed to be of particular importance it should be understood that the Applicant claims protection in respect of any

patentable feature or combination of features hereinbefore referred to and/or shown in the drawings whether or not particular emphasis has been placed thereon.

Claims

1. A recycled material comprising leather particles having a size up to a desired particle size combined with an extrudable binder, the material comprising up to 30% by weight of leather particles associated with the extrudable binder to provide a sheet or pellet.

2. A material as claimed in claim 1 wherein the particle size is up to 10mm, more preferably up to 1 to 4mm and most preferably up to about

1.5mm.

3. A material as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the leather particles are macerated.

4. A material as claimed in any of claims 1 , 2 or 3 wherein the extrudable binder is taken from a source including at least 40% by weight of extrudable thermoplastics material.

5. A material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the extrudable binder is taken from granulated scrap shoe stiffener material.

6. A material as claimed in claim 5 wherein the granulated scrap shoe stiffener material is combined with virgin extrudable thermoplastic material such that the whole comprises at least 40% by weight of extrudable material.

7. A material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the extrudable binder comprises a recovered recycled material as claimed in any preceding claim.

8. A material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material incorporates a hot melt adhesive.

9. A material as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hot melt adhesive is EVA 5 or PU or a. polyester adhesive.

10. A material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material incorporates less than 1% by weight of calcium carbonate.

I O 11. A material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein shredded recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention is combined with new extrudable binder and leather particles in order to form a subsequent recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

15

12. A material as claimed in claim 10 wherein the shredded recycled material is recovered recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention.

20 13. A material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material has a fabric secured to one side.

14. A material as claimed in claim 13 wherein the material has a fabric - secured to both sides when formed as a sheet.

25

15. A material as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14 wherein the fabric is a non-woven fabric.

16. A material as claimed in any of claims 13 to 15 wherein the material is 30 impregnated with a Styrene-Butadiene rubber.

17. A material as claimed in any of claims 13 to 16 wherein the material is coated with an adhesive such as EVA.

18. A material as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the recycled material in accordance with aspects of the present invention is utilised in order to form components for footwear.

19. A recycled material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

20. A method of forming a recycled material comprising:

a) taking an amount of waste leather and chopping that waste leather to a size no larger than a process size; b) wetting the waste leather; c) macerating the waste leathβr originally at less than the process size to a size no larger than a particle size; and, d) combining the waste leather the particle size with an extrudable material.

21. A method as claimed in claim 20 wherein chopping of the waste leather is provided in a drum with rotating knives and the drum having apertures to allow the leather of the process size to fall through.

22. A method as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21 wherein macerating the waste leather is in a drum with rotating blades and a drum having apertures to allow the leather of the particle size to pass through.

23. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 22 wherein the wetting of the waste leather is provided whilst the leather is at the or less than the process size.

24. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 23 wherein wetting of the waste leather is provided by passing the waste leather through a water bath and/or spraying system.

25. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 24 wherein combining the waste leather with the extrudable material is conducted by extrusion.

26. A method as claimed in claim 25 wherein the extrusion is at a temperature of 170 - 210⁰C.

27. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 26 wherein the chopping and macerating stages are combined in a single step such that the process size and the particle size are substantially the same.

28. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 27 wherein the particle size is determined by a screen.

29. A method as claimed in claim 28 wherein the screen is provided by apertures in a drum as claimed in claim 21 and any claim dependent thereon.

30. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 29 wherein the waste leather at the particle size is combined with an extrudable material including at least 40% by weight of extrudable thermoplastic material.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30 wherein the thermoplastic material comprises extrudable binder taken from granulated scrap shoe stiffener material.

32. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 31 wherein the material is formed into pellets or a sheet by the method subsequent to combining the waste leather with an extrudable material.

33. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 32 wherein the extrudable material includes a virgin polymer such as an EVA or polypropylene plastics material.

34. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 33 wherein the extrudable material at least in part is prior recycled material formed in accordance with a method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 33.

35. A method as claimed in any of claims 30 to 34 wherein the extrudable material is recovered material used to form shoe components.

36. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 35 wherein the method includes adding a fabric to at least one side of the material.

37. A method as claimed in claim 36 wherein the method includes adding a fabric to both sides of the material when formed as a sheet.

38. A method as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the material is impregnated with a Styrene-Butadiene rubber.

39. A method as claimed in any of claims 20 to 38 wherein the material is coated with an adhesive such as EVA.

40. A method of forming a recycled material substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

41. Any novel subject matter or combination including novel subject matter disclosed herein, whether or not within the scope of or relating to the same invention as any of the preceding claims.