Other Matter replaces PVC signage vinyl with algae film that becomes leather after use

OM Signage Film started from a contradiction Jessie French could no longer ignore. Her artistic practice imagined a world beyond petrochemicals, but every exhibition that presented that work used PVC vinyl — one of the most toxic plastics in common use, full of phthalates and destined for landfill after a few weeks on a window. Melbourne studio Other Matter developed the film to resolve that, creating what it calls a world-first alternative to signage vinyl.

The material is a patented algae-derived polymer with locally milled mineral pigments. It is non-petrochemical and phthalate-free, adheres to glass without adhesive, removes cleanly so it can be reused, and works with standard cutting and printing workflows. Production is deliberately small and local: algae and other bio-based materials are boiled in pots in the studio, poured into trays and cured overnight, then peeled off and recast.

What makes the system an idea rather than a substitute is the loop. Other Matter refused to treat the film as single-use: end-of-life signage and offcuts are rehydrated and recast, unified with charcoal for colour and texture, into Other Matter Leather — a dense sheet material for upholstery with a natural grain from the curing process. The studio says the economics of the closed loop were designed from the start, not retrofitted, and worked with CSIRO on scaling the process.