<p>Bangladesh’s leather industry, which generates a significant amount of export revenue, is well-known for its environmental pollution because it generates large volumes of solid, liquid, and gaseous waste. Managing solid waste for the leather industry, including buffing dust, has become crucial for environmental compliance. This study aimed to develop a composite material from leather buffing dust, providing an innovative approach for the leather industry’s solid waste management. This study focused on developing the composite using natural rubber latex, ethylene glycol, and aluminum oxide, optimizing the amounts of natural rubber latex (NRL), ethylene glycol, and pH at room temperature. The optimal conditions were determined to be 200% NRL, 50% ethylene glycol, and a pH value&#xa0;of 5. Various performance parameters, i.e., tensile strength, percentage of elongation, water absorption, and flexing endurance, were performed to assess the strength and dynamic properties of the developed composite. The composite exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 4.72 ± 0.31 MPa along with 42 ± 0.54% elongation. The flexing endurance reached up to 35,200 ± 72 cycles, and the minimum water uptake was 26 ± 0.26%. Furthermore, Thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed to investigate the physicochemical properties of the developed composite. TGA indicated improved thermal stability compared to buffing dust. FTIR spectroscopy resulted in the functional groups and chemical bonding with NRL and other ingredients. Meanwhile, SEM analysis depicted leather fiber structure formation by NRL, and buffing dust was homogeneously distributed throughout the binding material matrix beyond structural degradation. The composite material shows potential for applications in footwear insole, automotive, and packaging, offering a sustainable alternative while reducing leather industry waste.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>