5/10/2023

Eco-friendly leather.With the growing influence of the #sustainable fashion# movement, more and more brands are choosing to use various "plant materials" as alternatives to animal skin.

In addition to mushrooms, there are also cacti, pineapple leaves, apple waste...

Cacti

From a start-up company in Mexico comes eco-friendly leather made from cacti: Desserto. It has excellent elasticity and breathability, and can be customized to meet virtually any need, making it a viable alternative to animal skin. Its raw material is readily available, as the cacti used to make it are harvested every 6-8 months in the Mexican state of Zacatecas.

The production process is also simple. The mature cactus leaves are cut open, cleaned, crushed, and then sun-dried for three days. Non-toxic chemicals and biodegradable pigments are added, and after different treatment processes, the result is leather with different textures and colors.

Pineapple Leaves

Leather expert Carmen Hijosa noticed during her visit to the Philippines that the fiber structure of pineapple leaves was suitable for making alternative leather. "It is very delicate, sturdy, and flexible, making it suitable for non-woven substrates," she said. Hijosa then left the traditional leather manufacturing industry, spent seven years studying textile science, and developed pineapple leaf fiber into a patented product called Piñatex. This non-woven material that comes in rolls is soft, strong, lightweight, breathable, and easily printable. It can be processed into shoes, bags, car and airplane seat materials, and more.

Apple Waste

Copenhagen's Beyond Leather company created plant-based leather called Leap from the residue of apple juice production. The company purchased large quantities of apple waste from a Danish juice producer, mixed the collected waste with natural rubber, and coated it on a textile backing woven from organic cotton and wood fibers. Finally, a protective coating was applied to form a three-layer structure to ensure durability.

Leap has three core values: most leather materials are made up of by-products from the production of apple pulp and cider; the remaining portion is also a natural biodegradable material; and the appearance and texture closely resemble animal leather. The company mainly researches leather alternatives that are stylish, do not rot or attract insects, and are based on by-products from juice and cider production. The aim is to reduce the impact of animal leather and its plastic substitutes on the environment and create a sustainable leather alternative while reducing food waste.