Vegan Leather Made Out Of Mushrooms and Cactus
Pictured: a vegan leather duffel bag by Refined Traveler.
Vegan leather, sometimes known as “artificial” leather, is an alternative for animal leather. Vegan leather is created without the use of animal skin. The main elements utilized to manufacture vegan leather are plants, fruits, and plastic. Vegan leather has a similar appearance to leather made from animal skin. Synthetic leather, Pleather, and Alternative leather are all terms used to describe animal leather. Leather has been one of the most durable and useful natural materials for seven millennia. Nevertheless, some consumers are concerned about the ethical and environmental implications of wearing animal-sourced products.
The livestock industry’s concerns with sustainability are well-known. As per the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, agriculture accounts for roughly 14% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. Cattle rearing accounts for approximately 65 percent of those emissions. Nonetheless, it’s worth remembering that meat, not leather, is the primary product of cattle farming. Cowhides are only around 5-10% of a cow’s market value and makeup about 7% of the animal’s weight. There’s also no evidence that there’s a link between the demand for red meat and the need for leather. As a result, a decrease in leather demand may have little impact on the number of animals slaughtered for meat.
The major reason we’re seeing a rush of synthetic alternatives on the market is because of this shift in social standards. Several brands on the market produce beautiful vegan leather goods that are cruelty-free, but the majority of them employ plastic-derived ingredients to get the look. Desserto, a new Mexican firm, is upsetting the status quo by turning nopal cactus leaves into organic, all-natural, cruelty-free leather. Desserto is the first cactus-based leather on the market, and it has the potential to improve the sustainability of the vegan leather industry significantly.
US-based startup Bolt Threads has used myceliym leather to successfully create products such as this bag.
Mushrooms As an Alternative To Leather
There’s also no evidence that there’s a link between the demand for red meat and the need for leather. As a result, a decrease in leather demand may have little impact on the number of animals slaughtered for meat. We need to realize that this technology is still in its early stages, after years of research. For millennia, traditional leather processing has been mastered so it will be hard to adapt for the masses.
When it comes to fungal leather, there are likely to be some teething issues. Despite its biodegradability and low-energy manufacture, this product will not be enough to address the sustainability challenge on its own. There are broader environmental problems about animal rearing and the widespread use of plastics, both unrelated to the manufacture of leather.t’s still a step in the right direction. As the world continues to move toward a more sustainable way of life, perhaps progress in one area can inspire hope in others.
Will the mass accept it as an alternative?
Fungi-derived leather is likely to be available commercially shortly, although it’s unclear whether it will cost a fortune or not. Last year, prototypes of watches, handbags, backpacks, and shoes were released in the United States, Italy, and Indonesia. However, manufacturing cost estimates show that the material could become economically competitive with traditional leather once it is mass produced on a wide scale.
Promising signals are in evidence. Last year, MycoWorks raised 17 million dollars in venture funding. In the end, there’s no reason why fungal leather replacements couldn’t eventually replace animal leather in a wide range of consumer products.
Cactus As an Alternative To Leather
Desserto’s cactus leather is organic, partially biodegradable, soft, resilient, and high enough quality to be utilized in clothes, accessories, furniture, and even automotive interiors, according to Fashion United. In an interview with Fashion United, co-founder and vice president Adrián López Velarde said, “After two years of research and development, we managed to produce a suitable material that complies with the features and technical/mechanical specifications required by those industries that use animal or synthetic leather.”
Furthermore, due to tanning, animal-based leather is not the “natural” material that many people believe it to be. According to the American Cancer Society, when the animals are slain, their skin is treated with tanning substances such as formaldehyde and chromium, both of which are designated as human carcinogens by the EPA. Leather is actually loaded with too many chemicals to ever biodegrade due to all of the chemicals needed to tan it.
In an interview with Vogue, Stella McCartney, a fashion designer, said, “An animal decomposes when it’s natural, but with all the chemical treatments [given] to a leather purse, it won’t decay in your closet.” Because of the chemicals that have been applied to it, that thing is still alive – it would be a very different issue if you had a dead animal in your closet.”
What can we make using cactus leather?
With so much emphasis on biodiversity and the urgent need to lessen the worldwide destruction caused by the fashion industry, it is hoped that materials like this new Cactus Leather will eventually replace animal leather in the fashion, automotive, aerospace, and footwear industries.
Furniture, automotive, fashion, shoes, purses, and other applications are all possible with this material. Any product that would normally require raw animal hides can be made from this material.
Desserto has already received a prestigious international prize, which comes as no surprise. Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez, the founders and developers, won the VII International Green Product Award in Munich, Germany, over 1,400 nominees from 52 nations.
