Whether it’s the cool factor of a stylish leather jacket or the practicality of a good pair of hiking boots, giving up leather can be a bigger challenge than switching to a vegan diet. While some brands are making sustainability stylish, it’s still hard to find durable and functional alternatives to leather. Veggie leathers are indeed promising, but most are still in the development phase. We’ve done the research for you. We’ve found a few brands that have moved beyond the testing phase to offer a vegan leather product.
Why replace leather?
In addition to the significant ethical concerns surrounding animal agriculture, leather has a huge environmental impact. Leather can be made from: Various animalsIncluding endangered or threatened wild animal species. However, most leather products use cowhide. Raising livestock for meat, dairy or leather is one of the most carbon-intensive forms of agriculture. Grazing operations and CAFOs It also contributes to deforestation and desertification. Most of the leather used in leather is Waste For the meat industry, meat processing is a sufficient buffer to mitigate the impact of livestock farming.
Turning animal hide into leather requires the following chemical processes: tanning. The most commonly used industrial tanning method is based on chromium, a heavy metal that is hazardous to both humans and the environment. One square meter of leather produces: 16,500 liters Wastewater containing chromium, sulfates and pathogens, which affects the health of tannery workers and pollutes water sources in leather-producing communities. Located in A country with weak environmental protection.
vegetable leather
Most vegan leather products are made of plastic, which has its own serious environmental impact. The best leather alternatives are animal-free and petroleum-free. There are very few commercially available vegetable leathers, and none have been studied through life cycle analysis.
Most plant-based leathers available today still do not perform as well as leather, for example, pineapple leaf-based Piñatex Synthetic coatings are still needed for waterproofing and durability (some brands, like Allbirds, have developed bio-based polyurethanes for that purpose), but manufacturers are constantly improving their products and developing more vegetable-based leather-like fabrics. In development. In another development, Scientists recently discovered How to grow vegan leather that kills itself using bacteria.
By purchasing the products that have been released so far, you are helping to ensure that there is sufficient market demand to continue developing sustainable vegetable-based leather alternatives that perform as well as leather. If you work in the fashion industry or make your own clothing, most of the fibers listed here are from developers or Online Professional Supplier.
Vegetable leather products
Allegory
Female-owned, independent and socially responsible. Allegory Replace leather and PVC with leather made from discarded fruit. The online-only company produces bags and wallets in its New York factory. It uses leather made from fruit juice apple peel waste, cultivated cactus, and mango. Water resistance is provided with wax sold separately.
Nopal leather
Two Mexican men have developed an environmentally friendly leather-like material from the dried nopal cactus. The resulting fabric, which they branded DesertoIt is strong enough to cover furniture and car seats, but consumers can find few retail products made from this material. Black Nopal The brand uses only Desserto’s Nopal leather to make belts and wallets. Many famous brands and designer labels collaborate with Desserto to produce individual pieces within their product range that incorporate Nopal leather. It is noteworthy that Nopal leather is one of the only plastic-free vegan leathers used to make shoes. Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 Cactful sneakers.
Mycoworks
Although not technically plants, mushrooms show great promise as a bio-based leather. Mycoworks We create leather from fungal mycelia grown in exclusive trays under precise conditions, controlling the appearance and properties of the final material and branding it. Reishi mushroom. The Fall/Winter 2021 collection used leather from Mycoworks. Hermes Victoria Handbag (The handle is still made of cowhide). Hat designer Nick Puckett We also used Reishi mushroom material from Mycoworks. ranch hand and mycelium design.
Milo
Bolt Threads produces mycelium-based leather. Milo. Stella McCartney debuted in May 2022. Frame Milo BackThis is the first high-end bag made from this material. Since the bag retails for around $2,000, most of us will have to wait for the technology to spread to more accessible brands. Fortunately, that wait may not be long. Last summer, Adidas Concept Stan Smith Milo Shoes and lululemon are on sale yoga mat bag and Duffel bag Each integrates Mylo details.
Apple Skin
Appleskin by Vegatex is a step in the right direction, but it is not a true plant-based leather, as only two-thirds of the material is bio-based, with the remainder being made up of polyurethane plastic. The material is an organic/plastic composite made from food waste, but is neither biodegradable nor recyclable. Appleskin can be found in products from the New York-based vegan shoe company. Bira Handbags from Korean fashion brands Marhen J.
Researchers and designers are working hard to develop sustainable vegan leather that will ultimately outperform traditional leather. The next time you’re shopping for a leather bag, hat, wallet, or jacket, ask, “Is this made from plants?”
Editor’s note: This article was originally written on October 23, 2022 and updated in September 2024.
