Overview
As the fashion industry continues to shift towards more sustainable and ethical practices, the demand for eco-friendly vegan leather alternatives has increased. Fortunately, there are now a variety of plant-based materials that can be used to create durable and stylish accessories, shoes, and clothing. In this section, we will explore some of the most popular and innovative sustainable vegan leathers available today.
One of the most well-known and widely used vegan leathers is Piñatex. Made from pineapple leaves, a byproduct of the fruit industry that would otherwise go to waste, Piñatex is both sustainable and ethical. It is also strong and flexible, making it an ideal material for shoes and accessories.
Another eco-friendly vegan leather is Frutmat, also known as apple leather. This leather alternative is made from wasted scraps such as peels and cores from the apple juice industry. Like Piñatex, it is a sustainable and ethical option for those looking for a leather alternative.
Mirum is another high-performance vegan leather made from 100% natural inputs and 0% plastic. It is made from coconut and vegetable oil waste combined with cork and hemp waste to create a leather-like product.
Cork fabric is another popular vegan leather alternative. It comes from Cork Oak trees, which grow in the Mediterranean via sustainable forestry methods. When cork is harvested, it doesn’t harm the tree and actually helps encourage a process of regeneration, making it a low carbon footprint option.
Recycled rubber leather is another trending fabric, particularly for ethical sandals and recycled flip flops. Being waterproof and designed for high wear-and-tear, it’s also one of the most durable vegan leathers.
MuSkin is made out of the caps of the Phellinus ellipsoideus mushroom and is biodegradable. It feels like suede, absorbs moisture, and limits bacteria proliferation.
Malai is a startup based in India that has turned leftover coconut water into vegan leather. Once it reaches the end of its life cycle, it is compostable, making it among the lowest impact vegan leather alternatives out there.
Washi is a Japanese paper traditionally used in arts and crafts, but innovative designers have ventured to make sustainable vegan leather out of it.
Another exciting development in sustainable vegan leather is the emergence of experimental materials such as Modern Meadow’s Zoa material. Bio-engineered to look, feel, and stretch exactly like leather, it could be a game changer in the industry.
Innovative designers are also exploring the use of coffee grounds and seafood shells to create leather-like materials. Tômtex is a leather alternative made from combining wasted seafood shells and coffee grounds, while Green fashion entrepreneur Alice Genberg has developed a vegan leather made from used coffee grounds.
Mylo, by Bolt Threads Technology, is another low impact vegan leather that’s grown from mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms. Its production has less environmental impact and doesn’t use solvents like dimethylformamide (DMF), which is found in other types of synthetic leather.
Overall, there are now a wide range of sustainable vegan leather alternatives available, each with their own unique benefits and properties. As consumers become more aware of the environmental impact of traditional leather, these innovative materials are likely to become even more popular in the fashion industry.
