9 best sustainable alternatives to conventional leather for shoes and bags
As a footwear and bag designer, leather is the main material I worked with for many years. Its excellent durability, quality, and workability are hard to imitate.
Since sustainability and veganism are gaining more and more focus in modern life, I started to search for leather alternatives. But there is always one question: is every ‘vegan’ leather per se better for our environment? Unfortunately, I have to say no.
Although the market is growing and more alternatives pop up, most of the materials yet are not as environmentally friendly as promoted by their companies.
No need to say they are ethical because no animal has to die for them.
But the remaining problem of most vegan leathers is still that they need plastic components as base materials (mostly PU), synthetic binders, or plastic coatings to increase their performance and durability.
With any use of plastic the product is still not ‘green’ or harmless for humans, animals, or nature.
So there are only two real arguments that make a product sustainable — either it is 100% compostable or 100% recyclable. A material that is neither will end up in landfill or an incinerator. That is far away from sustainability.
It is not easy to filter the information because companies promote only the benefits of their product but keep the disadvantages in the dark.
But these five alternatives show that it is possible to be animal friendly AND harmless for our environment, and us.
1.Mirum
The company Natural Fiber Welding created with Mirum an entirely plant-based material that is 100% plastic free. Another plus of this material is that it is also completely recyclable into new Mirum. This means there is actually no waste because cutting scraps, dead stocks, and worn-out products can be made new again. The perfect material for a circular economy.
2. Zoa
The in vitro leather Zoa is an innovation created by Modern Meadow.
This means it is an imitation leather made from collagen that is completely lab-grown. This biofabricated material doesn’t use any plant-based nor animal-based source– and no toxic chemicals, either. As a result, it is extremely versatile. According to them it is able to be grown in any density, created in any shape, molded, textured or combined with any material and this seamlessly in any size. If this is true it would open up unimaginable opportunities.
3. Nova Milan
The new trend is leather made from fruit or other plant waste. Same at the company Nova Milan. They use pineapples, hemp and other fibrous plant waste from Costa Rica. But in contrast to other companies, they declare that their material is also 100% biodegradable. Choosing Costa Rica as the location for green projects is actually smart because the state already sources more than 99% of renewables for its energy. So in its own statement, Nova Milan has the mission “to turn Costa Rica into the leader of the plant-based economy movement by building the first plant-based ecosystem in the world, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs with environmental ethics.”
4.Muskin
Italian brand Grado Zero Espace created with Muskin a 100% vegetable leather alternative. This mycelium-grown material is completely animal and oil free, and PETA-approved.
The base is a big parasitic fungus(Phellinus ellipsoideus) that grows in the wild and attacks the trees in subtropical forests. It is grown by mixing it with corn cobs, wood chips, and straw by-products without any toxic or chemical substances during production. Its very natural origin and the presence of natural penicillin substances limit bacteria proliferation and make it skin-friendly. Further, it is a model example for the circular economy because all other waste products generated can be reused as an organic fertilizer, or for beekeepers’ smoke.
5.Forager by ecovative
Forager is another strong and durable mycelium-grown leather-like material. It can also grow as a foam. Both materials are 100% vegan, plastic-free, and without chemicals, blends, or fillers. It grows in a really short time, also on a big scale. It creates less cutting scraps because of its regular square shape like a textile. The foams and hides offer a lot of opportunities because they can be made in a variety of densities, textures, and finishes.
6.Reishi by Mycoworks
is a custom-grown material made of mycelium that is directed to build cellular structures comparable to the triple helix of collagen. Out comes a strong and durable fiber with similar strength and abrasion resistance as cowleather.
Another positive aspect is that it can grow into any shape, form, softness, drape, thickness, texture, flexibility, strength or density, with less waste in fabrication and faster production time than animal leather.
7.Coconut Leather
The eco fashion brand Malai from India is also turning waste into wealth. Their basis consists of coconut waste, banana stem, sisal fibre, hemp fibre and coconut water to grow a bio-based material out of it. Not only does this reduce waste from the coconut industry, but the coconut leather itself can decompose in less than 150 days. The only problem left is the durability, because till now they did not find a natural protective coating to make it more resistant.
8.VitroLabs Inc
American Company VitroLabs Inc developed a lab-grown leather that starts from a cell, taken once by a biopsy of a living animal.
A specialized bioreactor provides the right signals and nutrients the cells need to grow into an animal hide. Whereas the growth on an animal takes years, their process takes just a few weeks.
Once the hides are ready they can go directly into tanning without additional processing.
Since the cells grow only what’s needed, the tanning process is simplified, meaning a significant reduction in the environmental impact.
9. Celium™
Celium™ is a new alternative to both animal-derived leather and synthetics sourced from petroleum, as it is crafted from bacterial cellulose.
This versatile textilecan be customizated in color, texture, embossing, and water resistance, all while retaining its remarkable durability.
It is vegan, organic, boasts a lighter weight than traditional cowhide, and its thickness can be meticulously controlled throughout its growth.Thanks to its biological origins, every piece of Celium™ possesses a unique character akin to a fingerprint.
Conclusion
It is good to see that there is a move on the market. More companies dedicate themselves to finding better solutions. But we are just at the beginning. Still, there is a lot of work to be done. It is difficult to distinguish between a ‘really‘ sustainable material and a greenwashed one. But you can say the more transparent a company acts and communicates the better you can decide.
