Conventional leather production raises many environmental issues, and even the most sustainable leather will never be an animal-friendly option as it is made of dead animal skin.
The demand for alternative materials to replace leather is increasing for these reasons.
Among the available options, one can choose plant-based leather alternatives with similar properties in terms of durability, robustness, and touch.
Cork is one plant-based leather alternative that has been used for thousands of years. Cork comes from the bark of a tree. However, the tree doesn’t need to be cut down to harvest it, making it a truly sustainable option. Cork comes mainly from Portugal and Spain. Cork is waterproof, elastic, and has fire-retardant properties. It can be used to produce shoe parts, bells, wallets, and handbags.
More recently, other plant-based leather alternatives have been developed, such as pineapple fibre, Piñatex, which is made from pineapple leaves. Unlike cork, Piñatex is currently not biodegradable. It can be used to make bags, shoes, and wallets.
Another category of plant-based leather alternatives is bio-based synthetic leather (PLA). Even though it is bio-based, it remains synthetic, which results in biodegradability problems.
Some plant-based leather alternatives belong to SANE Approved Material List, such as cork, pineapple fiber, or bio-based leather alternatives from waste material.
It means that a product made of at least 90% plant-based leather alternatives (or blended with other SANE Approved Material) and produced in a facility holding a SANE Scope Certificate is eligible to be certified SANE.
Copy partner: Sustain Your Style; Picture: Nghia .8pm
Other sources: Wikipedia