In the race to find newer, more environmentally friendly materials to make just
about every durable good, startups are looking towards leather as the next
textile to improve. While there is no shortage of “vegan” leather options on the
market, many of these products are made from petroleum-based
materials
— and their use cancels out any potential benefit from avoiding the larger
impacts of traditional leather.
The negative impacts of the global, legacy use of leather are well
documented
— toxic tanning
processes,
deforestation linked to cattle
farming,
and the immense amount of water required throughout the process, just to name a
few. Those issues merit discussion on their own; but as consumers become more
educated about the environmental and social impacts of conventional leather,
startups are engineering new alternatives to get as close to the real thing as
possible while creating some sort of additional positive impact through the
process.
From lionfish to coconuts
These innovators have all focused on turning surplus animal or plant
resources
into a usable material.
Take Florida-based Inversa, whose version
of “beyond sustainable” leather is made from the skins of lionfish — an
invasive
species
destroying ecosystems in the Atlantic. The company touts a process that
creates a range of positive impacts, including freshwater savings of up to 300
gallons compared to traditional leather tanning and using zero plastic along the
way.
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Inversa CMO Deepika Nagarajan told Sustainable Brands™ an initial
collaboration with Italian footwear brand P448 was a
successful pilot for bringing the material to market, and they’re working to
stay ahead of expected demand for a product that has a high ratio of strength to
thickness (which traditional leather is known for).
“That was our first big commercial launch; and we have a lot of things in the
pipeline,” she says.
On the other end of the spectrum, perhaps the most established example of a
viable leather alternative is from the fast growth of Natural Fiber Welding,
Inc’s Mirum material. The coconut and
natural rubber-based material (made from “a combination of virgin natural
materials and upcycled agricultural sidestreams”) comes in just one color for
now; but it is quickly being adopted by apparel manufacturers of all sizes (and
the company itself just
closed
a major funding round).
“We reached out to them early on, and it was easy to work on the R&D process
with them (at the time),” says Woolly Made co-founder
Jake Fromer, whose accessory company launched its first product line using
the material last year.
Fromer notes that Mirum is a great product from an
impact and story angle; but it doesn’t quite perform the same way as traditional
leather. The singular color option remains an issue and Mirum doesn’t age in the
same way as traditional leather. On the bright side, Woolly can accept Mirum
products at the end of their useful life and re-integrate the material into new
wallets and accessories.
It’s not yet a 1:1 swap
When people shop for something made out of traditional bovine or ovine leather,
there’s a certain touch-and-feel standard they expect; as well as a beautiful,
worn-in look over time. Because alternatives are made from any material except
traditional hides, the end product naturally doesn’t exactly match what
consumers might want from a product sold with “leather” in the name.
“From a purely aesthetic perspective, (leather alternatives) feel synthetic and
not like a natural material,” says Head of
Marble founder Mark
Samsonovich. “The reason we’re attracted to wood and leather is because
they’re natural and have an unpredictability about them. Synthetic leathers are
kind of a ‘photoshopped’ version of leather, and they feel fake. They also don’t
always last and do weird things over time.”
Samsonovich found a cork-based leather that was suitable for certain pieces
within his brand’s furniture lineup as an alternative option for those looking
for a more sustainable choice, but one that still provided a pleasing look.
However, even he concedes that customers would have to forgo “certain
expectations” to appreciate the value proposition of cork compared to
traditional leather.
The biggest challenge for the alternative leather trade is helping consumers
understand that the majority of non-plastic-based alternatives are not a
straight substitute for the original product. The solution might be in scaling
up through companies like Inversa and Head of Marble, where consumers and
producers are already looking for better alternatives, and understand the
concessions required to choose a product that’s ultimately better for the
planet.
What is clear is that there’s big money and big potential here. More startups
are closing bigger funding
rounds;
and as companies of all sizes attempt to move away from virgin plastic, the
future of alternative leather is likely plant-based.
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Geoff is a freelance journalist and copywriter focused on making the world a better place through compelling copy. He covers everything from apparel to travel while helping brands worldwide craft their messaging. In addition to Sustainable Brands, he's currently a contributor at Penta, AskMen.com, Field Mag and many others. You can check out more of his work at geoffnudelman.com.
Published Jul 18, 2022 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST