Genius Natural Vegan Products from Plants
Nowadays many animal and synthetic products can be replaced with plant-based materials, which are produced using less energy and are also sustainable and recyclable. Most important is the fact, that animals no longer need to die for leather products like shoes, belt and bags. Not to harm any beings and producing only items, which are ethical ans sustainable, is part of HOLISTIC LIVING.
The best thing about products from plants is the fact, that they are almost or as robust and durable like real leather. According to Infinium Global Research’s February 2021 market report, the global vegan leather market is expected to reach an annual growth rate of 48.1 percent in 2026. High Fashion Brands like Gucci and Adidas use vegan materials since many years.
Fashion made from vegan leather
Naturally Products from plants: Mushroom Leather
For good leather, we no longer need the skin of animals. There are many producers, who manufacture the finest bags and shoes from vegan leather. A popular source are mushrooms, which grow back within two weeks and are easy to cultivate and process.
Mushroom leather is a genius leather alternative, that is made from Mycelium, the root system of mushrooms. With the right growing conditions and processing, it creates an amazing eco-friendly, petroleum-free, soft, durable leather-like material. Mushroom leather is currently storming the fashion industry, especially when it comes to shoes and bags.
The mycelia of mushrooms grow on agricultural waste. This creates a foam-like surface structure, which gets chemically and mechanically processed into a leather-like material. There are attempts to let the mushrooms grow on cotton to increase the quality of the mushroom leather.
One of the main mushroom leather suppliers is Mushroom Leather Supply Co. The company Tamaris developed a material called HyphaLite™, which is out of mushroom, natural rubber and cellulose fibers, from which they manufacture sandals and other things.
Sustainable Materials for the Benefit of Nature
Natural Vegan Products: Pineapple Leather
Another leather from plants is made from pineapple leaves, which are left overs from harvesting. Wonderful tear-resistant, breathable and soft pineapple leather are produced from the leaves, which has to be coated with polyurethane, to ensure the longevity of the product. The company Ecoalf use pineapple leather for their products.
Natural Vegan Products: Apple Leather
Leather can also be made from apples, using the trester. These are the residues, which are left behind after the production of apple juice. The trester is mixed with polyurethane and applied on cotton. From apple leather, shoes, bags and furniture can be made. The company Beyond Leather works with apple leather under the name LEAP®.
Natural Products from plants: Cactus Leather
Another leather from plants is the breathable and durable cactus leather from the prickly fique cactus in Mexico. The cactus fibers are also mixed with polyurethane for better durability and applied on cotton and other textiles. The advantage of cactus products is, that they can be grown in regions with less water. They also need very little water for their growth. Wallets and belts are made from cactus leather, for example by the company Fossil.
Fashion made from Banana fibers
Since a while it is possible to produce textiles from plant waste, for example from banana fibers. The Swiss company QWSTION developed a robust, tear-resistant and durable material from the fibers of abaca banana plants. The brand name is Bananatex. The plants are growing in the Philippines. The great thing about this is, that the plants can be cultivated in permaculture, which means, they do not require water, fertilizers or pesticides.
Bananatex is a real alternative to synthetic materials. The company itself uses the material for their own bag production and also offer other companies to use it for their products. As part of an open source project, great brands such as Stella McCartney, H&M and MCM Worldwide use Bananatex textiles. The product range extends from shoes, bags to fashion.
Vegan Products: Tomato Leather
It seems that the development and production of plant-based leather, as an alternative to animal leather, has no limits. Among the latest creations is tomato leather, which is made from waste from the tomato industry, particularly tomato skins and peels. The peels are dried, processed and combined with other natural components such as cotton and biopolymers, to create a flexible, robust material which is 100% biodegradable.
The company BioLeather, headquartered in Mumbai in India, produce tomato leather since 2019. Shoes, bags, handbags, and wallets are made from materials „called Tomato Leather Solid” and “Tomato Leather Soft“. New collections are released annually. They also produce by the meter, for furniture and interior design. The company also welcomes private individuals and entrepreneurs to participate in incentives. This way they win customers or business partners with whom to they develop further sustainable products and distribute them on a large scale.
Vegan Products: Textiles Made from Potato Peels
The days are over when potato peels were thrown away. Those who eat healthily know that most of the minerals are found directly beneath the skin. These include calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, and phosphorus, which you can get from buttered potatoes, fries, or wedges that still have the skin on
It’s hard to believe, but you can make many everyday items and textilesfrom potato peels. This is due to the many fibers in the peels. It all started with Rowan Minkley and Rob Nicoll, who discovered that all kinds of materials can be made from plant-based food waste. They founded Chip[s] Board, which produces fiber-reinforced bioplastics from potatoes, also called Parblex plastics. These are opaque panels that, when combined with other natural substances such as walnut flour, can be used to create eyeglass frames. They work with various well-known food companies which process potatoes, such as McCains from Canada, which is known for its frozen fries for the oven. Due to the high starch content of potatoes, textiles can also be made from potato peels.
The UK-based company Fibe has developed an innovative method for extracting durable and soft natural fibers from potato waste. The company works closely with farmers, to utilize their waste and increase the profitability of their farms, especially potato peels. Their fibers, which are similar to cotton and linen, can be easily woven and integrated into the textile industry’s existing spinning and weaving infrastructure. Fibe is seeking partners from the fashion, agriculture and development sectors to establish a joint venture.
