Can plant-origin leather replace regular leather?

Designers are finding innovative ways to create textures from pineapple, cork, coconut and other vegan sources

As the world is moving towards a sustainable future, some Indian companies are adopting alternatives to leather, especially plant-based versions.

Vegan leather, also known as faux leather, isn’t made from the skin of animals. It is manufactured from a variety of plastic and plant materials.

Aulive, a Delhi-based company, is using both synthetic leather — made chemically in factories — and also plant-based leather alternatives. They currently have bags made from pineapple leaf fibre, cork fabric, and coconuts.

“Piñatex is a material made of fibre from the leaves of the pineapple plant. These leaves are discarded from the pineapple harvest, so the raw material requires no additional environmental resources to produce,” explains co-founder Wamika Shekhawat.

Leftover cork fabric is sourced from export houses for the inner lining of the bags. “Cork fabric is made from scraping trees, done in specific seasons, after which the trees are left to regrow,” she adds.

Making of the fabric

These materials are by-products of plant waste, explains Wamika. “The manufacturing involves plant waste collection, fibre extraction and purification. The production uses eco-friendly dyes to create a circular process,” she says.

Based in Bengaluru, Ethik, an eco-friendly and organic fashion brand, is using plant-based leather material to create wallets. “Here, the material is made from wood pulp/plant cellulose which is in a slurry form. The slurry is added to a machine where colours are mixed and it is rolled out to the desired thickness. Water from a nearby stream is used in the process. It is then purified and let back into the stream,” tells Pankaj Khabiya, founder.

Malai Biomaterials in Kerala uses a similar process. “Our process involves fermentation of bacterial cellulose to produce biocomposite materials. The whole manufacturing process takes anywhere from four to eight weeks,” says Zuzana Gombosova, co-founder and director of the company.

The company specialises in making organic materials from the agricultural waste sourced from the coconut industry in southern India. They collect waste coconut water and repurpose it for the production of bacterial cellulose. The cellulose is then fermented and it undergoes refinement to create a more durable and flexible material.

“We didn’t want to create an imitation of animal leather. We wanted to provide a healthier, more sustainable, and ecologically-friendly alternative. Our material is made from cellulose fibres. They are different from collagen fibres that constitute animal leather. We provide a similar feel, and comparable mechanical properties,” she explains.

Working with the fabric

While leather lasts for 40 to 50 years, plant-based alternatives are likely to stay in a good condition for five to 10 years. They cost the same as the animal leather or more. “Vegan leather is home-compostable and made without petro- leum-based ingredients,” adds Zuzana.

For Amir, head artisan at Aulive, working with plant-based fabrics was a welcome change. “It is fun to work with such materials because neither do they stain your hands nor do they leave behind a nasty smell,” he says. He adds that plant-based fabrics are flexible when compared to animal leather.

Pros

*Turns waste into useful items

*More uniform

*Washable

*Easily stitchable

*Dimensionally stable

*Biodegradable

Cons

*Adoption is low because the industry is used to leather

*Not as versatile

*Can require the use of plastic to hold the structure