Leather is the only textile that has been there with mankind from the start it is not wrong to say that leather was the very first textile that was ever used by humans. Over thousands of years, we have been constantly modifying the raw material and the sources of leather according to our choices and needs. and now the point has come where we can actually experience the leather textile without having to sacrifice our environment animal lives.
but first, let us understand what the leather textile is,
leather is a textile that is obtained by animal skin by humans for protection against nature and climate. the most common type of leather is obtained by the skin of cows things sheep and other domestic animals various the Exotic leather which is even more costly than real leather is obtained by animals such as crocodiles kangaroos and ostrich.
Initially, Leather was produced as a byproduct of meat production, but as the demand for leather has increased animal extortion took place. This includes the majority of animals that are primarily there for meat production. This gave rise to the voices Declining the process and questioning Whether it’s ethical to have real leather.
as Fashion Technology has always been moving and finding new ways to make the fashion industry an ethical one. Experts in the subject started working on it and experimenting causing new inventions like faux leather. This leather was mainly constructed by the fibers from the plastic which looks like real leather and now the leather that you wear is not been causing any animal life and as it was chemically based the production was used which results in Decrease in price and making the leather luxury available to the masses.
but even then plastic has been affecting our lives since the time it was discovered and even though we’re not taking any animal lives, faux leather is still not completely ethical for the environment.
as progress now the experts are working on a new term which is vegan leather. now the difference between vegan leather and faux Leather is that vegan leather does not support animal extortion and is not affecting nature adversely in any way.
many tried and tested methods and ideologies Resulted in some types of leather which can be made from the waste or natural Residue which would rather go to waste. let us see some of the methods that are used by the leather production system which positively is its batting nature.
- Leather from mango pulp:
The Netherland-based leather production company “Fruit leather” has invented a way to produce leather from mango pulp. the fruit leather company collects around 1500 mangoes a week Some dutch importers which would rather go to waste because of quality issues.
The mango pulp leather undergoes several protective layers for finishing and durability. Several tints and colors can be obtained by mango pulp leather depending upon the state and type of mango pup that is being used.
- Leather from mushrooms:
Mushroom is a super ingredient to become a sustainable future ladder as it grows mycelium, a vegetative part of a fungus that can be a perfect alternative for leather without PU or PVC
Adi Reza Nughoro in the city of Bandung comes up with the idea of manufacturing leather from mushrooms in early 2012 to develop a sustainable and animal-friendly leather industry with “MycoTech”.
It is a great alternative for faux leather or real leather but the production cost for mushroom leather is comparatively high as the manufacturing is yet to start for the mass.
- Leather from apple peels:
In a search of finding the quality of leather without harming the nature of the support animal cruelty team, “Sohotree” came up with an alternative that creates leather from apples. In northern Italy, nearly 1 million liters of apple juice are produced each year from which the stem, cores and peels end up as a wastage. Instead of disposing of the remains, Sohotree is used this waste material to make perfect vegan leather and shape them into any kind of shapes and color with some finishing procedures.
The longevity of apple peels is much greater as compared to other leather options, is more powerful, and is also water repellent. The perfect cherry on the top!
It is really unfortunate to say that fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world. As the industry is huge and provides employment to more than 75 million workers worldwide, we need to act fast to create a positive impact in the world, and such inventions and a new perspective for the production industry is really a blessing for the future of fashion industry.
But are we really ready to accept and support such inventions for the better tomorrow???
Article by-
Anshul Waghmare