Bio-Based and Sustainable Alternatives to Conventional and Synthetic Leather

TL;DR

This paper reviews eco-friendly leather alternatives made from plants, fungi, and microbes to replace harmful traditional and synthetic leathers.

Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive review of emerging bio-based leather substitutes and their potential for sustainable manufacturing.

Findings

Mycelium leather shows promise for scalable and low-impact production but needs improvements in tensile strength and water resistance.

Plant-based leathers like Vegea® and Piñatex® use agricultural waste to create biodegradable composites.

Microbial cellulose from kombucha fermentation offers materials with good physical and aesthetic properties.

Abstract

Growing demand for sustainable materials has intensified research into eco-friendly alternatives to conventional and synthetic leathers. Traditional bovine leather and its chromium-tanning process heavily contribute to water pollution, toxic waste generation, and carbon emissions, while synthetic leather derived from Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU) presents challenges related to fossil fuel dependence and non-biodegradability. This review explores bio-based and sustainable leather substitutes that are made of plants, microbial cellulose, and mycelium fungi. Plant-based leather substitutes such as Vegea®, Desserto®, and Piñatex® use agricultural waste products to create durable, partially biodegradable composites. Microbial cellulose from kombucha fermentation offers material with good physical and aesthetic properties. Mycelium leather, derived from fungal biomass, demonstrates potential for scalable and low-impact production. Comparative analyses of mechanical and physical properties show that mycelium composites are approaching industrial standards, though challenges remain regarding tensile strength, water resistance, and process standardization. Despite current limitations, bio-based leathers, particularly mycelium composites, offer a promising way toward circular material innovation and carbon-neutral manufacturing in fashion, automotive, design and other industries.

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