Most of us are aware by this point of how much cattle and other animals affect the environment. So it may seem unsustainable to choose cow leather. However, given that the “vegan leather” alternative is actually simply plastic, cow leather still prevails in terms of durability and reduced waste.
But what should you do if you don’t want to wear leather made from animals or help make virgin plastic? Introducing cactus leather to you. This novel leather substitute, like mushroom leather, has a lifespan comparable to that of animal leather without the polymers found in conventional “vegan leather.” Too good to be true? Evidently, no.
We met with Tessa Carroll, the brand’s creator and creative director of AC Official, which uses cactus leather. She covers all the essential information regarding cactus leather below.
Can you explain what is cactus leather? How do you make leather out of a cactus?
I collaborate with the creators of Desserto, a biomaterial made from cacti that can replace animal leather. The mature leaves of a prickly pear cactus are harvested, and the proteins and fibres inside are extracted to create an organic bio resin that is then coated on a carrier.
Cactus leather is being heralded as a much more sustainable option than other vegan leathers? Why is this?
This is due to a variety of factors, including the fact that cacti fields are significant carbon sinks, meaning that just the act of producing them helps to trap carbon from the atmosphere. Furthermore, it is common knowledge that cacti don’t need a lot of water to survive. This indicates that they use exponentially less water during growth and harvest than, say, waxed cotton. In actuality, Desserto’s property has no irrigation systems in place. The cactus are cultivated organically, without the use of pesticides or herbicides, and are solely watered with rain. Additionally, the cactus’ mature leaves are removed when it has reached its full size (this takes 6–8 weeks at most), leaving the root system in the ground and preventing the release of carbon from the soil. Working with Desserto has been an amazing experience because they take sustainability into account at every stage of the value chain. from the management of land resources all the way to the actual content
How does it compare to animal leather in terms of sustainability?
In plain English, leather is not a natural product by the time it gets into the hands of the consumer, whether it is a by-product of the meat industry or not. One of the most resource-intensive manufacturing processes is the production of leather, which requires a staggering amount of poisonous chemicals to keep it from decomposing while in our possession and water to grow the grass that was used to feed the livestock in the first place. One kilogramme of leather is said to require 17,000 litres of pure drinking water. Additionally, due to the quantities of harmful chemicals in the soil, EPAs (Environmental Protection Agencies) classify former leather tannery sites as inactive for a specific amount of time after their use, much like a gas station. Finally, when leather is recycled into waste, it absorbs these toxins into our soils, making them unusable for growing anything until they are regenerated.
Does cactus leather last and have a similar longevity to animal leather?
The longevity of leather is one of its many benefits. But this contributes to the issue as well. Things that last forever will always require a place to live, whether it’s in your closet, a charity shop, or just a landfill. Although Desserto offers a wide range of materials with varying technical capabilities, they can totally replace leather without sacrificing quality and, with the help of the proper designer, without sacrificing style.
Does cactus leather biodegrade?
The most advanced version of Desserto’s sustainable materials, which can contain up to 92 percent organic carbon derived from plants, is highly biodegradable and offers a variety of levels of sustainability. Depending on the textile’s use, it is backed with a variety of different textiles. At A C Official, we choose a backing made of 100 percent organic cotton, but there are additional textiles made of recycled cotton and polyester and a rubber option for furniture.
Do you think this is a better option?
Absolutely. We have till 2021 to change the course of the world, but time is running out. By utilising cutting-edge plant-based materials, we can open the discussion about Who Made My Handbag and What Is My Handbag Made of while also dramatically reducing the environmental effects of the fashion industry. Objectivity, openness, and sustainability. What should more people be aware of regarding the leather industry, in your opinion? With 20% of the Amazon currently deforested, cattle ranching is the primary cause of this destruction. Every year, we lose an area the size of the UK to this.
The leather business employs poisonous chemicals that are harmful to individuals and the environment, including insecticides, chromium salts, tanning liquor, sulphide, and many more unpleasant substances. It produces enormous amounts of waste during the tanning and production processes, and presently, 80 percent of leather is tanned with chrome in the world, which is obvious in the health of the employees who breathe it in on a daily basis. Not to mention the animal’s life that it needs for survival. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to recover all of the pollutants produced by the tanning process, even in highly modernised tanneries. Although vegetable tanning is a good idea, it does not eliminate the need for the natural resources that were used to raise and harvest the animals in the first place. If we care so much about how much energy it takes to manufacture a hamburger, shouldn’t we also care about how much energy it takes to make our wallet?
How is vegan leather manufactured from cacti?
The unquestionable necessity to go green is being handled in the fashion industry with distinctive style. Desserto, a textile company located in Mexico that creates a velvety, waterproof vegan leather replacement completely from Nopal Cactus, is one of the most interesting newcomers to the market. T.A. Walsh penned the article.
The unquestionable necessity to go green is being handled in the fashion industry with distinctive style. Sustainable materials are becoming increasingly popular, from vegan leather created from recycled pineapple harvests to heels that turn reclaimed cork into stylish footwear.
Desserto, a textile company located in Mexico that creates a velvety, waterproof vegan leather replacement completely from Nopal Cactus, is one of the most interesting newcomers to the market. Together, designers Marte Czarez and Adrin Lpez Velarde created a vegan leather that is both high-quality and versatile by combining their expertise in the fashion, automotive, and furniture industries.
Desserto’s founders had a long experience of dealing with leather, and given its severe environmental impact and the cruelty involved in breeding cows for their hides, they grew deeply concerned about it. They made the decision to develop a premium vegan leather that is free of all the hazardous baggage since they have a keen awareness of the requirements of luxury companies.
The leaves of the Nopal cactus plant, which may be picked without harming the plant, are used to make cactus leather. Desserto raised a variety of native plants that are natural to the area and require very little water to grow.
All of Desserto’s cactus plants are raised on a ranch owned by Velarde and Czarez in the Mexican state of Zacatecas. They take care to maintain the plant’s health and life by harvesting materials leaves from their adult cactuses every six to eight months. This ranch uses no irrigation because it is committed to long-term health rather than maximising resource extraction. The cactus can be cultivated in Zacatecas with only rainwater and naturally occurring earth minerals.
After being gathered, the water-saving, CO2 absorbing raw material is processed without the use of any harmful chemicals to produce high-quality, convincing vegan leather. The resulting impermeable, strong, and aesthetically beautiful biodegradable cactus leather is silky to the touch.
the first organic substance derived from the nopal cactus, or “Highly sustainable is the prickly pear cactus. The fabled capacity of the nopal plant to take up carbon dioxide. It needs very little water to develop, just as many other desert plants. Their cactus requires only 200 litres of water as opposed to the usual plant’s 1,000 litres, which is required to generate 1 kilogramme of dry material.
Additionally, the food business receives 50% of the harvested leaves from Desserto. This indicates that a single crop yields two goods. This multifunctional advantage of cactus leather is significant because a projected worldwide food crisis is one of the most important climate change-related worries.
While all vegan leathers are free from animal testing and thus a vast improvement over conventional leather, the environmental advantages of cactus leather are far greater.
Some traditional leather businesses attempt to claim that they use a “that would otherwise be thrown away. Although there is some truth to that, the majority of leather is treated with chromium, a highly toxic substance that seriously harms the environment. Without harmful chemicals that leak into water systems, cactus leather is made naturally. The well-known fact that raising cows significantly increases the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is fully eliminated by cactus leather.
You might be asking what can be done with cactus leather now that we know it is ethically sourced, environmentally friendly, and completely cruelty-free. The short answer is that traditional quality leather can be used for just about everything.
As well as the inside of cars and upscale furniture, cactus leather has also been utilised to create cute handbags, vegan leather shoes, and faux leather coats. Desserto and House of Fluff have teamed up to create leather jackets that are as durable as nails. In the world of footwear, CLAE has introduced the original Cactus leather sneaker in a distinguishing shade of green.
Can you make leather from cacti?
Two Mexican businesspeople have turned cactus leaves into vegan leather. Desserto is the brand name of the animal-free leather.
According to legend, Marte Czarez and Adrin Lpez Velarde were the first to make organic leather using solely nopal (prickly-pear) cacti. They don’t design them with PVC, phthalates, or harmful substances.
The vegan leather degrades to some extent. It has a minimum lifespan of ten years and is flexible and breathable. The fabric has a leather-like texture. It can be used by businesses in clothes, leather goods, autos, and furniture.
How is vegan leather produced?
Polyurethane, a polymer that can be manufactured to any designer’s specifications, is frequently used to create vegan leather. It can also be manufactured from creative and environmentally friendly materials like pineapple leaves, cork, apple peels, other fruit debris, and recycled plastic to make products that are superior to those made from animal skins.
Cactus leather’s durability
Some people might find the thought of a bag made of cactus a bit absurd, but two entrepreneurs, Marte Czarez and Adrin Lpez Velarde, have developed and successfully shown their vegan leather material at the International Leather Fair Lineapelle 2019. Those in attendance at the exhibition last month in Milan, Italy, were interested in the cactus-made substitute for animal leather. The high resistant vegan cactus leather, known as Desserto, has the kind of blueprint that will appeal to the fashion, interior design, and automotive industries.
Getting To Know The Cruelty-free and Cost-competitive Leather
It took Mexican researchers Adrin Lpez Velarde and Marte Czarez two years of work and research with the aid of technologies and inventions before they were ready to showcase a usable product at the Milan tradeshow. The flexibility, adaptability, and breathability of cactus leather, which has a lifespan of about 10 years, are similar to those of leather made from animals or synthetic materials. Earth-friendly qualities such being partially biodegradable and lacking hazardous chemicals, phthalates, and PVC round out the features.
The material was created and manufactured to fulfil the most exacting standards from the Aeronautic to the Fashion industries. It is also cruelty-free and reasonably priced. The biggest challenge we have faced is figuring out how to make our materials accessible for small and medium-sized businesses because sometimes minimum purchase quantities are a barrier for them, the creators of the sustainable alternative told FashionUnited (UK) when asked about the difficulties they faced producing the product. Because of this, we constantly strive to maintain an inventory so customers can purchase items in modest amounts. We are also in contact with possible suppliers that could make our supplies accessible to everyone.
Regarding the advantages that cactus leather offers, Velarde and Czarez told FashionUnited (UK): “The advantages for the environment that our materials can have if incorporated into major production lines of the different industries mentioned before may result in a reduction of 32 to 42 percent in plastic waste, depending on the version of our materials that are incorporated, and a reduction of about 20 percent in water consumption.
The garment sector alone currently uses a staggering amount of volume—nearly 79 billion cubic meters—enough to fill approximately 32 million Olympic-size swimming pools. The value of the additional 39 billion cubic metres predicted to be used annually by 2030 is estimated to be worth 32 billion euros to the global economy. If the fashion sector can develop ways to stop water use from rising further, this could be advantageous for the global economy.
It appears that Velarde and Czarez’s determination to start Desserto at a time when the fashion industry is open to having a conversation may have something to do with their determination to be the company that does things a little differently as end users continue to demand that their products be made of environmentally friendly materials.
Is cactus used to make vegan leather?
The never-ending fashion must-have is leather. It returns to trend-watching lists every season and makes a grand entrance on catwalks all around the world. There used to be two options for those who enjoy the edgy yet chic appearance of leather (*raises hand*): either choose a petroleum-based “Wearing a piece of leather that would pollute the environment or the skin of an animal that had been brutally killed and tortured would also pollute the environment. This wasn’t the best option, to put it mildly.
But things are different now. Today, the phrase “Leather has expanded to include products produced from cacti, pineapples, mushrooms, cork, apples, and mangoes. Yes, the lone plant you avoided killing has more uses than you would realise.
How is Cactus Leather made?
The newest sustainable fashion creation, Desserto’s Cactus Leather, is a vegan leather manufactured from the leaves of the nopal cactusa plant, which grows everywhere in Mexico and doesn’t even require any water (seems like a great option for those of us constantly killing our plants). After two years of study to improve the quality of their cactus leather to rival regular leather, Mexican inventors Adrin Lpez Velarde and Marte Czarez exhibited the material at Milan’s leather show Lineapelle in 2019.
When the creators saw the effects of the plastic pollution crisis, they got the idea to use the qualities of the nopal cactus plant to create a vegan leather. The outcome is an organic, partially biodegradable substance that can be utilised for clothing, furniture, and automobile interiors. Depending on the version of cactus leather used, the positive environmental impact that our cactus leather can have on major production lines of various industries may result in a 32 to 42 percent reduction in plastic waste and about a 20 percent reduction in water consumption, the founders have told FashionUnited.
Why is Cactus Leather sustainable?
Alternatives to standard vegan leathers, which can be created from either extremely toxic PVC or slightly less hazardous but still problematic polyurethane, include eco-friendly cactus leather. Despite the problems that both of these materials pose, they are nevertheless less hazardous to the environment than animal leather since, in addition to the poisonous chemicals released annually by the leather trade, raising animals on a big scale for human use has terrible impacts.
The market is moving further away from animal skins and plastic, and toward plant-based alternatives that come from nature, according to recent breakthroughs in the field of sustainably produced leather. Desserto intends to continue collaborating with progressive businesses of all sizes who prefer to use its cactus leather rather than coming up with their own ideas. “The founders told FashionUnited that the fashion sector has inherent benefits like creativity, which is its most defining quality. “Fashion has the talent, the networks, the finance, and all the resources required for transformation thanks to technologies and innovations. The moment has come to begin operating differently.
Where to buy Cactus Leather products?
Vegan companies are embracing the chance to introduce cactus leather first: Bohema uses it along with Pinatex and Grape Leather for their trendy vegan footwear; Mexican shoe brand Carmona Collection champions local innovation by using cactus leather for its vegan shoes; and London-based vegan handbag brand LUXTRA also experiments with cactus leather. Thalie, a French fashion house, uses it for its exquisitely crafted handbags.
According to LUXTRA founder Jessica Kruger, “I prefer to utilise cactus leather since it fulfils the eco and aesthetic criteria.
The fabric has a fantastic sheen, and it feels wonderful in the hand. Cacti are a natural carbon sink and don’t need water to thrive, thus they are environmentally friendly. Overall, it’s a true innovator in the field of bio-based vegan leathers.
The owners of the trendy accessory line Frida Rome, Natalie Deana and Rebecca Joy, concur: “We wanted to work with a vegan leather made from plants and free of PVC, as well as a supplier that is always working to improve its sustainable impact, which we believe is the case with our supplier of cactus leather. It’s one of the closest leather copies on the market to date and not only vegan, but its suppleness and different textural finishes are the closest to animal leather that was available to a new brand like ours.
Fashion’s future is in conscious material development, and vegan materials will predominate. Cactus leather is a sustainable, non-animal alternative to traditional leather that designers adore. Keep an eye on this area.
View Immaculate’s chic and eco-friendly Cactus Leather range of handbags, shoes, and accessories.
Sascha Camilli is a speaker, writer, and activist who supports vegan fashion. Murdoch Books has just released her book, Vegan Style. You can read our interview with Sascha to learn more about her. She is also accessible on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.