From cactus plant in Mexico to grape wine waste from Italy, the variety of bio-based plant and fruit alternatives to fossil-fuel faux leathers are growing. This report identifies key global players with their pros and cons

Introduction

The bio-based leather-alternative market is set for fast growth, as brands look for lower-impact alternatives to primarily oil-based PU and PVC in order to achieve sustainability goals while servicing the growing vegan market.

Activewear, luxury and high street brand innovators are already piloting bio-based leather-like materials from food waste streams and regeneratively farmed plants and trees, and the opportunities for regional food-based alternative leathers with marketing potential such as olive based from Turkey, and wine waste from Italy are emerging.

The market is in transition and there is dispute about its eco-credentials, with the leather industry pointing out its environmental impact is often no less than that of vegetable-tanned organic leathers. The majority of bio-based leather alternatives do contain some PU for durability in coatings and backings, which hampers onward recyclability and biodegradability: innovation is focused on elimination.

More costly than PU materials, bio-based options can be cheaper than some animal leathers, but this is not always the case when raw material duties are calculated into the overall price.

This report looks at key materials, suppliers and brand adopters. It omits most biofactured materials, which we have covered in our dedicated Biofabricated Materials and Mycelium reports.