Startup to Release Mango and Banana Leather to Help Fight Food Waste
Vegskin uses the fruit destined for landfills to create its vegan, eco-friendly material as an alternative to animal leather.
Credit: Vegskin
A new material made from mangoes and bananas is offering a cruelty-free, eco-friendly alternative to animal-leather.
After learning about the devastating environmental impact of animal leather production, Loïc Debrabander and Anaëlle Picavet began searching for ethical, leather alternatives. But, upon discovering that many of the substitutes available contain plastic, the couple were inspired to create their own.
“We looked for alternatives to leather. Then, by inquiring, we discover that these same alternatives are not that clean,” Debrabander said during an interview.
One of the major trends emerging in the fashion industry is faux leather, and some brands and designers are opting for fossil fuel-extracted plastic material like PU or PVC. Although these products exclude the animal cruelty, they are still causing immense damage to the planet.
The entrepreneurial pair founded the startup, Vegskin, with two goals in mind: to offer a plastic-free, vegan leather material, all while fighting food waste. “It was our values that drove us to set up the project about a year ago,” the co-founder noted.
The French company developed multiple prototypes in their search for an eco-friendly plant-based material. “We tested with local products first, such as beets, potatoes and mushrooms. It didn't work,” said Debrabander.” With apples, we started to have something convincing, but the best are bananas and mangoes.”
According to Vegskin, one hundred tons of bananas make it possible to manufacture between 5,000 and 8,000 m2 of vegetable leather. And these aren’t the fresh fruits found on supermarket shelves; they’re the products that are considered damaged and therefore destined for landfills.
Not only is Vegskin’s material flexible, resistant, and water-resistant, like animal leather, it also has the added benefit of being biodegradable, making it far more sustainable to its animal counterpart.
The startup's initial objectives are to offer Vegskin to high-end brands for use in leather goods, shoes, upholstery, and car furnishing.
“The idea is to create a real cycle, to be able to reintegrate the material once it is worn out, " noted Debrabander.
The Future is Vegan
Vegan leather is becoming increasingly popular, as fashion designers and leading brands strive to use more environmentally friendly and ethical fabrics.
Major brands have embraced the continuously emerging alternatives, with New Balance, Puma, and Balenciaga, recently launching designs that use animal-free leather. Just last month, Nike released a plant-based sneaker line using new generation Piñatex, a sustainable, vegan leather derived from pineapple leaves that, like Vegskin, upcycles food into new materials.
These industry changes are positive news for animals, with the leather industry estimated to slaughter around 1 billion animals for their skins every year.
Looking for inspiration? Here’s ten of our favorite stylish alternatives to leather.
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