Once overlooked as leftover pieces, leather scraps are now at the centre of current style and sustainability movements. Crafters, DIYers, and even major fashion houses are eyeing genuine leather offcuts for affordability because they spark fresh ideas and serve the demand for more eco-conscious materials. Let’s note how leather scraps are making waves in today’s market.
Sustainable leather used as art material
Leather can be a striking and versatile material in art installations, offering rich texture, natural tones, and deep cultural associations. Artists use leather in both traditional and unconventional ways to evoke emotion, explore themes, or create immersive environments. Eco-artists use recycled or upcycled materials in their practice and often try to make their studio practice sustainable. They might use local materials and resources, organic materials where possible, renewable energy sources and environmentally friendly materials.
The Environmental Impact of the Leather Industry
The global impact of leather production is huge. Some of the biggest concerns of real leather production include:
- Land and water use
- Deforestation
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- Traceability
That’s why it is recommended to use traditional, local sourcing and handcrafting practices that reduce the impact of chrome and other chemicals that are found in older day practices and products. It is now suggested to use recycled water to minimize wastewater and environmental impacts. And, also demanded is the adherence to environmentally sustainable processes in tanning and preparation of the leather.
Eco-friendly Leather
Sustainable leather or “eco-friendly leather” is a trade term to describe leather that is sourced in various ecologically or animal-friendly ways. This includes the creation of leather substitutes from plant fibers and other materials, many of which are made with processes that are—ironically—harmful to the environment.
In simple words, Plant-based Leather is leather-like material yielded in a way where no animals are exploited or slaughtered. It’s a leather-like material that isn’t made from the skin of animals plus it’s holding wholly distinct ethical values from synthetic leather.
Plant-based leather is made from plant materials such as mushrooms, fungi, pineapple, cactus, Apple, mangoes and many other natural substances. Plant-based leather drawn from agricultural waste, uses nominal water and chemicals, decreasing carbon emissions as compared to pure synthetics.
Type of plant-based leather
Plant-based leathers are high-quality leather alternatives at a comparable price to leather. After several brands and even entire fashion weeks went fur-free in recent years, plant-based leather will be the next step. As an animal byproduct, it doesn’t just emit greenhouse gases and consumes finite natural resources. It’s far from environmental pollution through the tanning and dying process.
Takeaway
Currently, various researchers are working to generate new plant-based materials parallel to leather, but far more ecologically cruelty-free.
Eco friendly leather like Pineapple leather, Lino, Apple, Cactus and Mylo mushroom are all Plant-based leathers which are high-quality leather alternatives at a comparable price to leather.
There are no fixed rules for what makes a piece of art sustainable, but eco-artists often look for ways to create without damaging the environment.
