ALBAWABA - A groundbreaking development in Mexico sees the emergence of vegan leather made from cactus leaves, courtesy of two visionary entrepreneurs. Known as Desserto, this cruelty-free leather is entirely organic and marks a significant step towards a sustainable future.
Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez have achieved a remarkable feat by creating leather solely from nopal (prickly-pear) cactus, avoiding the use of harmful chemicals, phthalates, and PVC in the production process.
Desserto, the vegan leather, boasts several eco-friendly features. It exhibits flexibility, breathability, and durability for a minimum of 10 years, resembling the texture and feel of animal-based leather. This innovative material holds immense potential for application in various sectors such as furniture, automotive interiors, leather accessories, and fashion.
The motivation behind López Velarde and Cázarez's venture lies in the significant environmental impact of traditional leather production. López Velarde shared with FashionUnited, "We identified that the problem of environmental pollution was serious."
Conventional leather manufacturing involves the use of approximately 250 different substances, including toxic compounds like formaldehyde, cyanide, arsenic, and chromium. These substances not only pollute waterways, endangering marine life and ecosystems but also pose health risks to local communities.
Livestock rearing, whether for food or leather, contributes substantially to greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for 14.5 percent of all anthropogenic emissions. By selecting cactus as their raw material, the entrepreneurs embrace sustainability. López Velarde explained, "The idea of using this raw material was conceived because this plant does not need any water to grow, and there is plenty of it throughout the Mexican Republic. Also, symbolically, it represents all of us Mexicans and everybody knows it."
Integrating this plant-based leather into various industries could potentially reduce water consumption by 20 percent, considering that the fashion industry alone utilizes a significant volume of approximately 79 billion cubic meters. To put it into perspective, this volume could fill nearly 32 million Olympic-size swimming pools.
Additionally, the adoption of vegan leather contributes to a reduction of plastic waste by 32 to 42 percent, making it a sustainable alternative for companies aiming to minimize their environmental footprint.
