2024.07.04
Vegan Leather from Pineapple Leaves: Sustainable Materials Not Just for Celebrities
What image comes to mind when you think of sustainable products? While the advantage of being environmentally friendly is likely to pop up, you might also associate them with being "expensive" or "inferior in durability and quality" compared to conventional products.
The textile fashion industry is known for its high environmental impact. In the realm of leather, the goal is to offset the drawbacks of these alternative products while considering the environmental impact by utilizing plant-based leather (vegan leather) that does not originate from animals or petroleum.
We spoke with PEEL Lab, a Japan-based startup pioneering the field of vegan leather.
Making Leather from Pineapple Leaves
Every year in Paris, Viva Technology (commonly known as Viva Tech), a tech trade show that leads in technological innovations, is held in May. This year, 2024, startups from all over the world gathered with various innovative ideas. PEEL Lab, which featured Japan's traditional randoseru (school backpacks) at its booth, was among them.Upon examining a randoseru made from plant-based leather, it closely resembled genuine leather. Processed to have a suede-like texture, it could easily be mistaken for genuine suede.
"It's made from pineapple," says Jim Huang, founder and CEO of the company. They use what they call "Pineapple Hide," a leather material made from the leaves of pineapples discarded as waste by pineapple farmers.
On pineapple farms, the leaves sprouting at the base of the plant are routinely cut. These leaves are either burned or processed as livestock feed, but burning them releases carbon dioxide, and not all the leaves can be utilized as feed.
"We purchase these leaves from the farms. This allows the farmers to reduce disposal costs and increases their income. On the other hand, we can acquire raw materials cheaply and repurpose them as Pineapple Hide."
Since they can acquire the pineapple leaves cheaply, they can manufacture Pineapple Hide at 20-40% less cost compared to traditional animal leather. Therefore, even if Pineapple Hide is used as a sustainable alternative material, the product cost does not increase.
While it is beneficial for both parties, why choose pineapple out of all available plant options? The key to making vegan leather is the "fiber." Pineapple leaves are rich in fibers.
"It took about a year and a half to conclude that pineapple leaf could be used as a material for plant-based leather. However, we are not limited to pineapple; we are also considering other materials like coconut shells and banana stems."
Moreover, Pineapple Hide has a lower environmental impact compared to cowhide during the manufacturing process.
"When comparing the carbon dioxide emissions during the leather manufacturing process, Pineapple Hide can reduce it to 1/40th of that of cowhide."
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