The industry of sustainable fashion and apparel is evolving rapidly. The overall value of this industry was around 7.8 billion USD in 2023 and is expected to reach around 33 billion USD by 2030 .
Different trends and demands are arising in this sector. Businesses need to be well aware about these to stay alive in the market.
Among all the different trends in the fashion industry, a huge shift towards eco leather fabric is one to mention. The sale of sustainable clothing and fashion items has risen in the last 10 years. This rise can also go above 6% by 2026 .
This is because there is a large number of people in the world who desire to acquire vegan and animal cruelty-free fashionable items. And this is where eco leather has already become a game-changer for the fashion industry.
What is Eco Leather?
Eco leather is an alternative to the traditional animal-skin made leather. This fabric is designed by keeping crucial environmental factors in mind.
The fabric is 100% vegan. It is not made with animal skin but with good-quality plant fibers. Some characteristics of this fabric are:
- High-level Sustainability
- Easy Maintenance and Top Durability
- Huge Options for Customization
- Nature-friendly Production
The Manufacturing of Eco Leather Fabric
There are many things to know about the manufacturing of eco leathers. Some of those things are:
Using Sustainable Process of Leather Tanning
Traditional leather tanning methods include the use of harmful chemicals on animal skins. It has a very negative impact on the environment as it releases wastes that can damage nature, very severely.
Tanning 1 kilogram of real leather needs around 2.5 kilograms of hard chemical items. It also needs 200 to 250 grams of water and releases around 6 kilograms of solid waste.
On the other hand, eco leathers are made using a sustainable tanning process that aids in reducing the overall impact on the environment. There are some common plants used for tanning eco leathers such as chestnut, hemlock, oak, etc.
Sustainable tanning helps in developing beautiful and long-lasting leathers and it also releases biodegradable wastes. This improves the health of the environment.
Using Natural Materials And Methods For Leather Manufacturing
Eco leather manufacturing consists of more things than just sustainable tanning . There are different natural materials and methods that producers use for designing this type of leather.
They mainly use pineapples and mushroom items for making this high-quality leather fabric.
Professionals try to experiment with different plant based items for making more unique and attractive alternatives to animal-skin leather. It helps in making vegan leather that has the same texture and feel as real leather.
Types of Eco Leather
There are different types of eco leather currently available in the market. These may include:
