Vegan leather is obtained from cactus plants and is breathable, economical, biodegradable with minimal environmental impact compared to traditional leather
The textile industry is the second most polluting in the world. The leather production process consumes an enormous amount of water from the animal growth until tanning. The use of chemicals also makes the leather non-recyclable and contributes to the release of pollutants into the environment. These observations led Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez to create a new vegan leather produced from cactus. The two inventors worked in the leather industry and decided to join forces to propose an alternative to the existing plastic eco-leather. The result is Desserto.
Desserto is a vegan leather obtained from the cactus leafs. The use of cactus plants need much less water during the production of the raw material. Moreover, crops also absorb carbon dioxide from the air, helping the environment. The process (covered by patent) involves cutting the leaves, cleaning, mashing it and dehydration for 3 days. Once the process is completed, the plant material is mixed with non-toxic chemical additives and combined to obtain fabrics with different textures and colours.
The product is biodegradable, lasts up to 10 years, is flexible and breathable. The cost is similar to animal leather and the project foresees the use of the new eco-leather to manufacture shoes, bags and various accessories. Adrián and Marte hope to revolutionize the fashion industry by offering an innovative material that, at the same time, has a great positive impact on the environment, changing the fashion industry at its roots.