Alternative Leathers Fail to Slow Real Leather's Growth — SkimNews
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- Three major leather alternative startups — Mylo (Bolt Threads), Piñatex (Ananas Anam), and Mirum (Natural Fiber Welding) — have stopped producing, while MycoWorks (Reishi) narrowly escaped insolvency last year, despite investors pouring over $1bn into the sector.
- Real leather production has grown steadily, rising from 10.5m tonnes in 2005 to 13.8m tonnes in 2024 according to Textile Exchange, evidence that alternatives have failed to dent demand for animal hides.
- Most vegan leathers available to consumers are polyurethane or PVC — fossil fuel-derived plastics that shed microplastics, cannot be repaired, and persist in landfill, with plant-based alternatives containing anywhere from 2% to 50% plastic coatings.
- Of over a dozen alternative leather innovators contacted by Guardian Australia, only four — Desserto (cacti), Innovera (plant proteins), Nutico (cocoa and walnut waste), and Pliant (bio-rubber) — could point to products currently available to buy.
- Dr. Helen Crowley, founder of Nature Matters and former head of nature and sustainable sourcing at Kering, argues the industry should pivot from alternatives to "good leather" from regenerative farming, which can sequester carbon, improve soil health, and restore water cycles.
- Christine Goulay of consultancy Sustainabelle, also formerly of Kering, notes material innovation historically takes 30 to 50 years to mainstream, suggesting current timelines for alt-leather commercialization are unrealistic.
Why it matters: Over $1 billion in capital has flowed into alternative leathers while real leather production rose to 13.8 million tonnes in 2024, and most vegan leathers on shelves remain petroleum-based plastic. The article's sharpest challenge to the "alternatives are the solution" narrative is Crowley's reframing: replace bad leather with regeneratively farmed good leather rather than chase plastic-heavy substitutes that don't scale.
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