Whether you’re looking for alternatives to leather and exotic skins for environmental or ethical reasons, or because you’re interested in exploring new materials, here are some options that have the best sustainability credentials: 

To Purchase:

• Fine Mycelium™ / Reishi™ by MycoWorks
  Fine Mycelium™ engineers mycelium cells as they grow, meaning that the properties of the material can be adjusted as it is being created. Stronger than traditional mushroom leathers, which are compressed from foam-like mycelium structures, Fine Mycelium™ also contains no synthetic component. Using traditional leather tanning techniques, the material has been tested across hundreds of samples and protocols and matches the Gold standard for leather.
• Wild rubber
  Wild rubber is farmed from rubber trees that naturally occur in the Amazon Rainforest as part of a diverse ecosystem. Local communities in the Rainforest are employed to collect and process the rubber, maintaining a close relationship to the forest and bringing value back into their community. Wild rubber is typically produced in large sheets but can be poured into specific moulds to create varying shapes or textures.
• Vegea
  Vegea is created using grape waste from wine production, mixed with a bio-based polymer. The production process is free from toxic solvents, heavy metals and dangerous substances for humans and the environment. It is GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified and compliant with European regulations (REACH).
• Piñatex®
  Piñatex® is a textile made from waste pineapple leaf fibre, with a resin coating to protect it from wear and tear. Ananas Anam, the company behind Piñatex®, is a Certified B Corporation®. The leaves are the byproduct of existing agriculture, and their use creates an additional income stream for farming communities in the Philippines. The production process has low water use and low production waste, and does not use any chemicals on the Cradle2cradle list of banned substances.
  
• MIRUM®
  MIRUM® is recyclable, made from nutrients from agricultural waste streams, and completely free from plastics. At the end of its life, MIRUM® is biodegradable or can be recycled into new MIRUM®. 

Currently in Research & Development:

• Treekind®
  Treekind® is made from plant waste streams and contains no synthetic component, meaning it can easily be recycled or turned into compost. The textile uses less than 1% of the water in leather production and is estimated to be carbon negative. In 2022 Biophilica, the company who created Treekind®, raised £1.2m Seed round funding to bring the material to market. A UK company, Biophilica were part of the Institute of Fashion’s ‘Future of Fashion Innovation Showcase’ 2021.
• Bio-Tex™ by BioFabbrica
  Associated with Modern Meadow, who developed the first lab-grown leather (Zoa), Bio-Tex™ is made from plant-based proteins and bio-based polymers. The material reduces GHG emissions by over 90% compared to traditional, chrome-tanned leather based on a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA).
• beLEAF™
  beLEAF™ comes from the Alocasia Macrorrihza or ‘elephant ear’ plant. Whole leaves are treated and backed with a microfiber or cotton lining. Each piece of material is individual. It is a deforestation-free product, leaves are collected in sustainable areas and planted together with reforestation farms, with production waste used as a fertiliser. The tanning process is entirely organic and heavy metals-free, and is estimated to be carbon-negative.