Leather from Cactus
Or even a fan of leather. (not for my butt on car seats, either)
All that said, how neat-o is the idea of a plant-based leather substitute? Even better, a leather substitute made from cactus??
This fascinated me:
Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez have developed a method of transforming cacti into a vegan leather that looks so realistic, you’d never guess it was made from this desert plant. They called their cactus vegan leather Desserto and it is made from cacti grown on their plantation in the Mexican state of the Zacatecas. The cactus is known for its rugged, thick skin, which makes it the perfect texture to simulate animal leather.
Mature leaves are cut from organically grown cactus plants, cleaned, mashed, and then left out in the sun to dry for three days prior to processing. It can then be dyed naturally using methods developed by Adriano Di Marti, López Velarde’s and Cázarez’s company. This makes for vegan leather that is certified organic and can hold up to regular usage for nearly a decade.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you, Adriano Di Marti’s vegan leather is on par, in terms of pricing, with genuine leather. So far, the company has created car seats, shoes, handbags, and even apparel. And since it’s made of organic material, their leather is breathable, which is often a problem with synthetic alternatives. In another plus for the environment, cactus leather is partially biodegradable and doesn’t contain any plastic—another issue with synthetic leather. This makes for a true alternative to animal leather that doesn’t have a negative impact on the planet.
I'd love to get my hands on a couple of their items just to feel them and compare them to animal leather.
Such an imaginative new use for something without a whole lot of uses.
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt
