Research and Development in the leather and textiles industries are now more important than ever before. Customers are driven to purchase eco-friendly alternatives to traditional materials, seeking out textiles that require a lower volume of water for growth (e.g. hemp as an alternative to cotton), recycled leather and textiles, textiles that consume a large amount of carbon dioxide during their growth (e.g. bamboo) and vegan alternatives to silk and leather. Vegan leathers were until recently made from PVC. However, novelty value and customers’ desire for reducing plastic manufacture, have caused plant-based leathers to become increasingly popular. These can be made from a wide variety of plant materials, including pineapples, apples and crop waste.
