Can Plant Leather Replace Natural Leather To Occupy The Market?

In the future, the clothes you wear.

Leather belts, fur coats, handbags and pocketbooks are no longer killing all kinds of animals.

Carmen Hijosa, a new science professor at Royal College of Art, has invented a texture, texture and durability.

Inferior "plant leather", and raw material is not noble and rare plant, but from you and I are no longer familiar with the fruit - pineapple.

Leather products have always been a critical and disadvantageous industry for vegetarians and animal protectors. Leather not only takes the process of killing animals, but also produces many chemicals, organic solvents and paints in the process of manufacture and dyeing. It not only poisons the human body, but also causes high concentrations of waste water and organic pollutants, which are difficult to be decomposed by microorganisms.

Almost the same as genuine leather, "pineapple skin products".

Dr. Yi Zhuo Sha has worked in leather industry for 15 years, and when he was invited to the leather export industry in Philippines, she saw that the local leather was not of high quality, poor working conditions and serious environmental pollution. So he advised her: why not develop other fibers, especially the natural fibers owned by Philippines.

Dr. Dr. Carmen Hijosa Photo via Royal College of Art

Dr. Dr. Carmen Hijosa Photo via Royal College of Art

After repeated attempts, she found the pineapple leaf finally.

It is very strong and tough, and is very suitable for making non-woven mesh mesh material. In order to achieve the goal, it also decided to study doctorate and enhance professional knowledge.

Later, she recalled, "I must thoroughly study, so I have to go to a degree to do it."

"After 5 years, she has successfully developed a leather patent named" Pi ATEX ATEX ", and Pi n is a Spanish pineapple.

After being treated with Waxed and indentation, the fiber can not only take leather completely, but also present a luxurious texture.

Similar to the appearance of the dermis, it can be stained, printed and processed like canvas to get different textures.

"Pi n ATEX can make shoes," he said. "We can make bags.

We can use them in chairs and sofas.

Eventually, it can be made into the inner lining of an automobile.

Each pineapple leaf can get 5% leather, which sells for about 60% of animal leather, 18 pounds per meter (NT $883), and wastes can be completely biodegradable.

Pineapple leather can make leather underwear, leather shoes, sofa, leather bag and fur cap. Many textile factories Puma, Camper and Ally Capellino are all added to the product application design.

Yi Zhuo Sha will take this process to other areas in the future to inject fresh water into the sustainable rural economy.

Although she wants to create a product that can be used as a substitute for leather, she also wants it to be environmentally friendly.

Because it is a by-product of pineapple, the production of Pi n ATEX does not require additional land. She said, "we are brand new, we are not replaced, we are an alternative.

We are an alternative to leather and oil based textiles, which are sustainable, strong social connections and ecological backgrounds. "