Cactus Leather :The New and Trendy Eco-Friendly Material

Finding a material that won’t harm the environment is extremely important for the well-being of every living organism on Earth. What’s most important is that the eco-friendlier the material, the more beneficial it is for everyone. So, the perfect match is the amazing cactus leather. We’re going to tell you all about it and explain why we think it’s a super-cool thing to use.

In the past, the leather industry was full of animal cruelty and animal cruelty is still rampant. As a result, many animals were killed, and it was hard for people to stop and think about the harm caused to the environment. In today’s world, eco-friendly leather is becoming more and more popular. It’s a growing market. With the growth in the number of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles, eco-friendly leather is becoming a top choice for green-minded consumers.

In this article, we are going to cover the use of cactus leather, how it is made and why we need leather alternatives such as cactus leather. So, without further ado, let’s dive into the eco-friendly and pro-environmental cactus leather. 🌵

The Growth Rate Of Nopal Cactus

If you’ve ever eaten a Nopal Cactus, you know that its growth rate is a lot faster than your average cactus. In fact, nopal cactus plants can shoot up to 3-feet per day and grow up to 10-inches per week. This is one of the reasons why this plant is so popular with chefs and home cooks—it has a large, tender inner core that tastes great with a variety of dishes. But did you know that the nopal cactus has other uses as well? 

The use of nopal cactus has been on the rise in the cactus leather industry. With the rise of awareness caused by the pollution made from the original leather, the nopal cactus became a promising change in the cactus leather industry.

How Is Cactus Leather Made? 

Desserto is the company in Mexico that deserves credit for inventing this groundbreaking material. We will describe the steps as simply as possible, even though this process is developed by scientists and needs much deeper knowledge for it to be described more precisely.

Step-1:

Only the mature leaf of the Nopal cactus is cut off. It then grows back in 6-8 months.

Step-2:

Then the nopal cactus is cleaned with water. That way we assure ourselves that the cactus is clean and doesn’t have any other unnecessary materials.

Step-3:

The cactus is mashed with the help of a mechanism. In this process, the nopal cactus is grinded and made into a liquid state.

Step-4:

After that, the mash is dried for 3 days, made into a bio-resin and after that mixed with non-toxic chemicals. 

Step-5:

Then they can shape the mash in any texture or color we want and that’s it! We have our eco-friendly cactus leather material ready for use. It is mixed with a urethane to give it the strength and durability needed to be used for belts, shoes and furniture.

Why Cactus Leather Is Environmentally Friendly

There are many factors why cactus leather is environmentally friendly. However, we will mention some of them.

  • It’s biodegradable and has zero plastic
  • The process is nearly the same price as making the normal leather
  • You don’t have to slaughter animals to produce the cactus leather
  • The need of water is relatively low when compared to hydrating an animal to use its leather
  • It’s organic and you don’t have to cut down trees to make the cactus leather

These are some of the core factors why cactus leather is way better than animal leather.

Can You Grow Nopal Cactus?

Many people who are looking for an easy-to-grow plant to grow in their backyard might be surprised to hear that there are many types of plants available that are hardier than they would expect. Some of these plants include the Nopal Cactus, a succulent that grows between two and three feet tall and is known for its drought tolerance. Though it requires regular fertilization, the correct cactus soil, and care, Nopal Cactus is quite easy to care for, and you can get started growing one at home very quickly.

Final Thoughts On Cactus Leather

By now, it should be clear that eco-friendly leather is the new and trendy material. As the world is slowly moving towards the vegan lifestyle, the demand for eco-friendly leather is on the rise. This means that the leather industry is finally beginning to realize the importance of being environmentally friendly. 

So, the cactus leather is the perfect match for this. With the benefits from production till real-life use, this material is very beneficial to the whole world.

Cactus Leather To Be Used In A New Collection Of Belts and Wallets 

In June of 2022 Truth Belts will launch two belts and one wallet in Kickstarter as they unveil their groundbreaking creations of cactus based accessories. You can pre-order these products for a discounted price and be one of the first people in the world to own a belt from cactus!