Synthetic colors have a direct influence on the environment and human health. Animals are constantly exploited for their skin and health. Because of this, vegan leather was introduced to make sustainable fashion possible. Cactus leather is especially the new hot thing, and we are going to analyze it in this article!
The use of vegan leather is on the rise in the last few years. Humans finally understood that we must change something to save the planet earth and have a brighter future. Thanks to the vegan communities, which are the leading change when talking about eco-consciousness and sustainability, new alternatives to the regular day-to-day items are having a popularity boost.
The market for vegan leather has spiked in the last few years. The production of vegan leather in the best vegan cities in the US has taken a massive boost thanks to the vegan communities. Sales in vegan products across all platforms had an uprising, as of 2019 the worth of the woman vegan leather industry was worth USD 390 billion, with a projected annual growth rate of 13% till 2027. This means that vegan leather is here to stay, and we must understand its qualities.
Next, we are going to list the qualities of cactus leather as one of the most popular types of vegan leather. Let’s start the exploration of the world of vegan leather, more precisely the amazing cactus leather.
Leather-Look Made of Cactus
Cactus leather has been produced by harvesting the leaves of the cactus plant; the nopal cactus. It can be harvested without killing the cactus and having a growth span of 8 years, meaning that this plant is perennial. When the creators have seen the consequences of the plastic pollution crisis, they had the idea to use the attributes of the nopal cactus plant to manufacture vegan leather. As a solution, a natural and mostly recyclable material that could be utilized in fashion, furniture, and automobile interiors has been created.
The process of producing cactus leather is easy. Firstly, you cut down the nopal cactus, clean it from dirt, and mash it until it’s liquid. Then you need to dry it for several days and mix it with non-toxic chemicals. Lastly, you just form the mash into any form, and you now have cactus leather.
How is Cactus Leather Better Than Faux Leather? – Advantages and Disadvantages Of Cactus Leather
Advantages
- Because the most of “vegan” leathers are produced with plastic and hazardous chemicals, the name has a negative connotation, implying that these items are environmentally friendly when they are not. Just keep in mind that cactus leather is environmentally friendly, whereas most synthetic leathers are not.
- Cactus leather is largely biodegradable, which is not the case with plastic, and is thus better for the environment in the production process.
- Cactus leather is sturdier than faux leather. This is a crucial aspect of creating items that will last longer and compete with your lifestyle. Also, it’s a must if you want to compete with real leather, which is quite robust.
- Synthetic leather has an outstanding disadvantage, and that is the lack of breathability. This is a highly desirable trait, and it is one of the reasons why leather is utilized in so many industries. When it comes to perspiration, the ability of leather to wick away moisture is quite significant. So, the cactus’ skin is breathable, allowing it to share its power with genuine leather rather than the fake faux plastic.
Disadvantage
- Lastly, regarding price and accessibility, we must mention that not everyone can have the luxury of using cactus leather. The price is nearly the same as the original leather, which is not really a problem when you think of the saved animal lives. However, faux leather is more accessible and way cheaper, that is why many people use it while neglecting the negative impact on nature.
Qualities Of Cactus Leather – Is It Better Than Animal Leather?
The qualities of the cactus leather are way above what people think. This type of leather can compete with animal leather in all aspects. Here’s a list of its best qualities:
- As we mentioned, it’s ultra eco-friendly and has many benefits for the environment.
- It’s a material that can really compete with animal leather and decline the animal cruelty in the world.
- The production process has zero negative effects when talking about pollution with that beating the adverse effects of the faux leather production industry.
- Material-wise the cactus leather is breathable as we mentioned.
- However, an additional quality that we would like to mention is the water resistance. What does this mean? You don’t need to worry about rain and its negative effects on the clothes made out of this eco-friendly material.
Final Thoughts on Qualities of Cactus Leather – The New Vegan Leather
In conclusion, cactus leather is the best alternative to the faux one. It can easily compete with animal leather as well. The benefits and qualities we mentioned are surely enough to look out for products made out of cactus leather. Other than the quality of the cactus leather, the positive environmental effect is way above the other two materials. If you choose vegan leather, you are contributing to the anti-cruelty movement which targets the abuse of animals. That way, you are saving animals!
So, if you want to be more eco-friendly and have quality vegan leather, go for the cactus leather. You won’t make a mistake with that choice.
Check our the new Cactus belts from truth on Kickstarter now.