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These Guys Found A Way To Make Leather Out Of Cactus Leaves To Help Save The Environment
“This is the moment when we must come together to save this planet”—Barack Obama once said. Even though saving the planet can sound like a huge and quite vague concept, there’s always a small step that each of us can take. Though some people prefer going big (and not going home). And when they do so, they manage to invent something entirely innovative that leaves the rest of us totally fascinated. We’re talking about two entrepreneurs from México—Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez—who developed a method of transforming cacti into vegan leather that looks and feels exactly like the real thing.
More info: desserto.com.mx | Instagram | Facebook | twitter.com
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Image credits: desserto.com
Adrian and Marte were working in the fashion and furniture automotive industries when they realized that environmental pollution is a serious problem and got inspired to do something about it.
Friends left their jobs and decided to dedicate a few of their upcoming years to come up with something amazing that would have the potential to change the world. It took them about two whole years until they finally finished creating their marketable cactus leather in July 2019.
Image credits: desserto.pelle
Why cactus, you ask? The answer is simple—this plant doesn’t need much water to grow, it’s super resilient and strong and it can handle low temperatures without dying. Besides, it’s México so there’s plenty of cacti there.
Image credits: desserto.pelle
The vegan leather these guys create is called “Desserto” and it’s the world’s first environmentally friendly organic material made out of Nopal cactus.
Image credits: desserto.pelle
This material is considered to be highly sustainable and without any toxic chemicals. Besides, the company offers a large variety of colors, thicknesses, and textures.
Image credits: desserto.pelle
Adrian and Marte grow their cactus in a ranch which is located in the state of Zacatecas.
Image credits: desserto.pelle
First of all, they find and cut mature leaves of the plant, clean it, mash it, then dry it under the sun for three days, after that they proceed to process it so the material can later become a part of their patented vegan leather formula.
Image credits: desserto.pelle
One of the best things about this vegan material is that it looks and feels exactly like real leather. It’s elastic, breathable, and highly customizable. Anything, that can be made out of classic leather can also be made out of the “Desserto” vegan leather.
Image credits: desserto.pelle
Image credits: desserto.pelle
Image credits: desserto.pelle
People on the Internet seem to really like this idea
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What do you think ?
Troux 5 years ago (edited)
I would just like to point out that this has been done for 20+ years with Pineapples by a company based in London, sourcing from the Philippines to make a product called Piñatex. They put a great focus in keeping it sustainable and making sure their key employees (farmers) are sharing in the success. They also have a great explanation of the product and process on their site. https://www.ananas-anam.com/ I'm really happy this has made it to the Americas and I hope it really takes off!
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
http://www.ideassonline.org/public/pdf/NaturalLeather-ENG.pdf
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pusheen buttercup 5 years ago
Cool idea! Does farming a lot of cactus though hurt the environment? how do they keep plant-leather from rotting? How is it washed? I really would love to see that kind of idea succeed- assuming it's better for the environment like we think it is.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago (edited)
The cactus is an indigenous plant in Mexico and it already grows everywhere! A cactus requires neither watering nor pesticides. It grows as it should where it should. https://desserto.com.mx/desserto
Load More Replies...
spirit wolf 5 years ago
Absolute genius. I love this. Now, I dare Hermes and the likes to make beautiful bags out of these and not skinning baby alligators alive.
Tracey Hirt 5 years ago
This is much better then other “vegan leather” products that are actually polyurethane.
Blackheart 5 years ago
Good on them! Those cacti are very sustainable. If you throw a piece of it down on the ground, it grows. In many areas they are considered nuisance plants. So this really addresses 2 problems.
Leafless 5 years ago
Plant based leather has come a long way. Can't find a brand that wears as well as the real thing, but I'm happy to save a cow.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago (edited)
Nope. This is not about saving a cow. It is about not breeding as many cows. The global cattle population amounted to about 0.99 billion head in 2019, down from over one billion cattle in 2014. Livestock are reckoned to be responsible for up to 14% of all greenhouse emissions from human activities while transport accounts for roughly 20%. Alongside carbon dioxide, farming generates two other gases in large quantities: nitrous oxide from the addition of fertilisers and wastes to the soil, and methane. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190806-how-vaccines-could-fix-our-problem-with-cow-emissions#:~:text=Estimates%20vary%2C%20but%20livestock%20are,to%20the%20soil%2C%20and%20methane.
Load More Replies...
Cori 5 years ago
I freaking love this! I spent most of yesterday fighting like hell to keep my rescued cow baby (who no one will eat, ever) alive as he fought through pneumonia that could also be a heart defect. He's feeling much better this morning, thank god. This is exactly the sort of article I want to read after a day like that. What a genius idea!
Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago
"Vegan" leather is typically made of plastics which just pollute the earth..... so I'm totally loving this!!
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 5 years ago
Shame it's not fully biodegradable (according to the original article), which means it's still pollution
Load More Replies...
Troux 5 years ago (edited)
I would just like to point out that this has been done for 20+ years with Pineapples by a company based in London, sourcing from the Philippines to make a product called Piñatex. They put a great focus in keeping it sustainable and making sure their key employees (farmers) are sharing in the success. They also have a great explanation of the product and process on their site. https://www.ananas-anam.com/ I'm really happy this has made it to the Americas and I hope it really takes off!
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago
http://www.ideassonline.org/public/pdf/NaturalLeather-ENG.pdf
Load More Replies... pusheen buttercup 5 years ago
Cool idea! Does farming a lot of cactus though hurt the environment? how do they keep plant-leather from rotting? How is it washed? I really would love to see that kind of idea succeed- assuming it's better for the environment like we think it is.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago (edited)
The cactus is an indigenous plant in Mexico and it already grows everywhere! A cactus requires neither watering nor pesticides. It grows as it should where it should. https://desserto.com.mx/desserto
Load More Replies... spirit wolf 5 years ago
Absolute genius. I love this. Now, I dare Hermes and the likes to make beautiful bags out of these and not skinning baby alligators alive.
Tracey Hirt 5 years ago
This is much better then other “vegan leather” products that are actually polyurethane.
Blackheart 5 years ago
Good on them! Those cacti are very sustainable. If you throw a piece of it down on the ground, it grows. In many areas they are considered nuisance plants. So this really addresses 2 problems.
Leafless 5 years ago
Plant based leather has come a long way. Can't find a brand that wears as well as the real thing, but I'm happy to save a cow.
Monika Soffronow 5 years ago (edited)
Nope. This is not about saving a cow. It is about not breeding as many cows. The global cattle population amounted to about 0.99 billion head in 2019, down from over one billion cattle in 2014. Livestock are reckoned to be responsible for up to 14% of all greenhouse emissions from human activities while transport accounts for roughly 20%. Alongside carbon dioxide, farming generates two other gases in large quantities: nitrous oxide from the addition of fertilisers and wastes to the soil, and methane. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190806-how-vaccines-could-fix-our-problem-with-cow-emissions#:~:text=Estimates%20vary%2C%20but%20livestock%20are,to%20the%20soil%2C%20and%20methane.
Load More Replies... Cori 5 years ago
I freaking love this! I spent most of yesterday fighting like hell to keep my rescued cow baby (who no one will eat, ever) alive as he fought through pneumonia that could also be a heart defect. He's feeling much better this morning, thank god. This is exactly the sort of article I want to read after a day like that. What a genius idea!
Pseudo Puppy 5 years ago
"Vegan" leather is typically made of plastics which just pollute the earth..... so I'm totally loving this!!
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 5 years ago
Shame it's not fully biodegradable (according to the original article), which means it's still pollution
Load More Replies...
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