Monday, January 13, 2025

[New Material] La Tannerie végétale is developing an alternative to animal leather: A material based on vegetable proteins and tannins

Neither vegetable leather nor faux leather.

The industrial product showcased on February 2, 2024, is a 15 cm wide roll of leather-like fabric that closely resembles untreated fine leather. “We plan to quickly industrialize 50 cm rolls to meet the demand for leather goods,” we are told on-site. It’s in a wider roll that one can imagine designing fashion accessories. Currently, the 15 cm width limits it to use in small accessories (watch straps, packaging). And eventually, even larger rolls will target the automotive industry, particularly for seat upholstery.

But what’s different from vegetable leather based on animal hides and petroleum-based products like Skaï? La Tannerie Végétale claims to have created a truly plant-based product by combining vegetable proteins and tannins. “It’s a reaction between these compounds that produces our material,” we’re told. The various examples available for touch at the Grenoble trade show demonstrate the possible evolutions of the raw material. With further processing, it’s possible to age it, giving it a crocodile-like appearance or a textured look.