A company in India is producing a vegan eco-friendly alternative to synthetic leather by using mango fruits. The new company Aamati Green has constructed a 30,000 square meters plant for this purpose, but it will not need to look far for mangos as India is the world’s greatest mango grower, producing 20 million tonnes per year. Currently, up to 40% of the mangos are abandoned in the fields because they fail regulatory and market standards, so they can be used to produce fake leather.
The technology was developed by CSIR-CLRI (Council for Scientific & Industrial Research- Central Leather Research Institute) in Chennai. The new material is composed of 50% mango, and it degrades more quickly than polyurethane leather.
Dr Thanikaivelan, Chief Scientist for CSIR-CLRI, said to WION, “The technology of producing the material from mango pulp can be mechanized and we can make a good quantity of the mango-based sheets in three days, whereas the same quantity of original leather would require more than two weeks to make…“Animal leather requires huge quantities of water and other chemicals for the manufacturing process, whereas it is minimal for the mango-based material.”
Pratik Dadhania, founder of Aamati Green Private Limited, said to totallyveganbuzz, “We will collaborate with fashion houses and brands to create eco-friendly bags and clutches. Our manufacturing costs about 60% less than the current price of synthetic leather. By employing circular solutions, our company envisions acting on the problem of mango waste, incentivising farmers and making vegan leather in a sustainable manner.”
Alternatives to animal leather can be made with all sorts of ingredients. In 2021, food and beverage giant Dole and London-based vegan textile company Ananas Anam turned pineapple leaves into vegan leather. Several companies are also using different types of mushrooms to produce fake leather.
