Hi, I'm Amy. I'm 21 years old and I'm a recent university graduate currently living in Berkshire.
The awesome innovation that I would like to talk about is biodegradable vegan leather, which is something that has emerged within the last year or two as a new and sort of upcoming sustainable material. It is used to make things like shoes, particularly trainers, bags, and other accessories that would usually be made with leather.
I think it's really interesting because as someone who tries my best to live a plant-based lifestyle, I think the rise in marketing of vegan leather definitely seems to have coincided with the rise in popularity of veganism itself. I've seen increased marketing in fashion brands, including fast fashion brands, marketing their products as being made from vegan leather. However, in the case of these fashion brands, vegan leather has become a synonym for plastic, as that is what the products are made of.
Plastic is an unsuitable alternative material for many environmentalists or those who are trying to purchase consciously, as it contributes to the climate crisis. That's why the emergence of biodegradable vegan leather is great, as it is being used instead. This new emerging product is made from materials such as mushrooms and pineapples, which is really necessary and innovative.
Marketing plastic as vegan leather is just a way for brands to promote their products by using a label that makes you feel good about buying it because you think it's morally better. However, in reality, you're just buying plastic. Having a truly sustainable and conscious alternative, such as biodegradable vegan leather made from plant-based materials, is an amazing innovation.
