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Welcome to Your Daily Dot where Dot will share tips, advice, and stories on how we can make our world better.
All Dear Dot illustrations by Elissa Turnbull. |
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Dear Reader,
A couple of years ago, Dot answered a reader question about whether vegan leather was a more ethical textile. Dot copped to a somewhat troubled history with “pleather,” thanks to a pair of maternity pants that I had hoped would make my pregnant body look stylish and cool, but that instead made me sweaty and hot, not in the good way. So I tend to greet news of leather alternatives with a mix of excitement and skepticism. But one material in particular seems to be consistently showing promise. And that material is fungus.
Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise us. Mushrooms tend to feel leather-like. And we know that they can help fight fires, communicate with woodland neighbors via mycorrhizal networks, improve soil health, sequester carbon, regulate plant growth, and boost biodiversity. Mushrooms can also dress us fashionably? I mean … sure. Why not?
“Besides being free of animal cruelty, mycelium-based leather is sustainable,” reads this story in The Anthropocene. “Mycelium grows in as little as two weeks requiring minimal water and energy, and it fully biodegrades at the end of its life. … Once harvested and processed into mats, mycelium looks and behaves much like leather. It is soft and supple, and has a surface that manufacturers can texturize and dye.”
Leather production has a considerable negative impact on the environment. The cattle that provide the hides are linked to massive deforestation (and yes, leather is a byproduct of cattle being raised anyway except for the 17% of unused hides that simply rot), and the tanning process frequently involves the use of toxic chemicals such as chromium, formaldehyde, and other heavy metals, which can have harmful effects on both the environment and the health of workers. Given all of this, ethical, environmentally sound alternatives are welcome. A menopausal Dot may not be looking for hip maternity wear anymore, but a pair of breathable mushroom leather pants? Bring it on.
Fashionably,
Dot
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