INDIA, December 19, 2022 (BBC): An Indian start-up has found an unusual use for the tons of flowers leftover from worship: turning them into vegan leather. It’s called Fleather, and it’s a new material being developed as a sustainable alternative to animal leather. It is delicate and smooth to touch, like soft lambskin leather, and its journey begins in an unexpected place – flowers. Fleather, made by a Kanpur-based startup called Phool, is part of an emerging trend of companies producing plant- and fungi-based leather alternatives which aim to disrupt the traditional leather industry and capitalize on growing interest in vegan fashion.

Producing leather from animals poses several environmental hazards. It is energy- and water-intensive and the process of tanning and treating animal skin with chemicals to make leather releases toxic heavy metals that can poison water bodies. Cattle rearing to source animal skin, meanwhile, produces greenhouse gasses and contributes to deforestation. Animal rights activists also condemn leather, citing inhumane conditions in slaughterhouses. Fleather, on the other hand, is made by repurposing floral waste generated in temples across India, and it is Phool’s moonshot. Fleather is already creating buzz. It was recently a finalist in the 2022 Earthshot Prize, which honors groundbreaking environmental solutions.

Much more on bio-based leather alternatives at source.
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20221208-fleather-the-vegan-leather-made-of-indias-flower-waste