In recent years, the fashion and automotive industries have pursued a growing demand for alternatives to animal products. Mycelium-based leather, a material derived from the root structure of mushrooms, has emerged as a popular vegan alternative.

It is often hailed for its eco-friendliness and low environmental impact. However, a deeper dive into the life cycle assessments (LCA) of both mycelium leather and genuine leather reveals that the environmental benefits of these materials are not as clear-cut as they may initially seem.

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Overview

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method for evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product’s life, from raw material extraction to disposal. It quantifies various factors, including greenhouse gas emissions (measured in kilograms of CO2 equivalent, or kg CO2e), water usage, land use, and energy consumption.

The high carbon impact raises concerns about the sustainability of mycelium leather compared to traditional leather.

Mycelium-Based Leather: The Hidden Environmental Costs

At first glance, mycelium-based leather appears to be a sustainable choice due to its renewable source material and lower dependency on animal agriculture. However, a recent study has raised concerns about the high LCA kg/m² CO2e associated with its production. Mycelium cultivation requires a controlled environment with specific temperature and humidity conditions, often necessitating substantial energy inputs.

The paper examines the life cycle assessment (LCA) of mycelium-based leather produced in Indonesia, focusing on the environmental impact. The study found that producing 1 m² of this mycelium leather results in a significant carbon footprint of 57.15 kg CO₂e. Most of this footprint (46.53 kg CO₂e) comes from electricity consumption during production, with additional contributions from materials like cotton and EVA glue. This high carbon impact raises concerns about the sustainability of mycelium leather compared to traditional leather.

The impact of genuine leather

Several leading industry organisations, such as Leather Working Group and Leather and Hide Council of America, are due to release studies this autumn that will provide a more detailed environmental impact of leather and show how genuine leather is wildly misrepresented in the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI), now part of Worldly and spread across the internet in misinformed articles.

The results of these studies, which will provide accurate figures from verifiable sources, will hopefully prevent automotive and fashion designers from overlooking genuine leather instead of favouring ‘vegan alternatives’, which they wrongly believe to be a more sustainable option.

Source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11367-024-02351-5