[News Today] GROWING VEGAN LEATHER MARKET

[LEAD]
When we say 'Vegan', we tend to think of vegan food first. But now, it's also being applied to items like leather and packaging. Today, we take a look at 'vegan leather', crafted from plants, not animal hide. Here's more.

[REPORT]
Designers are making mobile phone cases.

They are seen using material made from cacti. It feels like leather but it is also resistant to water and scratches.

The eco-friendly material is produced with fiber extracted from cactus leaves, which are often considered useless and discarded.

It is more durable than cowhide, but roughly half the price. The vegan cactus leather is being developed into all kinds of consumer goods.

Jeon In-ho/ Head, Green Continue
The key is not that consumers choose the green product. But rather, find it appealing when a handsome product turns out to be eco-friendly too.

Vegan leather can also be produced from other high-fiber peels like that of sweet potatoes or tangerines.

A plant-based leathery material made from mycelia, the roots of mushrooms, will soon hit the market.

The size of the global market for vegan leather grew more than 20 percent over the past five years to reach 720 million U.S. dollars last year.

Ahn Ki-hong/ Rural Development Administration
It is a natural, eco-friendly material with no harmful chemicals used. It is also free from animal ethics.

The production of an eco-friendly packing material, which can replace styrofoam, has already begun.

It is expected that the material will be available at a more competitive price if a large amount of mushroom mycelia, which are usually discarded, are secured and supplied.

Chung Seong-il/ Head, EARTHFORM
Agricultural by-products, which require money, energy for disposal, can become raw materials. Competitive pricing can be obtained if we expand the source.

The market for eco-friendly materials is predicted to grow further, as businesses have to handle growing environmental costs amid the climate change.

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