I’m not kidding you, “mushroom skin” can actually be used to make bags!

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Author: denovo

Producer: China Science Expo

Making bags with "mushroom leather"? This sounds like a ridiculous idea, but some luxury brands that use animal leather to maintain the rarity and quality of raw materials have announced that they have joined the group chat.

mushroom

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/)

Is “mushroom skin” really mushroom skin?

Of course not.

"Mushroom leather" is a kind of imitation leather product formed by growing fungi on substrates such as agricultural waste, hemp shells, corn cobs, plastics, pulp waste, rice husks or sawdust, and inducing the fungi to grow and branch into mycelium with linear or filamentous structures by controlling factors such as temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide concentration and fungal environment. The mycelium is finally fermented and processed to form a plant-based "vegan leather".

Schematic diagram of mycelium at different scales

(mycelium composite: mycelium composite; mycelium and substrate: mycelium and substrate; mycelium: mycelium; hyphae: hyphae; growing tip: growing tip; hyphae cell wall: hyphae cell wall; septum: septum; nucleus: nucleus; chitin: chitin; proteins: proteins; glucans: glucans)

(Image source: Reference [1])

How did you come up with the idea of ​​using "mushroom skin" to make bags?

The main sources of leather raw materials are animal fur, chemical raw materials and fibers. Among the sources of animal fur, cowhide accounts for 50% of the leather market due to its large area, moderate thickness, and durability. Common sheepskin and pigskin are also widely used in leather processing and production, but due to the high demand for their meat, this type of leather causes the least waste of resources.

Consumers have also put forward higher requirements for leather in pursuit of aesthetics, durability, feel, warmth and breathability, etc. Leather products made from artificially raised reptiles, fish, birds, etc. have also entered the market in large quantities. Such animals require special people to raise and slaughter, and have a long growth cycle, which not only increases costs but also leads to waste of resources.

Crocodile

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/)

In addition, the most common leather on the market is processed by chrome tanning process, which is simple to make and can be produced in large quantities in a short time. However, in the preparation process, toxic muds such as chromium salts and tanning liquids are needed. For every ton of chrome tanned leather produced, dozens of tons of wastewater will be generated . Kanpur, India, known as the "World Leather City", discharged more than 20 tons of sewage every day in 2003, causing a lot of environmental pollution. Moreover, this type of leather is not easy to biodegrade, and discarded products will cause serious and lasting environmental impacts.

Sewage

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/)

The emergence of mycelium has become a good substitute for animal fur or chemical raw materials. Compared with the years of animal cultivation, fungi only need a few weeks of growth cycle, and have low environmental requirements, and can be cultivated on abandoned crops. The grown mycelium only needs simple physical and chemical processing methods to form leather with excellent texture and pattern.

In addition, mushroom leather is biodegradable, and discarded leather products will not cause environmental damage in the soil. At the same time, mycelium is a natural biological filter that can remove harmful chemicals and microorganisms in the soil and water during its growth. Using "mushroom leather" will greatly save resources and protect the environment.

Various mycelium

(Image source: Wikipedia)

In addition to "mushroom leather", your bag may also use these materials

(1) Cactus

Cactus does not require water for irrigation during its growth process. It can survive in arid land and effectively prevent soil desertification, making it a plant with "zero" impact on the environment. All you need to do is crush the cactus, expose it to the sun for 3 to 5 days, separate and remove the fibers, and add dyes and other substances to the resulting protein powder to form cactus leather. Currently, bags, shoes, leather clothes and other environmentally friendly and fashionable products made from cactus leather have entered the market.

cactus

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/)

(2) Mango peel

Mango peels that are thrown away as waste can also be used. FruitLeather in the Netherlands has developed "mango leather" using mango peels. They crush and cook the mango peels, mix them with adhesives and dyes, and then make mango leather through simple air-drying and embossing processes. The leather is very durable.

mango

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/)

(3) Pineapple leaves

Pineapple leaves have a unique fiber structure and physical properties similar to jute or flax, but without harmful substances, making them a popular choice as a leather substitute. Products made from pineapple leaves are soft, strong and breathable and have been used by more than 1,000 brands.

Pineapple

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/)

(4) New products transformed by biotechnology

Hide Biotech in London has developed new technology to separate collagen from fish scales, fish skin and fish feces to create leather substitutes, and assist with a series of chemical processes, hoping to develop translucent materials. By adding dyes and oils when the material is formed, leather products of different colors can be produced.

Fish

(Image source: https://pixabay.com/)

Conclusion

At present, the output of environmentally friendly leather made from plants and new technologies is far from enough to support the market demand. There is still a long way to go before environmentally friendly leather can completely replace animal and chemically synthetic leather. However, we believe that with the continuous progress of science and the continuous innovation of technology, one day in the future, animal and chemically synthetic leather will be mostly replaced, and luxury bags can also be cheap and environmentally friendly.

References

1. Sehrish Manana, Muhammad Wajid Ullaha, Mazhar Ul-Islam, et al. Synthesis and applications of fungal mycelium-based advanced functional materials. Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, 2021, 6,1–10.

2. Vandelook, Simon; Elsacker, Elise; Van Wylick, et al. Current state and future prospects of pure mycelium materials. 2021, 8, 20.

3. Xu Hui, Chen Leilei, Zhao Shuangzhi, et al. Research progress on triterpenoid compounds from Ganoderma lucidum mycelium and their antitumor activity. Journal of Qilu University of Technology: Natural Science Edition, 2016.

4. Tong Tong. Pineapple fiber can be made into leather. China Fruit Industry Information, 2015, 32(3),1.

5. Chen Binghong, Jiang Weijun, Chen Maoquan. Environmental pollution problems and remediation measures in the synthetic leather industry: A case study of Lishui Shuige Industrial Zone. Leather Science and Engineering, 2010, 6, 4.