Synthesis of Vegan Leather Using Plant-Based Substrates: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Cow leather is a widely used material. Even though durable, it causes ethical, social, and environmental issues. The synthesis of vegan leather, using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), could be explored for an alternative to cow leather. Presently, there are limited studies on the different substrates used to produce vegan leather using this method. Hence, this study aimed to produce plant-based vegan leather, using various plant-based substrates such as black tea, green tea, black and green tea, coconut water, and fruit pulp with five replicates per substrate. All the substrates used in the experiments were able to produce cellulose upon inoculation. The overall results indicate that the substrate consisting of a mixture of black and green tea was the most effective in producing vegan leather in terms of yield and cost.