No Animals, No Plastic: Fashion’s Sustainability Makeover Gains Ground with Eco Leather, Fur & More

This year has kicked off with a host of encouraging developments for the alternative materials category, from plant-based leather bags and animal-free fur jackets to the revival of an industry pioneer.

The fashion industry’s impact on the planet is far-reaching, dangerous, and – for many tech-forward startups – addressable.

It generates 8.3 million tonnes of methane annually (nearly four times as much as France), and is set to overshoot the Paris Agreement by 50%.

Animal-derived materials like leather, cashmere and wool are responsible for 75% of fashion’s methane footprint. In fact, leather alone accounts for 54% of this share, producing 110kg of CO2e per sq m when derived from cows.

This falls to 15.8kg for plastic-based synthetic leather, an 85% reduction. But plastic, derived from petrochemicals, is highly problematic. Its production is responsible for 3.4% of global emissions, and it takes 20 to 500 years to break down. Further, plastic-based leather can shed toxic microplastics that can enter waterways – thus destroying aquatic life and wreaking havoc in our food systems.

On the other hand, fur production involves massive factory farms that use tremendous amounts of water and energy and release large amounts of greenhouse gases, while also being cruel to animals. Some European countries have ruled that marketing the material as eco-friendly is false and misleading, and several fashion weeks, including London and New York, have banned its use.

Many companies are working on sustainable, animal-free alternatives to such materials. And they seem to be gaining further steam this year, as bio-based innovations get new investors and partnerships.

Uncaged Innovations’s grain-based leather powers five new products

A month after bringing on American actress Natalie Portman as a strategic partner, alternative leather maker Uncaged Innovations has unveiled the results of its collaboration with five independent fashion brands from across the globe.

The US startup makes its bio-based material, called Elevate, from proteins derived from grain byproducts (think wheat, soy and corn). This emits 95% fewer greenhouse gases, uses 89% less water and 71% less energy than animal leather, and is already being used to line vehicles made by Hyundai and Jaguar Land Rover.

Now, Elevate powers UK brand Watch and Strap’s bands for analogue and Apple watches, the Soho Wallet by New York-based designer Kaila Katherine, and it’s part of Tessa, an East-West style handbag, Nubian, a sculptural handbag, and other styles by German label Melina Bucher.

Likewise, Canada’s Via Gallo has launched The Avellino Collection, which includes a convertible Andretta clutch and a geometric Bisaccia shoulder bag, both made with Uncaged Innovations’ grain-based leather. And in Spain, Loué Studio has launched the Mano Pochette bag using Elevate.

These companies are part of The Collective, a group of independent fashion brands chosen by Uncaged Innovations to expand access to next-generation materials beyond major fashion houses. More members of this consortium, including Stow, Marco Dal Maso, Ittara, and Humo, will unveil creations with the plastic-free leather alternative this spring.

BioFluff’s animal-free fur to make China debut

Parisian startup BioFluff, which sells sustainable alternatives to fur, shearling and plush under its Savian brand, has notched a landmark partnership with Chinese conglomerate JNBY Group.

The latter will use BioFluff’s plant-based fur, called Savian Naturals, in the spring 2026 collection of its luxury menswear line, Croquis. The material will be used to make the entirety of a gray-black sleeveless jacket, which will be sold online and at some physical JNBY Group stores in China.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed company has been around since 1994, and operates more than 2,100 stores across mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. It’s also present in Australia and several Southeast Asian countries, so for BioFluff to notch a partnership with it is a big win.

The alt-materials startup uses 100% renewable plant fibres and agricultural waste to transform nettle, hemp and flex into fully biodegradable animal-free fur, reducing emissions by 40-90%.

“We have advanced beyond pilots and now collaborate with sustainability teams, buyers, and designers on commercial releases,” said interim CEO Luke Henning. “The key is our seamless integration: we disrupt animal fur and plastic production, not brand operations or business models.”

BioFluff has outlined plush toys as a major growth area for the business in 2026, which it kicked off with a collaboration with new Lithuanian eco label Balsais, which has launched a collection of fur-free winter coats.

Natural Fiber Welding comes back with new investors

A pioneer of the eco materials space, US startup Natural Fiber Welding (NFW) makes plastic-free leather, foam, fabrics and footwear outsoles. Its technology strengthens natural yarns with closed-loop chemistry to create knits, wind-resistant wovens, and durable cotton canvas with high-value performance features.

Its innovations include Mirum, a plant-based leather alternative; Pliant, its performance rubber outsoles; Clarus, which are tunable, precision-engineered fabrics for textiles; and Tunera, a plastic-free foam. These are made with ingredients like natural rubber, coconut husks, rice hulls, vegetable oil, cotton, minerals and cork powder.

An Earthshot Prize 2024 finalist, the company has worked with dozens of brands, including Stella McCartney, Patagonia, BMW, and Ralph Lauren – the latter two are investors in the firm, which has raised $136.5M since it came on the block in 2015. Other investors include Allbirds and Asahi Kasei.

Despite its progress, NFW began winding down operations in 2025, following four rounds of layoffs in two years, with the company saying at the time that it would “continue to explore all options”. Its revival efforts bore fruit this month, when Provest Equity Partners and CTW Venture Partners made a joint investment in the startup to accelerate scale-up and commercialisation.

The firm has promised a “sharpened focus on operational execution, product innovation, manufacturing scale, and long-term value creation”, with an initial spotlight on Mirum and Pliant.

NFW is now deepening its relationships across footwear, fashion, automotive, and industrial markets. “This partnership marks an important inflexion point for NFW, enabling us to continue our mission of bringing sustainable, performance materials to market,” said CEO Steve Zika.

With NFW’s comeback, BioFluff’s forthcoming China debut, and Uncaged Innovations’ new partner creations, sustainable fashion has made a solid start to 2026 – can it sustain the momentum?