evidence: To highlight sustainable and ethical substitutes for animal leather we've rounded up six materials that can rival its textural and performance qualities, from vegan pineapple leather to a leather alternative made of seafood shells. [...] That's why a cohort of young, independent designers and material research startups are hoping to fast track the move away from animal leather by developing convincing alternatives that don't resort to common polluting, petroleum-based plastics such as polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). [...] Dutch designer Tjeerd Veenhoven turned to plant fibre to create his vegan leather, much like Piñatex, although opting to source it from the leaves of the areca palm instead of from pineapples.