FILK research into synthetics merits mention in prominent places
Research carried out by the leather industry earlier this year into the composition of nine prominent alternative materials has earned coverage on one of the most high-profile business publishing platforms in the world.
At the start of 2021, the leather industry’s representative body in the European Union, COTANCE, procured samples of some widely talked about alternative materials and asked testing and research centre FILK to test their material properties and compare their performance attributes to those of leather. FILK published the results in a paper called ‘Comparison of the Technical Performance of Leather and Trendy Alternatives’.
FILK concluded that technical progress among the manufacturers of synthetic materials has led to some of these having “individual properties that are similar here and there to leather’s”. However, it found that none of the tested substitutes could “truly be called an alternative to leather”. The tests also uncovered the fibres used in these materials, which some manufacturers have been reluctant to reveal.
In mid-July, the FILK research caught the attention of Forbes; the business publication gave a prominent mention to ‘Comparison of the Technical Performance of Leather and Trendy Alternatives’ in a report on the use of synthetics in fashion. It said: “Recent scientific research conducted by the FILK has analysed the chemical compositions of vegan alternatives to leather, like Desserto, Piñatex and Appleskin. Alarmingly, the findings reveal that a number of these materials, commonly lauded as sustainable, also contain polyurethane, PVC, or polyamide microfibres.”
Forbes mentioned the FILK research in the context of an article about a new report into synthetic materials from Changing Markets Foundation, a London-based consultancy. In February, Changing Markets Foundation published a report called ‘Fossil Fashion’, saying that synthetic fibres will grow their share of the total global fibre market from 69% now to 73% by 2030, with polyester accounting for 85% of all synthetic fibres’ share.
Changing Markets Foundation has now followed this up with a new report, ‘Synthetics Anonymous, Fashion brands’ addiction to fossil fuels’. The report provides analysis of 50 fashion brands and says they show “no clear commitment to ending their addiction to fossil-fuel based fibres”.
It says that almost 60% of claims by these brands about the sustainability of their products are “unsubstantiated or misleading to consumers”.
Image: Changing Markets Foundation.
