A New York-based startup has created a plant-based leather alternative made from grains, offering a sustainable option that could reduce the environmental footprint of both animal-derived and plastic-based leathers.
Uncaged Innovations, founded in 2020 by Stephanie Downs and Xiaokun Wang, developed the material called Elevate using agricultural by-products and its proprietary BioFuze technology.
The result is a biodegradable, plastic-free leather alternative designed to replicate the texture, flexibility, and durability of traditional leather.
“When we started our research, we analysed what makes leather, and we learned that the real magic of it is that collagen can behave in specific ways that give the leather the structure it has,” said Downs in an interview with Business Insider. “So we decided to look at the plant kingdom – and use plant proteins from grains.”
An answer to leather’s environmental toll
Traditional leather production is energy- and water-intensive and often tied to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and high carbon emissions.
By contrast, Uncaged’s grain-based material uses no animals or plastics. Instead, it combines plant-based collagen with other biomaterials to form a fibrous network that performs like leather while being fully biodegradable.
An independent life-cycle assessment found that Elevate produces 95 per cent fewer greenhouse gas emissions, uses 93 per cent less water, and consumes 72 per cent less energy than conventional leather.
Tackling plastic waste, too
Plastic-based synthetic leathers also pose environmental challenges. They can take centuries to decompose and are known to shed microplastics that harm aquatic life and enter the food chain.
The new alt-leather material addresses this by using a corn-based coating that breaks down naturally, leaving no plastic residue behind.
Designed for versatility and circularity
Uncaged Innovations says it has engineered the material to be highly adaptable across industries. Its leather alternative can be used in fashion, furniture, and automotive interiors.
By repurposing agricultural by-products, the company aims to contribute to a circular economy model that reduces waste and makes better use of available resources.
