Cactus Leather

Our cactus leather is made and grown in Mexico by Desserto®, the world's first sustainable and environmentally friendly organic material made of Nopal cactus (aka the prickly pear).

How is it made?

At the ranch in Zacatecas, mature leaves of the plant are selected and cut (without damaging the cactus itself and allowing for a new harvest every 6-8 months)

The leaves are dried under the sun for three days and then processed using some quantity of PU to achieve the realistic looking result. All remaining cactus material not utilised is sold nationally in the food industry.

What are the benefits of cactus leather?

No irrigation system is required, only rain water

The cactus plantation is perennial and each crop lasts for around 8 years

Cactus is a natural carbon sink with a great CO2 sequestering capacity. The ranch absorbs 8,100 tons of CO2/year whilst generating only 15.3 tons of CO2/year (from 14 acres).  

Fully organic - no herbicides or pesticides are used 

100% plant-based and vegan 

No toxic Chromium tanning process required 

Soft, supple and durable

Some PU is used within the patented formula but unlike PVC (which most vegan leather is made from) PU doesn't release harmful substances and dioxins when it is being used or disposed of