PANGAIA seems relentless in its dedication to the development of eco-conscious design. It was only two weeks ago that we profiled a collection of tracksuits made with bio-based dyes released by the self-described “materials science company.”

This time, it enlisted the help of the innovative team over at Natural Fiber Welding (NFW). We’ve already seen NFW working with Patagonia, Ralph Lauren and Allbirds on a variety of products that replace synthetics in favor of biobased textiles.

One of those textiles is MIRUM, which Vogue Business calls “the newest and most exciting entrant to the field of plant-based leather.” PANGAIA has utilized the material for its first collection of leather accessories.

This groundbreaking material is not only a replacement for animal leathers but also plastic-based imitation leathers which contain a multitude of petrochemicals. MIRUM is instead a 100% biobased material, “made from a combination of abundant virgin natural materials and natural inputs from agricultural waste.”

With zero plastics, NFW has managed to “create a material which is completely circular.” Instead of becoming waste at the end of its life, a product made with MIRUM can either be broken down and made into a new MIRUM product, or returned to the earth to provide nutrients for the natural environment.

And at the beginning of its life, MIRUM requires significantly less than its animal or plastic counterparts. No water or tanning is needed during manufacturing and its carbon footprint is extremely low.

If all this wasn’t enough, the qualities of MIRUM are also outstanding: it’s tough, durable and water-resistant. It might be made from plants but it can perform like the hardiest plastic-based materials. As NFW’s CEO and founder, Luke Harverhals, says: “nature does it best.”

The MIRUM website states that its name draws “inspiration from the word miraculum, meaning ‘object of wonder.’” Knowing all of the above, you can’t help but agree.

The new leather accessories from PANGAIA include a zipped wallet, a simple card holder and a cross-body pouch. Bright colors like jade green, sakura pink and cobalt blue paint the edges and text, and jump out against the soft, smooth black of the biobased leather. As usual with PANGAIA, the products tell it like it is with the product type and material composition emblazoned on the front and back of each item.

These accessories grow PANGAIA’s collection of everyday low-impact essentials that include carbon dioxide eyewear, 100% organic cotton hoodies and down jackets made from dried wildflowers. NFW is also growing as it develops its production abilities to meet the requirements of industry scale. Both are showing what the future of eco-conscious design can achieve, especially when like-minded and ambitious teams work together.

The accessories are available to purchase on PANGAIA.com now.

For more plant-based inventions, check out the “Avant-Garde Vegan” and his new collection of loungewear.