If it’s what I think it is, cactus leather is more polyurethane than prickly pear. I don’t really mind there being plastic in it, like as a glue or binder, but if it’s not mostly plants it shouldn’t be marketed like it is.
The leather from the article is all mushroom but a terrible material for now.
There’s a lot more variation in fake leathers than in the real stuff, whether it’s plants or petroleum. Anecdotal and not a one to one comparison, but I’ve had (plastic) vegan boots last a bit longer than the leather ones before it. My cork wallet was also better than cheap leather.
I’m aware not all coins are proof-of-work mined using coal generators. Proof of stake isn’t punk either.
In all honesty there’s nothing to make better, I believe the central issue with crypto is that it doesn’t solve any real problem.