A bibliometric-guided review of circular design and sustainable processing of plant fibre-based vegan leather

Growing environmental concerns, ethical considerations, and the increasing demand for sustainable materials have accelerated the development of plant fibre-based vegan leather as a promising alternative to conventional animal leather. Most vegan leather materials are engineered as composite structures in which reinforcing plant fibre substrates provide the mechanical strength, flexibility, and durability required for practical applications. As the reinforcement material largely determines the overall performance and application potential of these composites, this review aims to critically evaluate global research trends, emerging themes, and knowledge gaps in plant fibre-based vegan leather through a bibliometric-guided analysis. Publications published between 2012 and 2025 were retrieved from Lens.org, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, and analysed using VOSviewer to examine publication trends, author collaborations, institutional contributions, and thematic evolution. The analysis revealed a substantial increase in research activity, particularly between 2019 and 2022, reflecting growing scientific interest in sustainable biomaterials. Hemp and jute remain the most extensively investigated reinforcement fibres, whereas pineapple leaf fibre (PALF) has emerged as a promising material with considerable innovation potential. Research has increasingly focused on sustainability, biotechnology, bio-based composites, material performance, circular economy principles, and environmentally responsible textile processing. However, the field continues to show limited integration of socio-economic, policy, and industrial perspectives, while collaborative research networks remain relatively centralized. This review identifies critical research gaps related to life cycle assessment, fabrication process standardization, performance benchmarking, and industrial scalability. By integrating bibliometric evidence with critical analysis, this review identifies current research trends, knowledge gaps, and future directions for the development of sustainable plant fibre-based leather technologies. Graphical Abstract