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Busting Myths with Facts: “Vegan” Leather vs the Environment
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May 22, 2021
For the last few years, there has been a hue and cry about how animals are killed for real leather, that chemicals used to treat leather are bad, and that vegan leather is a great alternative. Is this true? Let’s look at the facts.
The vegan leathers commonly found in our market are not plant based but are plastic-based. The two most common “vegan” leathers are made from polyurethane (PU) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). You got that right – it’s literally plastic being sold in the name of saving the environment.
| Real Leather | Polyurethane (PU) “Vegan” Leather | PVC “Vegan” Leather | |
| Lifespan | 30 to 100 years | 1 to 5 years | About 5 years |
| Production | 99% of leather comes from the meat industry’s leftovers. | Obtained from petrochemicals | Made in a chemical process that releases toxic fumes |
| Breathability | High | Low | Zero |
| Hypo-allergenic properties | Yes | No | No |
| End-of-life | Being a naturally derived product, it decomposes in damp conditions. | Landfill or burning | Landfill or burning |
Landfills: Being plastics, vegan leathers do not decompose in the landfill but break into micro-plastics that remain in the environment for centuries.
Burning: Burning plastics always results in the release of toxic fumes. PU can release hydrogen cyanide and phosgene. PVC releases dioxins, carbon monoxide and chlorinated furans.
It’s true that polyurethane itself is recyclable, in its pure form. The type used in “vegan” leather bags is actually a multi-layer product, and it’s near impossible to recycle a multi-layer product – they usually end up in the landfill or are burnt.
Vegan leather supporters also claim that the production of real leather is energy intensive. Well, the production of PU or PVC leather is no less intensive and complicated. First you need a backing material (usually a fabric) and then that needs to be coated with a layer of PVC or PU. Since plastic has a smooth texture, this 2-layer material has to pass through an embossing roller just to give it the ‘grain’ look of leather.
Even if a consumer decided to ignore the environmental impact of vegan leather, and bought it for its low cost – its lifespan is so short that you would end up using 6 or more vegan leather bags in the time you would use one real leather bag. Now, isn’t that a whole other level of wastefulness?
There are some interesting alternatives on the horizon: plant based leathers made using cactus, mango, pineapple or cork. However, these are still in an experimental stage and their durability remains to be seen. Moreover, many of these plant based alternatives use polymers for binding – so plastic is still involved. For now real leather is the most tested, proven, durable and eco-friendly material for making accessories!
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