It sounds amazing - even the leather obsessed (like me!) tend to have mixed emotions when it comes to real leather...while hides are a by-product of the meat industry that should be used when the alternative is wasting it, the meat industry is a notoriously cruel industry. I've lived in Boston for over a decade, but I'm a native of rural Vermont, and grew up around animals, especially cows. I can't imagine looking at the face of a cow and feeling nothing - as a teenager and into my 20's, I was a strict vegetarian for seven years, and eat a primarily vegetarian diet still; I went to college for Animal Science, and love animals - all animals - passionately. I've struggled with whether to wear leather for much of my life...so it's not just a little ironic that I now am a professional leather worker.
So when I first saw a product labeled 'vegan leather', I was excited! But the truth turned out to be incredibly infuriating.
You've probably owned at least something made of PU leather (also commonly called faux leather, leatherette, imitation leather, synthetic leather, pleather, and now very commonly, vegan leather). With little exception (and I'll cover this later in the post), this material is made by coating a layer of fabric with polyurethane, which is made using petrochemicals and falls under the umbrella of plastics, and then embossing the surface to mimic the texture and appearance of leather.
While the quality of this material is on a spectrum, much like everything else, the vast majority of it is cheaply produced and generally starts to show wear and tear very quickly - from peeling and cracking, to flaking all over the place. Since it's not a terribly strong material, it often tears at attachment points that are put under stress during use. Unlike real leather - faux leather isn't repairable, so once this process of degradation begins, it's doomed to be fodder for landfills in the near future.
Leather products last around 30-50 years and emit 22.5kg of carbon dioxide (CO2e) throughout production. Whereas fake leather imitations emit 15.8kg of carbon dioxide (CO2e), but only last 2-5 years. Because of their short lifespan, we would need to make at least 6x more fake leather products, making the total atmospheric contribution of carbon dioxide (CO2e) at least 94.8 kg versus real leather’s 22.5 kg. (From APFL.com) **This only factors in the impact of production, not the environmental impact after the material is added to environmental waste. Please also note that the entire process, from raising and feeding cattle, is factored into the 22.5kg of CO2 attributed to leather production - I don't feel that is actually fair, since leather is a byproduct of the meat industry and a large portion of that CO2 would be emitted regardless. Meanwhile, the leather industry takes what would otherwise go to waste, the hides, and creates a valuable material instead.
The production of faux leather generates a lot of pollution, but once in landfills, the material continues to wreak havoc on the environment. Plastic does not biodegrade...it sits in landfills indefinitely, breaking down into smaller and smaller particles until it eventually breaks down into microplastics. Microplastics pollute everything from our oceans to our actual bodies. Microplastics are found in almost every part of the human body - our lungs, blood, brain...even in placenta. The effects of this are still largely unclear, although logically (and supported by what IS known), it's not good.
So faux leather has earned a much deserved bad rap. Even if unaware of the environmental impacts, most people are unhappy with the lack of durability and often short lifespan of their faux leather pieces. Who wouldn't be?
But with demand for leather and leather-like products high, and the price tolerance continuing to drop with the introduction and booming popularity of inexpensive fast fashion; the industry always finds clever new ways to market the same low quality products and materials.
Enter: Greenwashing. This is the the act of using false or misleading terminology and/or statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. So with the growing stigma of terms like 'PU leather', companies got creative, and started using the term 'vegan leather'. But this is intentionally misleading and manipulative; after all, it's the same exact cheap product as before, it just sounds a little sexier and more appealing. This rebrand has been incredibly effective - I recall feeling positively when first seeing the term come up in the 'materials' description of products. After a quick google search, however, that feeling changed.
No one likes to be deceived or manipulated, and that's exactly what this term is intended to do. No matter how you feel about the environmental impact of the material, it feels disingenuous, because it is, and if a company is intentionally going out of it's way to deceive you, it's hard not to question why.
This is especially frustrating to me because it disproportionately targets people who are making their purchases with ethics in mind. Many people choose a vegan lifestyle specifically to reduce their carbon footprint, because they care deeply about the environment and their impact on it. And many of those people are deceived by this kind of marketing, and purchase vegan leather thinking they're making a responsible, ethical purchase. Pardon my French, but that is f*cked up!
There are exceptions, however, as I mentioned earlier. There are leather alternatives now being produced using all natural materials, utilizing plants and plant waste ranging from apple peels and pineapple rinds, to cacti and mushrooms! These materials are not necessarily completely biodegradable; in my research, as I tried to find an all natural leather alternative to offer in my shop alongside my responsibly sourced leather, I found that some still do use polyurethane or other plastics and chemicals to bond the fibers. It is still moving in a positive direction though - REDUCE, reuse, recycle right? While some of these materials are getting closer to being fully biodegradable - it's important to know that as with real leather and PU leather, not all of these all natural alternatives are created equal. But even the 'worst' of these are far better than the fully plastic alternatives. Steps in the right direction!
The drawback for these all natural alternatives is primarily accessibility. It's a relatively new concept, and demand is high. Some big brands have started using it in their products, but the cost is higher than traditional faux leather, and the majority of companies continue to use and sell PU leather to keep costs low, especially in a market where low prices are the expectation, not the exception.
As a small business, I've struggled to get access to these all natural materials, due to waiting lists and large minimum purchase requirements for wholesale materials. But I'm nothing if not stubborn, so I have managed to get my tiny, calloused leather-working hands on some regardless :)
I've been able to sample natural leather alternatives made from cactus and pineapple - and after handling and testing out samples, I've found cactus leather to be the best option for my needs. I'm currently working with Desserto (TM) Cactus Leather, which is soft and supple, with a smooth surface that has a subtle leather texture and a slight sheen finish. This is made using 90% plant material! So while there are still some synthetics present, it's wildly better for the environment than the PU alternative.
I believe that high quality, eco-consciously produced leather is the overall most environmentally friendly option - especially if it's properly cared for and rehomed and not disposed of while it's still in good shape. Still, I want to offer a few of my most popular pieces in an eco-friendlier vegan leather, because some of you have made the very understandable choice to not wear real leather, and you should have options that are not plastic.
If that's you - stay tuned! I'm getting close on my shop's corset belt in cactus leather :)
I hope this was helpful - check out my other posts for more information on leather care, as well as Leather 101 - a great introduction that will provide all you need to know to purchase the best quality leather products!
XX - Emily
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