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Vegan Leather

Vegan leather and artificial leather are interchangeable terms for materials that are designed to look like leather but do not use animal skins. While they avoid the ethical issues of using animal products, synthetic leather alternatives still pose environmental problems due to releasing toxic chemicals during production and after degradation. Newer bio-based vegan leathers made from agricultural byproducts like pineapple leaves and cork aim to provide more sustainable options that are also more durable than traditional synthetic materials. Designers continue to debate the tradeoffs between using real leather versus vegan alternatives in terms of quality, environmental impact, and animal welfare.

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319 views3 pages

Vegan Leather

Vegan leather and artificial leather are interchangeable terms for materials that are designed to look like leather but do not use animal skins. While they avoid the ethical issues of using animal products, synthetic leather alternatives still pose environmental problems due to releasing toxic chemicals during production and after degradation. Newer bio-based vegan leathers made from agricultural byproducts like pineapple leaves and cork aim to provide more sustainable options that are also more durable than traditional synthetic materials. Designers continue to debate the tradeoffs between using real leather versus vegan alternatives in terms of quality, environmental impact, and animal welfare.

Uploaded by

Gauri Kulshrestha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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VEGAN LEATHER

While exotic skins such as crocodile have long been criticized by


organizations such as PETA for cruelty to animals, a group of
environmentalists recently wrote an editorial for Business of Fashion
advocating the careful use of reptile skins to continue to generate
income for indigenous communities. and to preserve a certain
environment. Leather,
mostly made from the hide
of cattle and calf, is the
subject of serious
competition in the fashion
industry, along with real
furs and animal feathers.
For example, mushroom-
based leather is becoming
an increasingly compelling
and environmentally
friendly alternative. Very Figure 1

few vegan skins are made


from natural materials, although you can find more sustainable
products made from materials such as cork, seaweed, and even
pineapple leaves.

Vegan leather and artificial leather are interchangeable terms,


essentially an artificial leather material is the one that does not use
animal skins. Artificial leather is called vegan leather because the
materials are not extracted from animals. Although it is a huge benefit
for animal rights activists, the production of synthetic leather is
harmful to the environment or humans due to the toxins it contains.
Plastics are used in manufacturing. Even the synthetic materials used
in vegan leather are not completely biodegradable. Although they can
be degraded to a certain extent, they also release toxic particles and
phthalates, which affect animal health and the environment.
However, some designers see a downside to the quality of vegan
leather for some products, prompting them to use a mix of real and
vegan, including London Fashion Week
favourite Rejina Pyo, who uses faux
leather for pants and jackets, but generally
go for the real thing when it comes to
accessories. Alden's main concern with
alternatives to vegan leather is the
synthetic materials they often contain,
such as PU (polyurethane) or PVC
(polyvinyl chloride). In addition, some
cheap faux leather products are not very
durable, which means they often end up in
landfills and decompose over the years.

PU leather is a thermoplastic polymer mainly used in vegan footwear


and furniture. For those vegetarian fashion novices who don't know
what PU or PVC are, PU and PVC are different plastic-based
materials. It is usually composed of two different plastic polymers;
polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC)--according to
PETA, the most common reason is that their wrinkled texture helps to
create the appearance of natural leather.

Biodegradable vegan leather like pinatex is made from recycled


pineapple plant, which is much more durable than traditional artificial
leather materials and looks more realistic. Since pineapple plants are
only grown for fruit, the peel of the pineapple consumes parts of the
plant that would otherwise be thrown away.

Libie Motchan, co-founder of Fulton, a company that makes eco-


friendly cactus leather insoles for shoes, says customers often
comment on the product to learn more about the environmental
impact and quality of sustainable materials. At the request of
consumers, Motchan has tested materials for biodegradability and
compostability, as opposed to genuine leather products, which do not
degrade when processed with chrome or other metals.
For Belgian designer Mats Rombaut, founder of the Parisian eco-
friendly footwear brand Rombaut, using leather in his shoes was no
longer an option after it became known about the impact of animal
husbandry on the environment and the animals themselves. He is
often surprised that there is no longer a sense of urgency in tackling
carbon and pollution issues in animal husbandry, and he wants to
provide sustainable alternatives for those looking to avoid using
leather.

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