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Handmade- 100% Vegan Alternative to Leather
Vegan Bracelets and Accessories
Cork bracelets made with eco-friendly harvesting from trees left intact. A lightweight, waterproof, hypoallergenic, 100% vegan alternative to leather!
Vegan Leather
The Ultimate Guide to Vegan Leather (in 2021)
Even a decade ago, vegetarians and vegans on the lookout for leather substitutes did not have much choice when it came to finding cruelty-free footwear and bags. Yet synthetic alternatives to leather made from animal hide have been around since the end of the 18th century.
Today we can find all kinds of vegan leathers made of a variety of different plant-based materials, many of which are also eco-friendly and biodegradable.
Did you know that vegan leather can be made from recycled plastic bottles, pineapple leaves, coffee grounds or apple peels? Wondering if there’s a difference between leatherette and pleather? Looking for a vegan leather that’s waterproof or recyclable?
In this handy guide, we cover everything you need to know about vegan leather from A to Z!
Vegan Leather Contents
What is vegan leather?
Vegan leather is made from synthetic or natural materials and products that don’t come from animals. It’s a cruelty-free alternative to leather made of animal skin.
What is faux leather?
Faux (pronounced ‘fo’ – rhyming with ‘go’) means ‘fake’ in French. So essentially ‘faux leather’ means ‘fake leather’ and is just another name for vegan leather.
What are some other names for vegan leather?
There are many other names used to describe vegan leather. ‘Artificial leather’, ‘synthetic leather’, ‘pleather’ and ‘leatherette’ are words used for vegan leathers made of plastic or other synthetic materials.
‘Imitation leather’ and ‘fake leather’ are more generic terms which can also be used to describe vegan leathers made of natural plant-based products. ‘Plant leather’ refers specifically to materials made exclusively of natural plants.
What is vegan leather used for?
Since it’s an alternative to leather made of animal hide, vegan leather is used to make a wide variety of products. These include footwear, bags, belts, wallets, clothing, bracelets, watch straps, upholstery and even seat covers for cars.
Fun fact: Did you know that many luxury cars, including Ferrari, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Tesla, have the option of seating made of vegan leather?
How is vegan leather made?
There are many different production methods used to manufacture vegan leather, depending on the base material used. These are described in more detail in the next section.
What materials is vegan leather made from?
PVC stands for polyvinyl chloride which is a synthetic plastic polymer that’s also often called vinyl. Like all plastics, PVC is made of petroleum which is combined with salt in a complex chemical production process.
Polyurethane or PU is another synthetic alternative to animal leather made of thermoplastic polymer using a chemical process.
Some types of PU leather (also called ‘bicast’ or ‘split’ leather) are made with leftover animal skin used to make conventional leather which is then covered with a polyurethane coating. This type of PU leather is not vegan.
Cork is a natural plant-based material taken from the naturally-regenerating bark of cork oak trees. Using heat and pressure, the cork is pressed into blocks and then sliced into thin slices of fabric which look very much like conventional leather.
Pineapple leaves are used to make a vegan leather under the brand name Piñatex, the brainchild of Dr Carmen Hijosa. This innovative leather substitute is made using cellulose fibres extracted from pineapple leaves (a waste product) and covered with a protection top layer made of PLA (polylactic acid) and a petroleum-based resin.
Mushrooms are the surprising ingredient used to make a vegan leather called Muskin. It’s specifically the underground root structure of the mushroom, called mycelium, which becomes the base material of mushroom leather. This 100 percent natural and sustainable material is also waterproof and biodegradable.
Fun fact: It takes only two weeks for this mushroom leather to grow to the size of a standard piece of cowhide.
The cactus plant provides the raw material for a plant-based leather called Desserto, developed by Mexican entrepreneurs Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez. The leaves of organic cactus plants are mashed and dried in the sun before being processed into a soft plant material that looks a lot like animal leather.
Kelp is a fast-growing species of brown seaweed that can be transformed into a sustainable plant leather. Sometimes also called ‘ocean leather’, it’s produced using nanotechnology by taking dried and crushed kelp seaweed and combining it with cellulose sourced from other algae fibres.
Did you know that kombucha is not only a healthy fermented drink but also something used to make an eco-friendly vegan leather? This can be ‘grown’ by harvesting the gel-like filmy layer of cellulose, bacteria and yeast that forms when kombucha is fermented. Once dried, it becomes a pliable leather-like material that’s natural and biodegradable.
The next time you throw coffee grounds into your compost bin, imagine these leftovers being transformed into vegan leather. German company Nat2 did just that! They produce trainers from the recycled grounds of sustainably-harvested coffee. To make coffee leather, the leftover grounds are rinsed, dried and ground into a fine powder. A binding agent and other additives are added to the powder and pressed to create this fully biodegradable and recyclable coffee leather.
Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven in the Netherlands has developed a vegan leather from the leaves of the Areca betel nut palm tree. Using a soaking mixture of glycerin and water, the palm leaves are softened and then processed and pressed to create a sustainable and eco-friendly natural fibre. Palm leather is used to create textiles with a leather look, including shoes, bags, book covers, rugs and Palmetti: these are biodegradable slippers produced for the hospitality industry.
We know linoleum as the material used for flooring, but it’s also a cruelty-free substitute to animal leather. Natural materials go into its production, including linseed oil, wood fibres, pine resin and lignin to create a soft, flexible vegan leather.
An Italian company has created Dinamica® – an eco-friendly faux suede made of plastic bottles combined with polyester fibres from recycled t-shirts. This cruelty-free and sustainable microfibre is non-toxic and 100 per cent recyclable.
Another Italian innovation is vegan leather made of apple peels! This clever invention by a company called Frumat is a by-product of the apple juice industry. The discarded apple peels and pulp are ground into a fine powder and mixed with a natural pigment to create this faux leather called AppleSkin™.
Yeast does not only make your bread dough rise. It can also be used to make a vegan leather-like material. That’s what Modern Meadow has been working on for the past few years: how to use genetically engineered yeast to make leather. The engineered yeast is fermented to produce collagen, similar to the protein in skin. This is purified and then pressed into sheets and tanned, and presto, we’ve got yeast leather!
It’s not surprising that coconut leather was developed in Kerala, South India, the land of the coconut tree. Naturally occurring bacterial cellulose in coconut water is left to ferment, creating a thick jelly-like cellulose. This is then refined, dried and combined with other natural materials including banana fibre, to create a flexible, leather-like result. This all-natural and completely biodegradable vegan leather was invented by an Indian company called Malai.
Wine leather is yet another Italian invention, crafted by Vegea from the skins, stalks and seeds of grapes leftover from the wine industry. The natural fibres of the grape mulch become the raw material for this unique plant-based leather. Last year, H&M launched its collection of shoes and handbags made from wine leather!
Banana is yet another plant that can be used as the raw material for a plant-based leather that’s waterproof and eco-friendly. Bananatex® is the result of a Swiss-Taiwanese collaboration to create this fully biodegradable natural material. The fibres of the banana plant are first transformed in a paper used to create the yarn which is ultimately spun into a leather-like fabric.
How does it compare to animal leather? Does vegan leather look like real leather?
Many vegan leathers made of synthetic and plant-based materials are often indistinguishable from animal leather. The fact that it looks so much like ‘the real thing’ and is cruelty-free is reason enough for many people to not use any animal leather products.
Does vegan leather smell like real leather?
Vegan leather does not have the smell of animal leather. While some people prefer the smell of a real animal hide, for others this smell is indicative of what it is: a dead animal.
Synthetic leathers made of PVC and Polyurethane can have an unpleasant chemical smell.
Each vegan leather will smell different. Many are odourless or have very neutral but pleasant earthy smells. Coffee leather has a slight odour of coffee, which many will not find unpleasant!
Unlike animal hides, vegan leather does not absorb moisture or get the musty smell of damp leather.
Why choose vegan leather over real leather?
There are many good reasons to choose vegan leather over real leather.
The fact that vegan leather looks so much like ‘the real thing’ and is cruelty-free, is reason enough for many people to not use any animal leather products. For animal lovers, wearing leather is just as cruel as wearing fur.
Natural vegan leather made of plant-based materials have the added advantage of being eco-friendly, sustainable and biodegradable.
The same can not be said of synthetic leathers made of PVC and polyurethane which use chemical production processes and are not at all environmentally friendly. These materials are not recyclable or biodegradable either.
Most vegan leathers are durable and waterproof, making them an excellent and sustainable alternative to animal leather.
Did you know? The list of fashion designers and luxury brands who have created high-end shoes and handbags made of sustainable vegan leathers includes: Stella McCartney, Christian Louboutin, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, Prada and Gucci.
How green is vegan leather? Is vegan leather eco-friendly?
Vegan leather is made of many different types of materials but not all of them are eco-friendly. This is especially true of synthetic materials such as PVC and polyurethane which are made of plastics (read more below).
However, vegan leather produced of plant-based materials, including cork, pineapple leaves, mushrooms, cactus, kelp, kombucha, recycled coffee grounds, palm leaves, and the other natural materials described above are biodegradable, and therefore eco-friendly and sustainable.
Is vegan leather durable?
The durability of vegan leather can vary depending on what it’s made from and the quality of workmanship. Synthetic leather is perhaps the least durable because it’s made of thermoplastic polymer, and only lasts from three to five years on average.
But many natural vegan leathers are resistant and long-lasting. Cork leather, for example, is a lightweight vegan leather that’s also very durable. Apple leather is also a strong and resistant leather that has been chosen by Volkswagen for the upholstery of its line of electric cars!
Is vegan leather sustainable?
Natural vegan leathers are sustainable because they’re made of plant-based materials and are biodegradable. Synthetic leathers do not fall under the sustainable category (see more below).
Which vegan leather is the most eco-friendly?
It’s difficult to judge which natural vegan leather is the most eco-friendly since they are all biodegradable. But those produced from recycled materials, including vegan leather made of pineapple leaves, coffee grounds, apple peels, coconut water and banana fibres deserve a special eco-friendly mention since they’re made from recycled waste products.
What’s wrong with PVC leather?
Vegan leather made of PVC or polyurethane (PU) is neither eco-friendly nor sustainable. Though PU is slightly better than PVC when it comes to toxicity, both are made of thermoplastic polymers which release toxins during the manufacturing process. Since these plastics are byproducts of fossil fuels, their production contributes to the contamination of the environment and utlimately climate change.
Also, these synthetic vegan leathers are not recyclable and don’t completely biodegrade. As they break down, they release harmful toxic particles to the soil. For these reasons, synthetic leather is definitely not an environmentally friendly option!
Is vegan leather recyclable?
Yes, vegan leather made of natural materials is recyclable and biodegradable. This is not the case of synthetic leather.
How to maintain vegan leather?
How can you clean vegan leather?
Vegan leather can be cleaned in much the same way animal leather is. You can use a soft-bristled brush and some warm water mixed with a mild soap to remove any dirt stains. Try using an old toothbrush! You can also wipe the faux leather with a soft damp cloth to spot clean stains.
Do not put synthetic leather in the washing machine or dryer as the heat can damage it. For other vegan leathers, contact the manufacturer for more detailed information regarding cleaning and maintenance.
Can you repair vegan leather?
Yes, most types of vegan leather can be repaired. This is best done by a cobbler since they have the right tools and materials for this.
Is vegan leather waterproof?
Whether a vegan leather is waterproof will depend on the type of material its made from, its quality, and whether it’s been coated with a resistent finishing product. But most are at least water resistant, including the ones made of natural materials.
Cork leather is naturally waterproof thanks its natural waxy coat called suberin which creates a protective barrier.
Here are 5 Good Reasons to Buy Cork Leather Instead of Animal Leather
Does vegan leather shrink?
This depends on the type and quality of vegan leather. Synthetic leathers can shrink if subjected to heat.
Other natural plant-based leathers may also shrink if heated. Contact the manufacturer for more information.
Does vegan leather stretch?
Vegan leathers of all types can stretch to an extent, but perhaps not as much as leather made of animal hides.
Can you dye vegan leather?
Yes, most vegan leathers, especially natural ones, can be dyed but the quality of the result depends on the specific material it’s made of. Synthetic leathers are less porous than natural materials and may be more challenging to dye. These faux leathers are often painted instead.
Can you distress vegan leather?
There are ways to distress vegan leather of all types but the result can vary depending on the material. Some techniques to distress vegan leather include rubbing it with sandpaper or a brush, or beating it with a hammer or meat tenderiser to create texture.
Did you know that our vegan leather accessories are PETA approved?
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