Hide and chic: are clothes and apparel made from alternative leathers better for the environment?
Vegan leathers are complicated by questions of commercial viability and sustainability. How do they compare to traditional leather?
TL;DR
- Vegan leather alternatives, despite significant investment, are facing challenges with commercial viability, brand adoption, and environmental impact, with many still relying on plastic components.
- Traditional leather production has seen steady growth over the last two decades, indicating that alternatives have not yet slowed demand.
- Most readily available 'vegan' leathers are made from fossil fuel-derived plastics (PU, PVC), which shed microplastics and pollute landfills.
- Plant-based alternatives often involve a plastic sandwich structure, with varying plastic content, and their environmental benefits are questioned, especially regarding feedstock cultivation.
- Plastic-free alternatives are emerging but face significant hurdles in reaching the market and achieving scale.
- Regeneratively farmed leather, produced using humane methods and non-toxic processing, is presented as a potentially positive alternative that can improve soil health and sequester carbon.