Is Vegan Leather Really Environmentally Friendly or Just a Marketing Term?

But is vegan leather really as good as promised? Or is it just a product marketed, promoted by the fast fashion industry? Let's explore some information about "vegan leather" with AURY in this article!

What is vegan leather?

Vegan leather is promoted as a breakthrough in the fashion and interior industry, aiming to replace real leather without the need for animals.

Basically, vegan leather is a synthetic or plant-based material combined with artificial materials, designed to look and feel like real leather. The most common types include polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), two synthetic plastics derived from petroleum.

In addition, some types made from natural materials such as coconut fiber, pandan leaves, or mushrooms are also starting to appear on the market. However, most of these products still need to be combined with synthetic resins to increase durability and water resistance.

Furthermore, the lifespan of vegan leather is often short. When the product breaks down, it is difficult to recycle and takes a long time to decompose, contributing to increased plastic waste pollution. This reality poses a paradox: vegan leather is created to protect the planet but has the potential to destroy the environment in the long term. So, is this a truly sustainable solution?

Consumer movements towards vegan leather in recent years

Over the past decade, vegan leather has received strong support from consumers, especially Millennials and Gen Z—groups of people who are often highly conscious of environmental and animal protection. According to surveys, more and more people are choosing products advertised as "not tested on animals" or "sustainable" to demonstrate a responsible lifestyle. However, alongside the support, a wave of skepticism is gradually emerging.

In recent years, some of the fashion and materials industry’s regulatory bodies have begun to take action against the term “vegan.”.

Portugal has banned the misleading term “vegan leather,” as it falsely equates a synthetic product with genuine leather. “Essentially banning the use of vegan leather on products made in the southern European country,” the Times article said. Meanwhile, COTANCE (the main trade body for the European leather industry) has continued to call on the EU to introduce national legislation like those in Portugal and Italy that would apply across the European Union.

Leather UK responded that “consumers are often unsure about where vegan leather comes from and what the term actually means.” Many people think that “vegan” automatically means “sustainable,” but this is not true. Not only are many derived from fossil fuels, but their plastic components are non-biodegradable, polluting, and potentially causing significant harm to wildlife.

Vegan leather, while a good idea in terms of animal and environmental protection, is fraught with contradictions in practice. Its reliance on fossil fuels and poor biodegradability make it difficult to consider the product a sustainable solution. Meanwhile, genuine leather is a natural by-product of the meat and dairy industry, which has existed for a long time. Using genuine leather not only optimizes resources but also reduces waste, especially as more and more brands adopt sustainable, environmentally friendly tanning technology.

Genuine leather also possesses superior durability, helping to prolong the life of the product, thereby limiting the amount of waste released into the environment. The question is: why do we have to create an artificial material that causes more pollution when there is a natural, durable, and effective material like genuine leather? Choosing genuine leather is not only a long-term investment but also a way to live in harmony with nature. It is time to re-evaluate our choices and make decisions based on facts instead of flashy advertising.

See more:

Genuine leather collections used in high-end interiors

Knowledge of genuine leather