Is Vegan Leather Really More Sustainable?
We tend to assume that the term ‘vegan’ is synonymous with ‘eco-friendly’, whether it be a vegan diet, vegan cosmetics, or vegan fashion. For this reason, vegan leather has become more popular in the past few decades, as customers search for more sustainable and cruelty-free alternatives to animal leather. Many consumers don’t even feel as if they are sacrificing anything when buying vegan leather, as many claim vegan leather rivals animal leather in quality and is commonly mistaken for animal leather. But is vegan leather really better for the environment?
First, what exactly is vegan leather? Vegan leather is most commonly made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU), petroleum-based plastics made from fossil fuels, hence the alternative name for vegan leather, “pleather”. Vegan leather can also be made from recycled plastic or plant-based materials, such as pineapple leaves, cork, and apple peels. On the other hand, animal leather is made out of animal hide, most commonly that of cattle.
Both the Environmental Profit & Loss account and the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (two indices that measure the global environmental impact of industries and businesses) state that the production of vegan leather is almost three times less harmful to the environment than cow-based leather. But this is not the whole picture.
The plastic that most vegan leather is made out of does not biodegrade like animal leather, but instead eventually breaks down into microplastics. Microplastics can pollute water and accumulate in the marine food chain, posing a threat to the environment and human health in the long run. The production of these plastics also uses a lot of water, energy, and chemicals to create, even before they turn into microplastics. Although plant-based leather is made out of natural materials, such as pineapple leaves and apple peels, these materials still require a binding agent that is usually plastic-based.
On the other hand, animal leather doesn’t use any plastic and eventually biodegrades. Then what is so bad about animal leather? It turns out that the tanning process of leather is what makes it so harmful to the environment. The tanning process uses a lot of energy and harsh chemicals in order to break down proteins in the animal skin and transform the skin into a wearable material. Even harsher chemicals are often used to speed up this process.
The most common method for tanning animal leather is chrome tanning, a process that entails placing the hide in a highly toxic chromium salt bath. What remains of this bath is then disposed of, commonly reaching and contaminating water systems and threatening aquatic ecosystems and human health.
Vegetable tanning is an alternative tanning option for animal leather, which uses plant-based chemicals to purify the hide. However, vegetable tanning is less common because it is more expensive and requires special skills.
Another large concern with the sustainability of animal leather is its land use and greenhouse gas emissions linked to animal agriculture, which contributes to deforestation and biodiversity loss. In fact, the leather industry has greatly contributed to deforestation in South America, with cattle pastures being responsible for up to 71% of South America’s deforestation from 1990 to 2005.
There doesn’t seem to be a clear answer about whether animal or vegan leather is worse for the environment. Aside from the aforementioned environmental impacts of both types of leather, many people argue that animal leather is technically a by-product of the meat industry, and by turning animal skin into useful accessories and clothing, companies are contributing to a zero-waste philosophy.
Furthermore, it is important to be wary of greenwashing in leather advertising, as many companies, such as Primark, H&M, and ASOS, use vegan leather as a means to advertise themselves and their products as more environmentally-conscious than they really are. Ultimately, it is important that consumers do their own research on the leather they are buying. Each company sources and processes their leather in different ways, so it is difficult to make firm conclusions about what type of leather is best for the environment. Regardless, being conscious about the fashion you are consuming and aiming to support the most sustainable companies is a step towards a greener future!
