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Dear Dot,
I’m seeing a lot more references to vegan leather. Is leather bad because it’s an animal product? Is vegan leather a more ethical alternative?
– Kylie
Dear Dot,
I’m curious about your take on vegan leather versus genuine leather from an eco perspective but also from a quality perspective.
– Sofia
Dear Kylie and Sofia,
When I was pregnant with Eldest Dot Child, I bought myself a pair of black “pleather” maternity pants and snakeskin boots, chasing a Blondie circa 1978 aesthetic. Problem was, those pants were hot … and not in the way Blondie circa 1978 was hot. As both the outdoor temperatures and the numbers on my scale soared, those pants — among the only items in my closet that still fit me — became like a waist-down sauna. If you are unfamiliar with women who are 8 ½ months pregnant, Kylie and Sofia, let me assure you that we are not known for being easy-going. All of which is to say, Dot and vegan leather have a somewhat troubled history.
Back then, however, vegan leather — or “pleather” — was pretty much restricted to a version of plastic, usually either polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Making my plastic pants took water, chemicals, and energy. PVC is particularly toxic, from creation to long past disposal — the “worst of the worst,” according to Judith Enck, a policy expert with Beyond Plastics, a nonprofit based at Bennington College in Vermont. “Scientists have established that its precursor chemical is carcinogenic; that some of the additives used to make it flexible can muck with hormones; and that it can spew noxious compounds, especially when burned,” reported Yale Environment 360.
And let’s remember that any plastic brings with it attendant issues. Plastics, after all, are the product of fossil fuels, often generate microplastics, and can poison workers involved in their production. What’s more, my pregnancy pants, like any plastics, will exist in landfill long after both Dot and my now-adult baby are compost.
So if the vegan leather you’re considering is nothing more than fossil-fuel-based plastic, it is neither an environmentally or ethically sound choice. (Not to mention being a terrible choice for maternity wear.)
Genuine leather remains a sought-after material. But, as you note, it’s an animal product, primarily from cattle, which are a leading cause of deforestation and methane emissions. That said, leather is a byproduct. We’re raising cattle anyway, so wouldn’t making use of the entire animal be a good thing? In theory, yes. But unused cattle hides — those from about 17% of the cattle raised — are burned or go to landfill, where they rot and contribute to greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
The World Wildlife Fund and other organizations have joined to create the Deforestation-Free Call to Action for Leather, which seeks greater transparency in the supply chains so that we can all determine where the leather is coming from. But it isn’t just deforestation that’s an issue. The tanning process for leather often involves the use of toxic chemicals such as chromium, formaldehyde, and other heavy metals, which can have harmful effects on both the environment and the health of workers. An increasing number of companies are becoming committed to a more environmentally sound tanning process (check out the Leather Working Group for a sense of what to look for and what to avoid with traditional leather). But even with these positive initiatives, leather is and will always be an animal product, and that alone makes it off limits to some consumers.
Companies are responding by offering up vegan versions created from cork, apple peels, pineapple leaves, and more. Keep in mind that the designation “vegan” simply means the leather is not the product of an animal. If animal welfare is at the top of your list of values, then any vegan leather is a better alternative. But even vegan leathers, as Bluedot interns Sasha and Holly discovered in their investigations, aren’t necessarily as virtuous as we might believe, as you will discover below. Are they nonetheless better, though, than an actual leather item that could well last decades? Let’s dive in and determine whether Dot wants to give fake leather another go-round.
Apple
Our sins, eco and otherwise, were first laid bare thanks to an apple. Millenia later, could an apple offer absolution from our leather sins? In Italy in 2004, Italian inventor Alberto Volcan was looking for ways to use up excess apple skins created by the apple juice industry. Apple leather is produced from apple pomace (the pulpy residue remaining after juice extraction), which is ground up, turned into a fine powder, then mixed with PU and applied to a tear-resistant cotton fabric. The roll is then heated and pressed. Voila: apple leather.
Intern Sasha tells us that apple leather has its pros and its cons. On the pro side, it’s made largely from a waste product and requires fewer fossil fuels in its production than both animal and synthetic leather. (And the apple industry as a whole is less harmful environmentally than the cattle industry.) Apple leather is also OEKO-TEX certified, meaning that it's free of harmful toxins. What’s rotten about this apple, however, is that it’s still 50% derived from fossil fuels (the polyurethane). Dot had a pair of Dooey’s “house” shoes (aka fancy slippers) made from apple leather. They did feel like actual leather, and Youngest Dot was happy to inherit them when I realized I don’t really need or want “house” shoes.
Pineapple, aka Piñatex
Sasha stumbled onto another fruit being pulverized to create vegan leather — pineapple! Spanish designer Dr. Carmen Hijosa was a leather goods specialist who noticed that leather demand often outstripped supply. She also knew that leather production harmed not only the planet, but also the people working in the industry, due to the heavy metals involved in tanning leather.
While visiting the Philippines, Dr. Hijosa discovered that people there made fabric from the leftover leaves from pineapples, which would otherwise be burned. This mesh fabric could then be topped with polyurethane and polylactic acid (both plastics) to create something that looks and feels like the real thing. At first, the product was about 40% plastic, but Dr. Hijosa has managed to get that down to about 5%, putting it way ahead of apple-based fake leather. Piñatex has managed to attract some big names, including Puma and Hugo Boss. Want to explore the world of pineapple leather? You’ll find wallets, Western boots, watch straps and more on Immaculate Vegan.
Cacti
Still in the plant leather realm, prickly pear cactus enters the chat, thanks to Mexican entrepreneurs Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez. What’s unique about this plant leather is that prickly pear cactus can be invasive in some areas, so finding an economic use for it can help keep it in check. In areas where it’s welcome to grow, the necessary mature cactus paddles used to make leather can be harvested without harming the plant itself. After drying in the sun, the paddles are ground into a powder that is then turned into a resin with organic ingredients and sustainable dyes (they call this bio-resin Desserto), which is then poured onto cotton or polyester to create what feels like actual buttery leather. Cacti leather has also attracted some heavy-hitters in the fashion industry, including H&M (which includes it in its Conscious Collection), Mercedes Benz, Fossil, Karl Lagerfeld, and the makers of these super-cool sneaks.
While Desserto claims to be recyclable, it’s neither compostable nor biodegradable, which means that if it’s thrown out, it will be right there next to Dot’s pleather maternity pants in landfill for decades to come.
Kombucha
The new kid leather on the block is made from the cellulose film produced by a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (called a SCOBY) when it is fermented in a sweet tea solution. Our student sleuth Holly reported to me that the exact origins of kombucha leather seem unclear, but it’s likely that a group of scientists from UC Davis created it in the early 2000s when looking for a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to leather. Daring DIYers can theoretically produce this leather alternative at home, though I’m not sure I’d trust something I made on my kitchen counter to keep me covered in the outside world. It is available commercially (though not widely) and is typically more expensive than traditional leather — though that might change if it becomes more widespread. Kombucha leather is the only fully biodegradable of the faux alternatives, and it’s described as “breathable,” which Dot’s pleather pregnancy pants most definitely were not.
Cork
While being hailed by our intrepid interns as the most ecologically sound of the leather alternatives, cork is unfortunately also the least leather-like. So if your must-haves include a vegan leather that looks and feels like the real thing, pop cork off your list. (That said, it still looks pretty neat.) Cork leather is made from the bark of cork oak trees, and harvesting it doesn’t harm the trees. Once the bark is harvested, it’s dried for six months, and then flattened into sheets. Fabric backing is then placed onto the sheets with suberin, a naturally occurring adhesive from the cork. The result is a durable, lightweight, and fully biodegradable fabric. You can check out cork leather shoes and accessories here.
Rubber et al
Mirum is making its mark in the vegan leather world. A mixture of natural rubber, plant oils and waxes, natural pigments, and minerals, Mirum cites a “patented biocurative — a groundbreaking, nontoxic, plant-based alternative to conventional curing systems” used to create the final product. A bona-fide vegan leather player, Mirum boasts clients such as BMW and Stella McCartney.
And there’s more. Mango leather and mushroom leather and who knows what else is all coming down the pike. With the exception of kombucha leather and Mirum, all seem to rely to some extent on a type of plastic to provide structure. Are they better than traditional leather? Yep, though, as I’ve noted, each has its pros and cons … the main cons being a lack of wide availability and, frequently, a luxury price tag.
Alternatively,
Dot
