Is Vegan Leather Actually Sustainable?

When it comes to sustainability in the fashion industry, leather has a particularly controversial history. The traditional leather industry has been highly contested in the fashion world over the years, as leather is mostly made from cattle hides, and has also been responsible for the deforestation in South America, a major cause of climate change and biodiversity loss. Animal furs, feathers, and leather have become increasingly taboo, spurring industry experts to search for ethical and sustainable alternatives to continue producing the timeless fashion staples.

As the market for cruelty-free fashion alternatives grows, vegan leather has been making its way onto the radars of fashion lovers and experts all around. Earlier this year, sustainable style pioneer Stella McCartney released its first collection made from vegan, lab-grown mushroom leather. Moreover, New York based label Still Here just launched its first-ever vegan leather made from earth-friendly recycled polyester. 

Of course, the topic of vegan leather can be a bit complicated, as there are many misconceptions between the difference between ethically sourced leather vs. eco-friendly leather. Here, L'OFFICIEL breaks down the question of whether or not vegan leather is sustainable with a guide on how to navigate the world of environmentally conscious fashion. 

To put it simply, vegan leather is any leather that isn't made of animal skin. This does raise some environmental and ethical issues when it comes to the production of these faux leather products. 

Alternative leather products have become increasingly popular as people are becoming more thoughtful of animal welfare. However, a lot of mainstream "vegan" leather is made from two different plastic polymers: polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), due to the wrinkled texture that provides the effect of real leather. The use of these materials is neither sustainable nor biodegradable, which means the plastic leathers really only serves as greenwashing, as it provides an illusion for consumers to feel as though they are being environmentally conscious. 

Many fast fashion brands utilize vegan leather because it is easier and cheaper to obtain. Much of the products are consistently low-quality and unsustainable as the short life spans cause for cheap plastic leather materials that will end up sitting in landfills for centuries. 

Vegan leather has come a long way since pleather, as more and more innovative alternatives are being discovered, paving a way for more and more environmentally conscious fashion developments. 

Plant-based leather is an exciting innovation that strays from the typical plastic leathers, as it offers a variety of options that check off all the boxes of cruelty-free, climate-friendly, and ethically-sourced. Many of the vegetable leather options are just as durable as animal leather, while simultaneously providing much lower carbon impacts than both animal and synthetically produced leather. Here are some of best plant-based leather alternatives that are rapidly growing within global fashion brands. 

1. Mushroom leather, also known as Mylo, is a soft leather-like material is made from mycelium, the underground root structure of a mushroom. Stella McCartney is a fan of this leather alternative, and unlike the endless amount of labor and energy needed to produce animal leather, only takes days to produce. The material is completely non-toxic and biodegradable, as well as durable, water-repellant, and lightweight. 
2. Apple leather is 100 percent biodegradable and produced by the leftover of harvested apples. That includes the seeds, core, and peels. Brands like Volkswagen have been spotlighting the material, and it is popular for its similarity to the soft texture of animal leather. 
3. Pineapple leather, or Pinatex, is made out of pineapple leaf fibres, which makes it particularly wonderful as it makes use of what would be an agricultural waste product. This plant-based leather is able to kill two birds with one stone, as it creates an alternative out of an industry byproduct that would otherwise serve no purpose. 
4. Cactus leather was made popular by Mexican brand Desserto, which even received awards from the University of Oxford and PETA. Desserto's cactus leather is overall more sustainable as they generate much less waste during their production process due to its less carbon-intensive practices. There are also multiple environmental benefits, as the company is able to enrich the soil and increase biodiversity to save water, as well as significantly reduce its carbon footprint.