Comparison of Leather Alternatives

As the fashion industry pushes towards sustainable fashion, people wonder if effective change is possible. Questions may arise: Are the alternatives any better for the environment? What can I do to find the most environmentally friendly leather? What leathers are the best quality? 

All these questions can be answered with a deeper look into leather alternatives to find what is best for you! Though leather has had negative impacts on the environment, solutions have been made to prevent these problems, such as using faux leathers.

Finding Alternatives

Leather alternatives can be made of a variety of things, one being natural vegan leathers.  However, the most common is PU leather or polyurethane. Since it is more affordable than animal leather, it is the most popular alternative in the fashion industry and in other leather products, such as furniture. 

Although using this leather minimizes the use of animal leather, it also has its own risks, one being its lack of biodegradability. It does not decay naturally, which harms the environment through pollution of the water, air, and soil. If it does decay, it takes many centuries to do so completely. Unlike PU leather, animal leather is in fact biodegradable, causing people to wonder if these alternatives are any better. Comparing the two alternatives, natural vegan leathers seem to have a better impact on the environment, even though it has its cons, such as its lack of biodegradability and, therefore, pollution. However, natural vegan leather is more durable, and puts less chemicals into the environment.

Environmental Concerns

Many of the other environmental concerns about leather relate to its water and fossil fuel use, as well as its recyclability. Authentic leather uses about 14 times more water than vegan leather does. For example, a pair of leather shoes requires 2,005 gallons to make. Vegan leather, on the other hand, would’ve only used 143 gallons. Although the numbers on both are high, the difference is significant. Many fossil fuels are also used in making faux leather, as many of the products use polyester, a fossil fuel based synthetic. The use of fossil fuels impacts the earth’s air quality and is a major factor in global warming. 

Even though animal leather is recyclable it is often not disposed of correctly, defeating the purpose. Many people do not know that leather is recyclable, and most recycling facilities do not accept leather scraps because of the difficulty of reusing old leather to make new products.  Vegan leather made from natural resources is, unfortunately, also not recyclable, adding more waste into the environment.

What is the Solution?

So, you may be thinking, how can we solve these problems? ? When shopping for leather materials, finding leather made from natural resources, such as fruit skins, could be a better option than PU leather. Regarding the issue of recyclability, individuals can educate themselves on the appropriate method to recycle their leather. Increasing the accessibility of recycling leather in recycling facilities will also help in not contributing to unnecessary waste.

Written by Kara Haas

Kara is a high school student who is an aspiring writer. She is hoping to study journalism in college to write about the fashion industry in the future. As well as having a passion for writing, Kara also loves to study fashion and try new, different looks out of her comfort zone. In her free time she loves baking, trying new makeup looks, and watching cartoons.