Unlike real leather, vegan leather refers to leather-like materials that do not contain any animal-derived components. In most cases, alternative leathers are either made from natural materials, or plastic-based materials.
The vegan leather market of 2022 has a broad collection of vegan leathers made with all kinds of plant based materials, including wine leather, mushroom leather, cactus leather, and pineapple leather.
While the modern sustainable designer is already implementing vegan fabrics into its fashion collections, not all designers are followers of the vegan leather movement. In particular high-fashion brands and their designers often view real leather as a symbol of luxury and status.
©Beyond Leather Materials ApS
However, in recent years vegan leather has reached the mainstream, as many consumers demand sustainable alternatives to real leather. After all, real leather has one of the highest environmental impacts among fashion materials, while most vegan leather options are not only cruelty-free, but also significantly more sustainable.
The traditional leather industry
Even in the year 2022, the leather industry is claiming to be a "sustainable", "biodegradable", and "circular" business sector, ignoring that traditional leather largely originates from industrial animal agriculture.
In fact, the environmental impact of animal based leather is higher than from any other leather-like material used in fashion, including polyurethane-based leather. Producing real leather is undeniably linked to animal agriculture, which itself is one of the leading causes of global warming.
As reputation and sustainability performance of real leather ages badly in the light of fake leather product innovations, leather made from animal skins should no longer be the standard when talking about leather material.
©jangrau1984 – stock.adobe.com
How toxic is the leather industry?
In the past, there have been many reports about the toxic behavior of the dairy and meat industry towards the plant-based sector. Unfortunately, the real leather industry is no exception, as it fires against vegan leather products and disputes the existence of sustainable and good quality vegan leather.
One of the real leather industry's chief criticisms of vegan leathers is that they often contain plastics derived from fossil fuels. However, apart from having the highest environmental impact in leather materials, other issues surrounding real leather, such as animal welfare and toxic chemicals that are used in the tanning process, turn animal leather into a much worse option regarding sustainability performance.
Moreover, the tanning and dyeing process in the production of real leather is widely associated with risks for workers to develop cancer due to chemical exposure and leather dust.
Given these facts connected to the production of animal leather, leather products based on actual animal skin can not be seen as part of the sustainable fashion movement. Even if the term vegan leather does not automatically indicate it is a sustainable vegan leather option, it definitely outperforms animal leather in terms of overall sustainability performance.
Can animal leather be sustainable?
Large leather manufacturers often promote their products as sustainable and biodegradable, but can genuine leather really be sustainable? Linked to the fact that animal leather has the highest environmental impact among all materials used in fashion, it is important to emphasize that biodegradable and sustainable are not the same thing.
Indeed, real leather can be biodegradable, as the animal hides that are being used are biodegradable. Although every animal leather can be composted, the degradation is likely to be impaired due to the tanning chemistry used in the production process.
An organization within the real leather business that is dedicted to improving traceability and sustainability performance of animal leather is the Leather Working Group. Founded as a not-for-profit organization, the Leather Working Group is reponsible for the world's leading environmental certification for real leather manufacturers.
However, despite the efforts of the Leather Working Group to improve environmental and social performance by reducing the amount of toxic chemicals used in the tanning process of real leather, it does not make animal skin wearable with a clean conscience regarding animal welfare and the general issues connected to animal agriculture.
The Weekend bag by ©Frida Rome available at www.ImmaculateVegan.com
The ban of vegan leathers
In February of 2022, a ban on the term 'vegan leather' and other plant-based prefixes has been announced in Portugal. Alt leather companies now using prefixes such as 'vegan', 'plant-based', or 'pineapple' or even "synthetic" along with the word "leather" in their product marketing may face fines and criminal proceedings.
Portugal has a thriving fashion and textiles industry, with many high-quality fashion products and accessoires for the European market being produced in the country. Companies like vegan leather shoes manufacturer B_Boheme are part of the local vegan leather business. To them, the reason given for the ban, namely that consumers could be misled by terms like vegan leather, is just an excuse by major industry representatives to slow down the vegan leather revolution.
Vegan leather brands
While real leather is always made from the skin of animals, there are various options in the case of vegan leather production. Within the vegan leather market, vegan leather options made from mushrooms, cells, or wine waste are just as common, as vegan leather made from apple peels.
Many international fashion brands are collaborating with vegan leather companies to show their commitment towards ethical and responsible business methods, which include the ethical threatment of animals. For instance, international fashion giant H&M has announced a partnership with wine leather producer Vega to launch handbag straps and shoes in 2020.
Moreover, French shoe brand CAVAL, widely known for its range of mismatched sneakers, announced the launch of sustainable shoes made partially of Pellemela, a recycled material made from apple peels.
Other noteworthy vegan leather brands include next-generation material company Polybion. Based in Spain and Mexico, the company is developing its biotextile Celium®, an alternative to leather "designed with nature and manufactured with biology."
©Africa Studio – stock.adobe.com
Piñatex, the most sustainable vegan leather commercially available
Back in 2021, London-based B-Corp Ananas Anam just celebrated the fifth anniversary of the commercialization of its revolutionary vegan leather Piñatex material. Made from waste pineapple leaf fiber, the brand claims that Piñatex is the most sustainable vegan leather commercially available at scale today. Threfore, Piñatex is the vegan leather of choice for hundreds of vegan and sustainable fashion brands and has been used by global lifestyle brands such as Nike, H&M, Hugo Boss, Paul Smith and more.
© Po-Zu Ltd.
Desserto, vegan leather made from cacti
Mexican cactus-based leather company Desserto first launched its cactus leather in August of 2020 after two years of research and development. Unlike many vegan leather alternatives, the cactus leather made by Desserto does not contain polyurethane or any kind of plastic.
Synthetic leather and fake leather
Fake leather, also known as synthetic leather, is a petroleum-based leather alternative. Animal leather and faux leather are both high-quality materials and share many desirable attributes, like water-resisdence and a soft touch.
Does vegan leather contain toxic chemicals?
Some synthetic leathers have an unpleasant smell that is often described as a "fishy" vegan leather smell. The reason behind this is a toxic chemical called dimethylformamide (DMFa) that is commonly used in the production of synthetic plastic leather. A big problem that is connected to the use of DMFa is the negative health effects it may has on humans, including liver damage and infertility.
A major breakthrough was achieved in 2014, when the first water-based solution, ready to replace DMFa, was introduced. Three years later, another alternative to DMFa was developed, a solvent-free technology whose only byproduct is carbon dioxide.
Since 2017, faux leather manufacturers can choose between two solutions in order to avoid toxic chemicals and the unpleasant vegan leather smell that goes along with it. Fortunately, the faux leather industry has changed a lot since then.
For instance, in China, one of the main production locations to manufacture faux leather, has increased production of water-based faux leather by 600%, while the production of non-solvent faux leather rose by 460%, as reported by chemsec Marketplace.
© Drobot Dean – stock-adobe.com
Industry rethinks vegan faux leather
As of 2022, most faux leather companies that market their products as vegan leather use either water-based or non-solvent solutions in the supply chain of their vegan leather products.
In terms of sustainability and animal welfare, vegan faux leather is therefore a good choice, especially since the accusation that the material causes health hazards is no longer true for most of the new products coming onto the market in 2022.
Is vegan leather good for the environment?
Unlike real leather, which has the highest envionmental impact among all materials used in the fashion industry, most vegan leather materials have a comparatively good sustainability index.
However, there are many ways to make vegan leather, so not all vegan leather has the same impact on the environment. While synthetic leathers are often criticized for contributing towards micro plastic pollution, vegan leather made with biodegradable materials is widely seen as the most environmentally-friendly vegan leather.
Biodegradable vegan leather
While a growing number of consumers are choosing to avoid conventional leather for ethical and environmental reasons, there are also concerns about the fact that synthetic vegan leather is made from plastics. Especially regarding the issue of micro plastic pollution, many consumers are demanding a vegan material that is free from any plastics.
Despite the encouraging news that vegan leather is gaining market share and entering the mainstream, most vegan leather alternatives available on the market today are not biodegradable.
As discussed in the last section, faux leather products are a good alternative to real leather derived from animal skin. However, in a future where a circular economy is developing into the norm, a product made from plastic is not the most viable option.
Thus, it is important to support the production of biodegradable leather alternatives in the long run to further accelerate vegan innovations and make vegan leather sustainable to an even higher degree.
Making vegan leather biodegradable in respond to demand
Responding to the high demand for biodegradable vegan leather, companies are developing biodegradable vegan leather alternatives using everything from mushroom to cacti. According to a market report from 2021, the global market for bio-based leather is expected to expand with a huge CAGR of 47.5% between 2021 and 2027.
Startups and companies in the biodegradable vegan leather space are mainly focused on designing, marketing, and manufacturing vegan, plastic-free leather-like materials and foams for the fashion and automotive industries.
According to a paper from 2022, the bio-based vegan leather material Bioleather1 produces 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than bovine leather and 20% fewer than PU-based faux leather materials. Additionally, the bio-based leather reduces blue water use, land use, and eutrophication by 95% compared to conventional leather.
©General Silicones
Is biodegradable leather commercially available?
Today, very few vegan leathers are biodegradable and even fewer are commercially available. Among the first commercially available vegan leathers are the bio-based sustainable leather alternatives by the San Franciso-based biomaterials company MycoWorks.
Back in January 2022, the startup MycoWorks announced it has raised $125 million to open a full-scale mushroom leather production plant. According to MycoWorks, they transform mycelium, the underground root structure of fungi, into materials that rival real leather and synthetic materials in look, feel, aesthetics and performance.
Does vegan leather from cork meet the sustainability criteria?
Cork leather is made from the bark of Cork Oaks, which are growing in the Mediterranean pat of Europe. Mainly produced in Portugal, cork leather is flexible, soft, and often referred to as the most environmentally friendly vegan leather on the market.
While cork leather is widely used for fashion accessoires, including wallets, purses, and bags, it is not commonly used for fashion items. In 2015, german ethical fashion brand bleed developed the world's first vegan leather jacked made with cork leather.
However, due to the complicated manufacturing process, cork leather has not yet become established as a material for vegan leather jackets and other garments on a larger scale.
Vegan Leather without plastic based materials should be the standard
Founded in 2015 on the premise that our planet is too dependent on petroleum-based products, including pvc leather and pu leather, Natural Fiber Welding is looking to disrupt the plastic and synthetics industries.
NFW produces Mirum, an alternative to synthetic leather made from plants. Thereby, Mirum is setting new sustainability and circularity standards for the leather industry. Mirum is completely free from any plastic material.
While other vegan leather-like materials contain petroleum-based plastics like polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), Mirum wants to implement a new definition and standard for the term vegan leather.
As of 2022, many vegan leather products are marketed as "plant-based," but they also contain plastics like polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride. NFW believes the term vegan leather should mean "plants" not "plastic."
Next generation of vegan leather is biodegradable
Although most vegan leather that are availale in large quantities contain synthetic materials, various companies and startups are currently developing biodegradable alternatives to shape the next generation of vegan leather alternatives.
By 2030, it is likely that most vegan leather is made biodegradable, containing natural materials to produce vegan boots, vegan purses, vegan shoes, vegan leather jackets, and other common leather products. While real leather will continue to lose in relevance, the category of vegan leather made from biodegradable materials might dominate the vegan leather category.
©Nestlé
Cell-cultured leather
Cellular agriculture offers enormous potential for the resource-efficient and sustainable production of meat and dairy products. Although the final products are stricly not vegan, they can be described as cruelty-free and have the potential to save many animals lives in the future.
Founded in 2014, Dutch biotech company Qorium is focused on the development of cell-cultured leather. In July of 2021, the company has raised €2.6 million to allow it to scale up its cell-cultured leather production technology.
According to the cell-cultured leather pioneer, its cell-cultured leather takes 99% less water and 66% less energy to produce compared to real leather. It further eliminates the need for the first two phases of the leather tanning process. Since only a few bovine skin cells are required to produce the leather, the methane emissions produced by livestock could be vastly reduced.
Vegconomist is reporting on vegan politics news and has readers in over 160 countries worldwide. If you want to join our vegan business community, you can subscribe to our newsletter here. You can decide yourself how often you want to receive news into your inbox.
Founders Natalie Deana and Rebecca Joy © Frida Rome
Frida Rome: "Not All Vegans Are Saintly in Every Aspect Of Their Lives, We Certainly Are Not"
UK based vegan fashion brand Frida Rome found recent fame in the UK series Dragons' Den (known as Shark Tank in the US) with founders Natalie Deana and Rebecca Joy carving out a new niche, creating luxury handbags for "bad girls who do good things". Frida Rome's debut luxury accessory is a crossbody handbag called The WEEK/END, which contains an erotic story about a weekend romance. The ladies behind the brand have launched a billboard campaign; a "risqué nod to the (often controversial) 90's high fashion aesthetics, combined with a significant underlying message that highlights our dedication to cruelty-free fashion. We believe in luxury without compromise; the pillar upon which the house of FRIDA ROME stands." With such a fun concept, combining sustainable with sexy, …
©Puma
Puma Presents Its First Vegan Football Boots, Commits to Using Vegan Materials in Future Products
Puma has announced a new PUMA KING model made exclusively from animal-free materials, the King Plantinum 21 Vegan. The new boot maintains the signature style, feel and comfort of the King model, but adds a special twist to the football icon, according to the brand. The KING Plantinum 21 Vegan is aimed at players looking for animal-free products and features KINGForm technology, a structure that fuses with the vegan leather upper in key contact areas to provide superior feel and responsiveness. The PEBA outsole is made without the use of any animal-based adhesives, with all prints on the boot using only vegan pigments. The process since the first idea was born has been two years in which the biggest challenge, according to Florian Nemetz, director …
Portugal Bans 'Vegan Leather', Industry Insiders Speak Out
June 8, 2022 February 14, 2022
A ban on the term 'vegan leather' and other plant-based prefixes has been announced in Portugal. Alt leather companies now using prefixes such as 'vegan', 'plant-based', or 'pineapple' or even "synthetic" along with the word "leather" in their product marketing may face fines and criminal proceedings. Portugal has a thriving fashion and textiles industry, with companies like B_Boheme producing sustainable shoes from vegan leather in the country. Founder Alicia Lai told vegconomist; "We have all heard the terms 'vegan sausage', 'vegan chocolate' and 'vegan leather'. These terms are not aiming to mislead consumers but to show that there are no animal ingredients in the product, and these terms are very much accepted". The new laws claim that terms such as 'vegan leather' are technically incorrect …
© Modern Meadow
Study Shows Modern Meadow's Bioleather1 Produces 80% Fewer Emissions Than Bovine Leather
A peer-reviewed life cycle assessment of Modern Meadow's Bioleather1 material family has compared its environmental impact to that of conventional leather. The paper found that Bioleather1 produces 80% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than bovine leather and 20% fewer than PU-based synthetic leather alternatives. Additionally, the bio-based leather reduces blue water use, land use, and eutrophication by 95% compared to conventional leather. However, Bioleather1 has a slightly greater ecosystem impact than PU-based alternatives as its production requires agricultural resources. Bioleather1 Bioleather1 is made using Modern Meadow's Bio-Alloy™ technology, which is a blend of plant-based protein and bio-based polymer. This blend is functional enough to be used in applications such as footwear and accessories, though Bioleather1 is currently still in the prototype stage. Bio-based vegan leather While …
©Forager
Ecovative Leading Fungi Food and Biomaterial Revolution with Mycelium Technologies
February 25, 2022 February 1, 2022
Materials science company Ecovative has recently announced Forager – a division focused on designing, marketing, and manufacturing vegan materials for the fashion and automotive industries. With Ecovative leading the mycelium revolution in food and biomaterials, vegconomist takes a look at the growing business network of the company with Eben Bayer at the helm. Forager Mycelium pioneer Ecovative has set up Forager to advance next-generation biomaterials such as plastic-free, leather-like materials and foams, made from mycelium rather than animals or petroleum. Utilizing Ecovative's AirMycelium technology, Forager will produce large sheets of pure mycelium material at a commercial scale for a range of fashion applications. Ecovative Co-founder and CCO Gavin McIntyre will present Forager at the Materials Innovation Initiative Conference in May, 2022. "Forager is launching at …
Mycelium Materials Company Ecovative Launches Forager to Develop Mushroom Leather Products and Soft Goods
The new division specializes in fungi-based foams and hides for the fashion and automotive markets GREEN ISLAND, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ecovative, leaders in the fast–growing mycelium materials space, today launched Forager, a division focused on designing, marketing, and manufacturing vegan, plastic-free leather-like materials and foams for the fashion and automotive industries. Rather than animals or petroleum, Forager™ Hides and Forager™ Foams are made from mycelium, the filamentous 'root structure' of fungi. Grown on agricultural byproducts (like corn husks), these pure mycelium materials are fully biodegradable and home-compostable, without any plastic or fiber additives. Forager will utilize Ecovative's AirMycelium™ technology to produce large sheets of pure mycelium material at commercial scale, with the ability to fine-tune density, shape, tensile strength, texture, and other qualities that meet or exceed …
© Veganologie
Veganologie Launches Accessories Made From Recycled Plastic Bottles
Dubai-based Veganologie launches accessories such as handbags and wallets, all made from recycled materials. When Angana Maheshwari began looking for a handbag that was sustainable, attractive, reasonably priced, and well-made, she couldn't find anything that met her specifications — so she decided to design some. With time on her hands over lockdown, Maheshwari developed vegan bags, wallets, and credit card cases. The PU leather and vegan suede interior of the products are made entirely from recycled plastic bottles, while any hardware is made of fully recyclable zinc alloy. All packaging is also made from 100% recycled materials. Veganologie's crossbody bags each use 11 plastic bottles, while the wallets are made from four bottles and the cardholders from two. The production process involves melting the bottles …
©Ananas Anam
Global Bio-based Leather Markets, 2021-2027: Market to Grow with a CAGR of 47.5%
DUBLIN–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The "Bio-based Leather Market: Global Industry Analysis, Trends, Market Size, and Forecasts up to 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report predicts the global bio-based leather market to grow with a CAGR of 47.5% over the forecast period from 2021-2027. The report on the global bio-based leather market provides qualitative and quantitative analysis for the period from 2019 to 2027. The study on bio-based leather market covers the analysis of the leading geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW for the period of 2019 to 2027. The report on bio-based leather market is a comprehensive study and presentation of drivers, restraints, opportunities, demand factors, market size, forecasts, and trends in the global bio-based leather market over the period of …
© Frida Rome
Vegan Fashion Brand Frida Rome to "Make Sustainability Sexy" With Dragons' Den Appearance
Vegan fashion brand Frida Rome is set to appear on the new UK series of Dragons' Den, with founders Natalie Deana and Rebecca Joy showcasing handbags that are "sophisticated on the outside and naughty on the inside". Frida Rome's debut luxury accessory is a crossbody handbag called The WEEK/END, which contains an erotic story about a weekend romance. The founders describe themselves as "Bad Girls who do Good Things", on a mission to build an empire of luxury sustainable products. The brand will also soon be launching The WEEK/DAY and WEEK/DAY X, two totes that come with a story about a secret office liaison. All Frida Rome handbags are made with sustainable vegan leather alternatives — either apple or cactus leather. Sustainable vegan accessories Worldwide, …
© Woodwatch
Woodwatch Launches Vegan Watch Straps Made From Desserto Cactus Leather
Sustainable watch manufacturer Woodwatch has introduced fully biodegradable vegan watch straps made from cactus leather. The company claims to be one of the first watch brands in the world to use the material. Unlike many vegan leather alternatives, the cactus leather — made by Mexican company Desserto — does not contain polyurethane or any kind of plastic. Just three mature cactus leaves provide enough material to produce around 100 vegan watch straps, and the cactus is not harmed when the leaves are harvested. Another benefit of the leather is that it requires very little water to produce, as cacti are adapted to live in very dry conditions. All Woodwatch watch straps have a quick-release mechanism, so they can easily be swapped from day to day. …
©Texon
Texon Achieves Vegan Society Certification for Vogue Plant-Based Alt Leather
Texon Vogue has received certification from the Vegan Society as a fully vegan plant-based leather alternative. Texon – the global manufacturer of materials for the footwear and textile industries – made the move in celebration of Veganuary and the growing popularity of its sustainable and cruelty-free materials. The cellulose-based material Texon Vogue is a 100% natural alternative to leather widely used by brands, which carries the Forestry Stewardship Council and Oeko-Tex certifications as well as the globally renowned Vegan Trademark. Texon has seen a significant uplift in interest in its Vogue material over the last five years, which it attributes, in part, to the increasing number of people becoming vegan. Texon boasts many global brands in its manufacturing supply chain, including Adidas, New Balance, Decathlon, …
©MycoWorks
MycoWorks Raises $125M in Series C to Mass Produce Mushroom Leather
MycoWorks, a San Francisco-based biomaterials company, announces the startup has raised $125 million to open a full-scale mushroom leather production plant. MycoWorks' Fine Mycelium is a proprietary biotechnology platform that transforms mycelium – the underground root structure of fungi – into materials that rival animal-based leathers in look, feel, aesthetics and performance. The Fine Mycelium process can engineer mycelium to grow made-to-specification fabrics, including its flagship product Reishi, in a fully controlled and uniform process. Surpassing milestones Based in Union County, SC, MycoWorks' new facility is modeled on the company's semi-automated plant in Emeryville, SC, which successfully achieved high production yields within target costs and surpassed a production milestone of 10,000 trays in one year. The new facility is scheduled to begin operating within a …
© Lenovo
Lenovo Launches ThinkPad Laptops Featuring Vegan Leather and Recycled Materials
Multinational technology company Lenovo has launched a range of sustainable laptops featuring vegan leather. The ThinkPad Z Series "reflects changing attitudes towards technology, its impact on the environment and the origins of raw components". Laptops in the series have a vegan leather cover made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate, meaning no new fossil fuels are required to produce it. The body of the laptops features 75% recycled aluminium, while the power adapter is made from 90% post-consumer content. The PCs are also sustainably packaged in recyclable and compostable bamboo and sugarcane. According to Lenovo, the Z Series features high-performance processors, excellent battery life, and an improved webcam, microphone, and speakers. Vegan technology Lenovo is not the only tech company to have developed a more sustainable …
©Oliver Co
Oliver Co Receives PETA Award For Wood & Apple Leather Accessories
March 2, 2022 December 20, 2021
Oliver Co. has been awarded the PETA Men's Fashion Award 2021. The London startup produces accessories made from apple leather, a vegan bio-material created with upcycled apple waste from the fruit juice industry. The company recently expanded its product portfolio with the introduction of a new vegan laptop sleeve that accommodates laptop sizes spanning 13 to 16 inches. In addition to its range of wallets and cardholders made from apple leather, the company creates accessories from sustainable wood leather, reducing the kg CO2 emitted into the atmosphere by about 60% compared to a square meter of leather. "To receive this award and be amongst such established brands is a real honour for us. Oliver Co. has only been around for 3 years, and so getting …
© Veshin
Veshin Launches Extensive Pineapple Leather Range, Including Pillows & Handbags
Sustainable fashion manufacturer Veshin has launched a pineapple leather range featuring products such as pillows, handbags, placemats, and wallets. The range is called the Piñatex Performance Collection and is produced in collaboration with sustainable textiles brand Ananas Anam. All products are vegan, durable, as soft as conventional leather, and free of all the chemicals on the Cradle2Cradle list of banned substances. They are also manufactured using closed-loop production, with residual leaf biomass used as a natural fertilizer and biofuel. Plant-based leather alternatives are widely used to make products such as handbags, but Veshin says it has identified home decor as the next big market for these materials. "The fashion and home decor industries have to change" Veshin was founded in June, as an antidote to …