Vegan leather, plant-based leather: what are the differences?

Vegan leather is gaining popularity and taking an increasingly important place in the fashion world. With the rise of numerous committed brands, new materials are emerging as alternatives to traditional leather. The fashion industry itself is beginning to take a serious interest in them.
But what exactly is vegan leather? And how can you tell it apart from vegetable-tanned leather?

To help clarify these terms, which are often confused but are actually quite different, here is a practical guide to help you avoid making mistakes.

What is leather?

Before talking about vegan leather, let's first look at the definition of leather itself.

The leather is processed animal skin that has been made imperishable (meaning it cannot rot). The term has been regulated since 2010* to enforce strict usage of the word: leather is animal skin, plain and simple.

When we talk about leather, we often think of cowhide. It is, in fact, one of the most profitable by-products of cattle farming. However, leather can also come from sheep, goat, fish, or even kangaroo skin. 

Leather is renowned for its quality, durability, and suppleness. It is highly absorbent, resistant, and easy to work with. This is why it has been used for 5,000 to 10,000 years before our era. 

This animal material can also be recycled or reused to create new products. These methods encourage a more virtuous cycle where leather is reused to reduce pollution.
 

What are the limitations of leather?

Leather is often criticized for ethical reasons, just like animal fur. The terrible conditions of farming and slaughtering and poaching, from which some skins are derived, are being called into question.

But that is not the only problem. The environmental disasters caused by leather are also part of it. The production of leather is extremely resource-intensive, especially in terms of water. Animal skin is soaked, washed, and rinsed several times throughout its processing. We are talking about water volumes of up to 5 times the weight of the animal skin itself.

In addition to this is the use of chemicals such as chrome salts, aluminum, and zirconium in what is known as mineral tanning. Chrome is, in fact, one of the most widely used methods today for making leather. It is estimated that more than 80% of global leather production is done using chrome. These chemicals are as dangerous to humans as they are to the environment if they are not used under strict conditions.

Thus, these elements make leather production particularly regulated, especially in Europe. But this is not necessarily the case in other countries such as India or China, the world leader in leather production, where standards are sometimes far from being enforced.

This is why, if you want to buy leather items, you should choose leather from Europe: it will have a significantly better environmental impact.

Vegan leather, vegetable-tanned leather: don't be fooled by appearances!   

Tanners use oak, chestnut, or even rhubarb, for example, depending on the effect they want to achieve with the leather. Each plant brings a particular color, finish, or quality to the final leather. The exact term is actually vegetable-tanned leather. It is a very old method of processing animal skin, used long before the introduction of chemical agents.

Vegetable-tanned leather: what are the differences with mineral tanning? 

In addition to the use of vegetable tannins, the process is much longer than traditional tanning. If we compare the duration of the process between leather and vegetable-tanned leather, the difference is striking: 24 hours are enough to make leather compared to at least 48 hours for vegetable-tanned leather. It can take up to 1 year for thick vegetable-tanned leather.

As you can imagine, this considerably increases the cost of vegetable-tanned leather, because it is produced in smaller quantities. The color range will also be smaller than that of leather, with shades only in brown and ochre tones.

However, vegetable-tanned leather has the advantage of being just as high-quality as traditional leather. Each skin will have a different finish, texture, and color, depending on the plants used and their properties. 

The environmental impact is also much lower, as is the impact on the health of the tanners and the consumer.

Vegetable-tanned leather: what are its limitations?

Although vegetable-tanned leather has a reduced environmental impact, it has its limitations.

Today, vegetable tannins are no longer used without the addition of chemical ingredients. They are extracted from trees, which requires their felling, before being treated with chemicals to extract their properties. In addition, vegetable tannins penetrate the skin more slowly. This will therefore require several soakings in vats to impregnate the skin to the desired degree. There is therefore also a heavy use of water in vegetable tanning.

If you want to buy quality leather with a significantly reduced environmental impact, the Naturleder label is for you. This label guarantees that the skin used was not taken from endangered animals or wild animals. It covers all stages of leather production. Before tanning, the skins are neither cleaned nor preserved with chemicals: in this case, salt or cold are the methods to favor.

In addition, the Naturleder label does not allow chrome tanning, which, as we recall, is very harmful to living beings and the environment. Only vegetable tanning, and those based on aluminum, titanium, or zirconium, are allowed.

Finally, the cleaning of tanned skins is normally carried out with biodegradable products, certified free of heavy metals. This label also has a social clause that guarantees that employees are paid correctly, whether they are adults or not, or that they enjoy social rights within their company.

So, in the end, does eco-friendly leather exist?

More eco-friendly leather, is it possible?

At Meanwhile Boutique, we do not select any brand that uses animal skins. No animal leather products are featured in our collections. Here is why:

Our selection charter clearly states that no brand selected on the online store must use animal skins; because we prioritize brands committed to animal welfare but also sensitive to environmental causes. 

We favor leather alternatives, which are less polluting and allow us to preserve a virtuous ecosystem for animals. These alternatives come from innovative materials, often derived from plant waste such as apple (Apple Skin), pineapple (Piñatex), grape, but also cactus or even marine residues. 

We opt for this choice so as not to encourage the use of leathers made from animal skins, and thus avoid supporting the leather industry - which does not correspond at all to our values.

So, what is vegan leather?

As explained earlier, we do not offer animal leather, but rather vegan leather. To better understand this term, let's first focus on the meaning of the word vegan.

Veganism refers to a lifestyle advocating the boycott of any product related to animals directly or indirectly. Vegan leather, as you will have understood, is a somewhat paradoxical term.

So what do these two terms have to do with each other?

The image of leather is used to recall the qualities usually attributed to leather: resistance, suppleness, comfort… In the collective imagination, veganism is often associated with an ecological lifestyle, with plant-based materials. The term vegan therefore becomes a major marketing argument when you want to position yourself on these values. 

Vegan leather actually refers to leather alternatives that are neither derived from animals nor contain any products tested on them. Vegan leather is made from innovative and sustainable materials.

Today, these alternatives are constantly evolving and allow us to offer materials increasingly close to "traditional" leather in terms of appearance and resistance. Brands are thus seeking to develop solutions that combine aesthetics, functionality, and reduced environmental impact.

This is the case of the brand Mood Walk and their trendy corn leather sneakers. 

Mood Walk vegan corn leather sneaker - €159

There are different types of vegan leathers: 

• Leather made from fruit residues, such as Piñatex (pineapple), apple, grape.
• Synthetic leather, made from plastics
• Eucalyptus leather
• Cactus leather 
• Corn leather
• Mushroom leather
• Cork is also used as a leather alternative on certain products

And the list is still long! 

For example, the creations of the brand Atelier ikigai are made from cactus and corn vegan leather.

The limitations of vegan leather

Yes, vegan leather has its limitations too!

The problem with the term vegan leather, is that it is used haphazardly by the fashion industry to position itself on ecological values.

Many consumers will therefore think of purely plant-based materials when it is not necessarily the case.

There is also the idea that a vegan leather product will necessarily be more eco-friendly. Once again, the term vegan leather does not mean a carbon-neutral product. It all depends on the resources that were used to make it, and that is not a question of veganism. 

In addition, when we talk about a vegan material, it is not just about the material itself not being animal-derived. You must also take into account all the ancillary components involved in its production, such as glues and other cleaners.

It is therefore not a process to be taken lightly : you must ensure that all the products we use are in line with this value.

How to choose a vegan item? 

To help you choose truly vegan products, you can find out about the brand, its values, and its production methods.  

See if it shows transparency, as we are committed to doing with the eco-responsible brands on Meanwhile Boutique.

In short: whether you buy leather, vegetable-tanned leather, or vegan leather, it is important to find out what you are buying. Whether for yourself or to protect the planet and animals, you have the power to consume better by taking the time to inform yourself.

Ready to adopt vegan leather? Explore the exclusive selection of Meanwhile Boutique, with clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories that are 100% vegan.

 

 

Sources:

The Goods Goods, "Naturleder"
Peta France, "The leather industry"
La Pigiste, "Vegan leather / plant-based leather: what is it?"
Il Était Une Veggie, "Vegan or plant-based leather: 8 real alternatives to leather"