Vegan leather or faux leather is a synthetic and cheaper imitation of real leather. It surely gets rid of practice of animal cruelty in leather industry. The materials used in making vegan leather are generally polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC). They are both plastic based materials. Very less percent of vegan leather is made from natural and eco-friendly material.
In today’s market, vegan leather has already entered a large variety of industry and is gaining popularity steadily. Be it hand bags, clothing, shoes or accessories, the vegan leather also called ‘pleather’ has already spread its wings.
How Is Vegan Leather Produced?
Synthetic leather or vegan leather has completely different type of production process than real leather. It uses chemicals for this process. The most common way to make synthetic leather is to secure the plastic coating on a fabric. The material used in this plastic coating differ and it decides whether the product would be eco-friendly.
Although vegan leather can be made from natural materials like pineapple leaves, cork, and kelp the most commonly used materials are polyurethane and polyvinyl chloride. The use of PVC has reduced a lot due to the dioxins it releases. It is quite dangerous when burnt or simply when it’s in an enclosed area.
It may sometimes use plasticizers such as phthalates. It can turn out really toxic, depending on the type used. Organization like Greenpeace comments that it is the “single most environmentally damaging type of plastic”.
PU is a better alternative as it is less harmful than other plastics. It is constantly being modified to reduce the damage.
Quality
Vegan leather may look quite like real leather depending on the quality of the material. High quality vegan leather can really be a worthy substitute of real leather. However, vegan leather does not produce a patina like real leather and it is much less breathable as the pores are artificially printed on the surface.
For any vegan leather product of everyday use, you should get a quality product with high functionality. A vegan leather handbags brand like Marsi Bond believes in providing their customer with ‘statement pieces- without the statement prices’. Their products are not only fashionable, but are also eco-friendly.
Vegan Leather Vs Real Leather
- The first difference is the material used. Use of animal skin to make leather advocates animal cruelty. Many animals are brutally slaughtered and this action is condemned thoroughly.
- Real leather is much more expensive than vegan leather.
- Real leather has much longer durability than faux leather.
Maintenance and Repair of Vegan Leather
- Since it has plastic coating, it is waterproof. You can just use a damp cloth and mild detergent to clean it.
- It is bound to crack up in harsh sunlight or high temperature. Use some product that can layer up the surface to save it from sunlight and may help soften the material.
- If the leather gets damaged, you can easily fix it up with a leather and vinyl repair kit. It’s readily available online and very easy to use.
Fav-Fashion 