The basics.
Vegan leather, also called synthetic or faux leather, refers to leather that does not come from animal skin. It can be made from various materials (both natural and synthetic) but the most common material used are in the form of petroleum-based plastics such as PVC (polyvinyl choride) or PU (Polyeurethane).
Vegan leather exists to mimic or be an alternative to "real" or "genuine" leather without the supposed animal cruelty.
Is vegan leather more sustainable than leather sourced from animal hides?
This is an age-old debate. While vegan leather supposedly removes the animal cruelty factor, the argument there is that there really isn't any animal cruelty. The leather industry is simply a byproduct of the meat industry, and it is actually better that we make use of leather so that no part of the animal goes to waste.
While vegan leather is usually cheaper and more colorful than real leather, the downside is that vegan leather does not last long. Unlike vegan leather, real leather develops something called "Patina" which refers to the formation of a layer that causes real leather to look aged. Ironically, leather that forms a layer of patina is actually sought after and is a sign that the leather used is of premium quality.
Unique kinds of vegan leather.
There are a whole range of materials used for vegan leather. Some leather can be made from organic materials such as Pineapples or Apples which are seen as more sustainble compared to the petroleum-derived ones. One example is Piñatex seen in the link below:ORIGINAL Collection – Ananas Anam (ananas-anam.com)