Vegan leather has become a popular alternative to animal leather, particularly for shoppers looking for animal-free fashion. But the word vegan describes what a material does not contain. It does not tell you whether the material is biodegradable, plastic-free, recyclable or durable.
A 2023 review published in Environmental Science and Pollution Research examined commercially available vegan leather and its environmental implications, highlighting the continued use of polyurethane (PU) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in many alternatives.
PU and PVC are plastics, and synthetic leather is commonly produced by applying a plastic coating to a textile backing. The European Commission's CORDIS programme notes that PVC and PU remain among the common materials used for synthetic leather and that these alternatives have their own environmental problems, including poor recyclability.
Even some materials marketed around plant ingredients can involve synthetic components. Apple, cactus and grape-based leather alternatives can incorporate agricultural by-products, but formulations often use polymer coatings or binders to provide the strength and finish required for fashion products.
Mycelium-based leather is another promising area. Yet a 2025 Scientific Reports paper notes that some commercialised fungal leather materials use polyurethane coatings, underlining why the name of the raw material alone cannot tell you the full composition.
Longevity is an important part of sustainability. A 2021 life-cycle study of bio-based leather substitutes found that improving product durability could reduce impacts related to climate change and water scarcity by 25-70%, depending on the scenario. The researchers concluded that environmental advantages depend partly on products being replaced less frequently.
A 2026 study comparing eight footwear materials also identified a trade-off between environmental impacts and durability, while cautioning that its assessment did not account for differences in product lifespan.
This does not make animal leather automatically sustainable. Conventional leather has significant environmental impacts associated with livestock, tanning, water use and chemicals. The point is to recognise that neither category comes with a universal sustainability pass.
So the next time you see vegan, plant-based or eco-friendly leather, look beyond the marketing. What is the material actually made of? How long will it last? Can it be repaired or recycled? Those answers will probably tell you far more about a product's environmental footprint than the word vegan alone.
Email: anoushkakundu@newindianexpress.com
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