Is It Leather?
Today’s marketplace is full of materials labeled as “leather.” But not all leather is created equal - and the environmental and durability impacts vary dramatically. If we’re serious about sustainability, transparency, and long-lasting products, we need to understand the difference between PU leather, PVC leather, and Real Leather.
𝗣𝗩𝗖 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗳𝘂𝗹 “𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿”
PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is one of the least sustainable materials used in fashion and accessories.
PVC leather is:
• Made from chlorinated plastic
• Produced using intensive chemicals
• Non-biodegradable
• Known to shed microplastics
• Prone to cracking and peeling
PVC stays in 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻. From both an environmental and product-lifespan standpoint, it’s one of the worst options available.
𝗣𝗨 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗔 𝗦𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗹𝘆 “𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿” 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰, 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰
PU (polyurethane) leather is often marketed as a “sustainable” or “ethical” alternative - but it is still petroleum-based plastic.
PU leather:
• Has a shorter life span
• Tears and flakes easily
• Cannot be repaired
• Is not biodegradable
• Still ends up in landfills for centuries
While less toxic than PVC, PU leather 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴-𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀.
𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 & 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗱
Real leather is fundamentally different because it is not manufactured - it is natural.
Real leather:
• Is a byproduct of the meat and dairy industry
• Prevents millions of hides from entering landfills
• Is biodegradable
• Lasts decades, not months
• Can be cleaned, conditioned, repaired, and restored
• Ages beautifully instead of cracking or peeling
Most importantly, real leather delivers far greater longevity. A leather bag or jacket can be used for 10, 20, even 30+ years - reducing consumption and environmental impact over time.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲
PU = plastic
PVC = plastic
Real leather = natural, durable, repairable, and biodegradable
When you choose real leather, you’re choosing a material with a 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. In a world trying to move away from disposable plastics, the choice is clear:
Invest in what lasts.
Choose the material that works with the planet - not against it.
