Why PU Leather Is Actually Better for the Environment Than Animal Leather

The vegan leather industry is poised to continue growing in the realms of fashion, furniture, and more brands. These days, animal-free leather is being derived from more and more unique items like pineapple leaves, cactus leaves, and mushrooms, to name a few. As the industry continues to innovate and as vegan leather options proliferate, is there still a place for the predecessor of these plant-derived options, PU leather?

For that matter, what exactly is PU leather, and is it sustainable?

If you are unsure of what PU leather is as a material, if it is actually vegan, and whether it has a place in your sustainable wardrobe, we have the details.

According to HowStuffWorks, PU leather is derived from petroleum-based polyurethane, and is an animal-free leather alternative. PU leather is an attractive option for those seeking a material that is resistant to water and easy to clean, qualities which animal-based leather does not share.

Per clothing manufacturing brand Sewport, PU leather is the most affordable alternative leather option on the market and can be used in clothing, accessories, and more. It may be referred to as "pleather" or "faux leather," among other marketing terms.

Polyurethane-based leather may be more susceptible to becoming inflexible, cracking, and losing its attractive, genuine leather-like appearance over time. Still, as an alternative to animal-based leather that may be indistinguishable to the untrained eye, per Sewport, PU leather is an attractive option — and that goes for vegans, people on a budget, and anyone who would prefer not to support the destructive leather industry.

For instance, the leather tanning process for 1 kilogram of leather alone is responsible for about 6 kilograms of solid waste, 2.5 kilograms of chemicals, and 250 liters of water, per Faunalytics.

By definition, no, PU leather is not real leather. According to travel goods brand Carl Friedrik, PU leather is a synthetic material that is made to look like animal-based leather. PU leather is artificial in nature and is not derived from animals.

PU leather itself is a vegan leather that is free of animal materials. However, it is extremely important to check the label of a product to ensure that the item is fully synthetic and made from 100 percent PU leather, rather than a mix of materials that includes real animal leather.

As elucidated by HowStuffWorks, a material labeled "semi-synthetic PU leather" may contain a real animal-based leather base with a synthetic PU leather application coating the animal leather. This mixed material is not vegan.

The animal-based backing material is referred to as "split leather," according to the Carl Friedrik brand, and the label for a product of this nature may include the name "bicast leather". If your item instead uses the name "full-synthetic PU leather," according to HowStuffWorks, you can be confident that it is a vegan leather alternative that is free from animal byproducts.

Any animal-free material is inherently more sustainable than the environmentally destructive and cruel animal-based leather industry. So when compared to leather, yes virgin PU leather is somewhat sustainable, but not without caveats. Recycled PU leather is definitely more sustainable.

However, as a synthetic plastic material derived from petroleum, PU leather is not as eco-friendly as the plant-based leather options that have infiltrated the luxury goods market.