It is important to know about vegan leather materials especially if you would like to buy the sustainable type!
Polyurethane is the most common vegan leather, also called “pleather”. It is really cheap and can be made in about any color. BUT it is not sustainable depending where it is made. It is made from non renewable fossil fuels and is not biodegradable. There are new technologies where the process of PU is becoming more sustainable but it ultimately is plastic.
PVC is very similar to “pleather” in the pros and cons aspect but I think it looks a lot cheaper. It seems that most companies I find use polyurethane over PVC.
Apple leather is a newer type of vegan leather that many companies are taking an interest in. Pretty much all companies that make it have some sort of polyurethane in it except for THE APPLE GIRL. This type of leather typically has a lot of texture so most products made in it are not smooth. Since it is new there isn’t a lot of info on how it stays together in the long run.
Pineapple leather which is known as piñatex is made from pineapple leaf fibers. This can be made in any color but it also will not have a smooth texture. It does require a polyurethane treatment coating but it is made from organic waste.
Muskin is a leather alternative made from the roots of a fungus. It has a similar grain to animal leathers and it is breathable. It is really durable! It is 100% biodegradable and it takes wayyy less resources to produce the plant.
Cork leather is personally the one I like the least. And only because of the way it looks. Otherwise it is extremely good for the environment. No toxic chemicals are used and it is hypoallergenic. It is made from the bark of oak trees which still survive once the bark is taken off.
These are just the main ones, there are many more used and even more being created. All the new plant based leathers are great but when buying keep in mind that most of them are new and haven’t been tested in the long run.
Other vegan materials that are used in clothing and other items would be organic cotton, linen, seaweed, wood, hemp, rPET, soysilk, peace silk
If you don’t trust what I have to say, here are the sites I got my information from and more information on vegan leathers!
hov.fashion.blog 