Is vegan leather as good as real leather

Everything you need to know about vegan leather

For several years, the word "vegan" has been around in Iran, naturally, veganism has been noticed as a trend of the day, people who are vegans make many changes in their lives, from non-dairy, non-meat foods and products. which are not related to animals are used. Since vegans are basically vegetarians, they avoid wearing clothes with skin and natural wool when it comes to fashion and clothing, for example, to use leather products, vegans have two choices: either they have to use synthetic leather or Don't care about leather clothes at all; This is exactly where something called vegan leather comes into play.

In fact, vegan leather is our own artificial leather, which is called Artificial Leather or Faux Leather in English, but how is it that the term Vegan Leather is used to use the same leather in some products that are made with similar materials, as we said above, vegans are vegetarians, in English Veganism and Vegetarian- Vegetarian1 are two interwoven terms, although the fans of each of these two benefit from a specific type of diet2, so it is not unreasonable to conclude that vegan leather is actually an advertising term. It is to attract vegetarians and promote them to use artificial leather. Also, this phrase can show the association of a part of the fashion trend with animal rights activists to reduce some of the advertising pressure that these activists put on companies that produce most of their clothes from natural leather. brought, should be reduced.

On the other hand, vegan leather can also be a mysterious term, because when we say synthetic leather, we have a clearer mind about the subject, but when we say vegan leather (non-animal leather), we mean anything non-animal, and since non-animal is related It has a closeness with being a plant (especially the word vegan itself), giving the impression that this leather may have been made from a plant; Although cotton and some plant-based cellulose materials may be used in the production of this type of leather, we must not forget that there are a range of materials that can be used to produce vegan leather, including compounds such as plastic.

The most common materials used for synthetic leather are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU), which are plastic-based materials. Another term for artificial leather is p-leather3, which is derived from the word plastic leather.

These two special combined materials, which are very common in the production of this leather, have raised questions about the safety and danger of vegan leather for the environment. Very few leathers that bear the name vegan are made from natural or plant-based materials, but using the word vegan on all of these products has become very common due to its advertising weight, although it is possible to find more environmentally friendly products that use It is possible to prepare such as cotton, katanjak4, and even pineapple leaves.

How is vegan leather made?

Synthetic leather5 is produced from different materials and completely different industrial processing compared to natural leather. Bonding a fabric lining to a rubber coating is the most common way to make synthetic leather; At this stage, the types of rubber used in covers are diverse, and this is a determining issue, whether the manufactured leather is compatible with the environment or not.

Although PVC is used much less now than it was in the 1960s and 1970s, it can still be found in the composition of some vegan leathers. PVC releases carbon dioxin, which is potentially dangerous in closed environments, especially if burned. Softeners such as phthalates are also used to make it flexible.

Depending on the type of phthalate 6 used, the severity of toxicity can be checked. But in general "Green Peace" - GreenPeace has described this material as "the most destructive type of plastic for the environment".

On the other hand, there is a more modern and less harmful plastic called polyurethane, or PU for short, which is constantly being used to reduce defects such as dangerous toxins that are released during production and petroleum-based polymers that are made from them. They use fossil fuels, it is worked on.

What does vegan leather smell like?

Synthetic and vegan leather made with PVC or PU have a very strange smell due to chemicals. It is often described as having a fishy smell and can be very difficult to get rid of, especially while trying to keep the ingredients from spoiling. Also, PVC can repel dangerous toxins that emit this unpleasant smell, although in the final products this smell is largely faded and even disappears because markets and consumers are not in favor of such a thing.

What does vegan leather look like?

Vegan leather comes in many different forms and qualities, so some are more leather-like than others. In general, if we focus on good quality vegetable leather, there is not much difference from real leather. However, because plant-based leather is synthetically produced, it does not develop a patina over time like real leather and is much less breathable, as the pores printed on the surface of the plastic leather are not are natural

Vegan leather vs. real leather

A major concern for environmentalists and vegans when choosing between vegan leather and real leather is the impact it has on animals and the environment. However, while the term vegan leather may imply an eco-friendly product, this is not always the case.

Is vegan leather good for the environment?

Synthetic leather is known as vegan leather because the materials used are never from animal skin, and this is a huge advantage for animal activists, producing synthetic leather for the environment or for humans because of the toxic substances used in plastics. it is not useful, of course, this does not mean that using this type of leather is dangerous during use and can harm the body (especially in quality products), but rather it means the problem that the mass production of this type of leather in It creates an environment. The production and disposal of composite materials based on PVC will release dangerous dioxins, which can cause growth and reproduction problems and even cause cancer. The synthetic materials used in vegan leather are also not fully biodegradable, although they can break down and decompose to some extent, but they can release toxic particles and phthalates that can affect animal health and the environment.

Is vegan leather better than real leather?

Quality and durability are also important things to consider when comparing vegan leather and genuine leather. Vegan leather is often much thinner and lighter than real leather, which makes it great for fashion because it's potentially easier to work with, however this makes it less durable than real leather. A good quality genuine leather can last for decades, while you as a consumer may be able to use a pair of synthetic leather shoes for a year or more. This is an important factor in choosing between faux leather and genuine leather, as the environmental impact of replacing a faux leather product multiple times is definitely far more damaging than purchasing a genuine leather item.

Also, synthetic leather wears very unpleasantly, while real leather develops a patina over time that gives the leather character.

Synthetic leather, especially PVC-based synthetic leather, is not breathable, while real leather has pores through which the skin can breathe. So for wearable items like jackets, vegan leather can be uncomfortable when worn for long periods of time.

In addition to environmental factors, synthetic leather is sometimes cheaper than real leather products, although this depends on the manufacturer and supplier of synthetic leather products. But this is because the production of synthetic leather is cheaper than the production of real leather. Making real leather products is a highly specialized job, and custom leather goods such as sofas, jackets, and luggage can cost thousands of dollars. Manufacturers can command these prices because these products are both high quality and very durable.

Preservation of vegetable leather

Is vegan leather good?

Vegan leather can be made to different quality standards, and like real leather, the higher the quality, the longer it will last. Artificial leather is usually of lower quality than real leather even with high standards. Vegan leather is ultimately less durable than real leather and tends to fray, so it's not uncommon for it to tear or become severely worn over time.

How to remove wrinkles in vegan leather?

You should not iron wrinkled vegan leather by placing the iron directly on the fabric. The method you should use to remove the wrinkles depends on the quality of the material - because "P-Leather" has plastic and is not compatible with heat, so often heat can completely ruin the product. It's best to steam quality leatherettes while protected by a sheet, towel or liner, as the protection you've applied is much more resistant to heat, however, this should be done with caution. be done a lot Pay attention not to heat your synthetic leather for more than 30 seconds.

How to soften vegan leather?

Vegan leather is less permeable than real leather and therefore traditional leather softening products have little effect on softening it. Vinyl Conditioner - Vinyl Conditioner is usually recommended for softening synthetic leather, this product should be rubbed and spread on the surface of the leather with a soft cloth in small circles. Then, before leaving the leather to dry, the softener should be removed from the surface of the leather with a clean cloth. This process can be repeated until the desired level of smoothness is achieved.