> Is Vegan Leather Sustainable Alternative to Animal Leather | GUNAS
Menu
USD

    FREE SHIPPING over $200 US + CANADA 

    Get 10% off your first order with NEWSLETTER sign up

    Pay in 4 interest free payments via KLARNA

    Ethically Handmade in SOUTH KOREA

  • All
  • Products
  • Collections
    • All
    • All Products
    • Classic
    • Clean Beauty
    • Clearance
    • Cottontail Bags
    • Discountable
    • Glam
    • GUNAS Gift card
    • Jane - Vegan Satchel Bags
    • Made To Order Collection
    • Meghan - Vegan Tote Bags
    • MulbTex
    • Naomi - Vegan Tote Bags
    • Out of Stock
    • Shop Favorites
    • Vegan Bags For Men
    • Vegan Crossbody Bags & Purses
    • Vegan Handbag For Women
    • Vegan Handbags & Purses
    • Vegan Leather Backpacks
    • Vegan Leather Bag Accessories
    • Vegan Leather Clutches
    • Vegan Leather Laptop Bags
    • Vegan Leather Satchels
    • Vegan Leather Wallets
    • Vegan Shoes
    • Vegan Shoulder Bags
    • Vegan Tote Bag
    • View all
    • Women
    • Workbag
  • Articles
  • Pages
    • Login Register
    • Your Wishlist
    0

    You have (0 items) in your bag

    • Your bag is currently empty.
    Subtotal: $ 0.00 USD
    Your Bag Checkout

    Your bag is currently empty.

    Return to shop
    Gunas New York
    • Shop
      • By Gender

        • Women
        • Men
      • By Type

        • Handbags
        • Crossbody bags
        • Shoulder Bags
        • Satchel bags
        • Tote bags
        • Backpacks
        • Wallets
        • Clutches
        • Laptop bags
        • View all
      • Featured

        • Made to order
        • Shoes
        • Clean beauty
        • Accessories
        • Gift card
    • The Brand
      • Our Story
      • Meet Sugandh
      • We Give Back
      • Awards
      • Manufacturing & Materials
      • Careers
      • Affiliates
      • Reviews
    • PRESS
    • SALE
    • All
    • Products
    • Collections
      • All
      • All Products
      • Classic
      • Clean Beauty
      • Clearance
      • Cottontail Bags
      • Discountable
      • Glam
      • GUNAS Gift card
      • Jane - Vegan Satchel Bags
      • Made To Order Collection
      • Meghan - Vegan Tote Bags
      • MulbTex
      • Naomi - Vegan Tote Bags
      • Out of Stock
      • Shop Favorites
      • Vegan Bags For Men
      • Vegan Crossbody Bags & Purses
      • Vegan Handbag For Women
      • Vegan Handbags & Purses
      • Vegan Leather Backpacks
      • Vegan Leather Bag Accessories
      • Vegan Leather Clutches
      • Vegan Leather Laptop Bags
      • Vegan Leather Satchels
      • Vegan Leather Wallets
      • Vegan Shoes
      • Vegan Shoulder Bags
      • Vegan Tote Bag
      • View all
      • Women
      • Workbag
    • Articles
    • Pages
      • Login Register
      • Your Wishlist
      0

      You have (0 items) in your bag

      • Your bag is currently empty.
      Subtotal: $ 0.00 USD
      Your Bag Checkout

      Your bag is currently empty.

      Return to shop
      home › Gunas Diaries › IS VEGAN LEATHER FABRIC A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO ANIMAL LEATHER?
      20 Dec 2020
      20 Dec

      IS VEGAN LEATHER FABRIC A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO ANIMAL LEATHER?

      Post by: Varun Bhatia
      IS VEGAN LEATHER FABRIC A SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVE TO ANIMAL LEATHER?

      The production of traditional leather is not just an ethical concern of rearing and slaughtering of animals. Its consequences on the planet and human beings alike are greater. The leather and tanning industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world and probably ranks the highest in the fashion world as well.

      Considering the damage caused by production of animal leather, vegan leather fabric definitely seems like a sustainable approach towards finding alternative leather options to animal products. But is it really?

      A problem

      The introduction of eco friendly vegan leather is a welcome revolution in fashion. It is an animal-friendly alternative to the traditional leather industry. The delinquency of the leather industry is not just limited to harming animals for their by-products. It also involves using a variety of harmful chemicals to manufacture leather from their skin. This, combined with poor waste management systems in the countries that rear animals to produce leather, puts its people and the overall environment at an alarmingly higher risk.

      A solution, or is it really?

      The need to find alternatives to this cruelty was dire, especially in the fashion industry. Thus, came along plastic based faux leather that was made using compound polymers of fossil fuels like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU).

      However, these too require to be treated with toxic chemicals to attain properties of leather-like absorption, breathability and something that could match leather durability. And their plastic elements meant they would take centuries to biodegrade. A drawback that is hard to ignore.

      Finding sustainable leather alternatives that fit into our lives doesn’t happen overnight; certainly not in the fast-paced fashion industry. But the intentions to find a workable solution to the problem has not come undone. Creativity and newer technologies have enabled forward-thinkers to find the philosopher's stone that is plant-based vegan leather.

      A fruit or a fungus?

      The everlasting debate of the sustainability of eco friendly vegan fabric has led to significant innovations. Extracting fibres from leaves to food waste to recycled materials, vegan leather is another step forward in finding new alternatives to non-animal leather forms. The use of organic resources means they offer a better solution to the environmental impact of its counterparts and also create employment opportunities.

      The innovations are phenomenal, as are the raw materials out there - cork, rubber, Washi, coffee grounds, apples, bananas, grapes, pineapple, teak leaves, mushrooms, kombucha, coconut and vegetable oil, and even cactus–who knew!

      However, these plant-based raw materials still need adhesives to hold the cellulose fibres together and they almost always require 10% to 60% plastic polymers to construct a durable material, eventually contributing to the micro-plastic pollution.

      Pruning the impact

      According to a report by Kering, the impact of vegan leather on the environment is only a third that of animal leather. And while the goal of vegan leather fabric is to eliminate the use of animal products entirely, the pertinent question remains - is vegan leather just no animal leather? Or is it also gentle on the environment? Are we filling the world with more plastic in the process of saving animals?

      The vegan leather market is predicted to be worth $85 billion by 2025. This makes it even more necessary to recognise cruelty-free, ethically produced, low-impact vegan fabrics. With the ever-innovating material industry, we too have discovered our perfect answer to a no animal, no plastic solution - Mulbtex™.

      Mulbtex – Our superstar

      100% plant-based, 100% plastic free, 100% cruelty-free, 100% fashionable.

      MulbTex is made out of mulberry leaves. We extract the silk protein from the leaves directly and do not harm the silk-worms in the process. We use a technique patented by our Korean artisans wherein a cotton canvas is laminated using layers of compressed paper and glazed using mulberry tree sap to give leather-like texture. MulbTex is weather-proof, water resistant, durable and extremely light.

      The way forward

      Sustainability has become such a buzzword in recent times that sometimes it may feel like a trend rather than a purposeful utilization of our resources. But we cannot undermine the relentless efforts of fashion designers who were determined to find various options for sustainable leather.

      Both conscious fashion and conscious consumerism have made impressive progress. But we still have a long way to go. To understand how sustainable your vegan leather product is, it is important to ask a few questions. How and where is the vegan fabric sourced from? How is the raw material turned into a leather looking finesse? What goes on behind the scenes? How does your purchase impact the artisans? If your vegan pick has synthetic elements, what is the composition? How does it affect our resources and environment?

      Sustainability in the fashion world still has its grey areas, even in vegan fashion. The manufacturing processes have an impact on the environment, no matter how minute. But, with designers recognizing the need of the hour and a whole new community of buyers switching to more responsible choices, veganism is revolutionising the fashion industry. The process of achieving sustainable goals ultimately rests in personal choices, ethics and values. We are getting there, one step at a time!

      Share:

      Flick Photos

      Instagram Photos

        Recent Articles

        • Is Plant-Based Vegan Leather Plastic-Free?
          Apr 07, 2022
        • Sustainable and fashionable? How GUNAS...
          Apr 06, 2022
        • "Celebrity vegan moms who are...
          Apr 05, 2022
        • Vegan Recipes from Ukraine
          Apr 05, 2022
        • How to look good in...
          Mar 14, 2022
        • How The Eco-Friendly Warrior Can...
          Feb 17, 2022

        Tag

        • Beauty
        • Cotton
        • Fashion
        • Style
        • Women
        Judge.me Verified Reviews Badge
        821
        Verified Reviews
        petaapproved

        4630 Center Boulevard, Ste. 1005
        Long Island City, NY 11109, USA

        Customer Care
        +1-347-719-4233

        Email Us on
        info@gunasthebrand.com

        Monday to Friday
        10am to 5pm

        • Your account
        • Store policy
        • Return/exchange
        • Privacy
        • Contact us
        • Blog
        • Store locator
        • Faq

        © 2019, GUNAS USA, Inc. All Rights reserved

        better business bureau approved
        ★ Reviews

        Let customers speak for us

        1289 reviews
        Write a review
        87%
        (1115)
        9%
        (120)
        3%
        (37)
        0%
        (6)
        1%
        (11)
        N
        TABITHA
        NP (Dayton, US)
        Great Bag

        I love it. Looks just like real leather. It’s functional too. I’m a mom of two young kids and it fits all the things I have to carry for them when we are out. Can’t wait to buy another bag. So glad I found this cruelty free company. I won’t buy leather ever again!

        C
        Cougar - Tan Vegan Quilted Backpack
        Customer
        Impressed with bag and company

        This bag is fantastic- exactly what I was looking for. It is chic, comfortable to wear, and just the right size. I was bummed when I first received it, though, because the leather started peeling in several places. I contacted Gunas, and while it took a few days to get a response, once I did things went quickly and smoothly. I had provided pictures of the damage, and all the employee asked for was my address. She sent me a replacement bag and kindly suggested that I donate the original bag (which I happily did). So far, the replacement shows no signs of the peeling I had with the original bag, and I am loving it!

        C
        Naomi - White Vegan Leather Tote Bag
        Customer
        Great!

        In really enjoying my tote!!!!

        T
        GUNAS Gift Card
        Tom Harrison (Auckland, NZ)
        Easy breezy

        Site was easy to navigate, handbag my wife ordered came a lot quicker than we thought as we live in NZ.

        F
        Emily - Green Crossbody/Clutch Bag
        Felecia (Acworth, US)
        Not as advertised

        The bag is nice but everywhere I saw this bag advertised, it was orange and green - school colors of my Alma mater. I've never seen a luxury bag in those colors and I knew I had to have it. Still, I thought about purchasing it for 6 months because I have other priorities. I finally decided to gift myself. When I received the bag, I find it's tan and green. I am so disappointed. Tan is not orange.

        User picture

        Hi Felecia,
        So sorry to hear your feedback. Our site does not state that it is orange and green. It is in tan and green color combination. Thank you for shopping with us.

        123
        Powered by Judge.me