The Benefits of Vegan Leather
‘Vegan’ normally implies ‘ethical’ and ‘good’, but what actually are the benefits of vegan leather? From animal welfare, to environmental factors, there’s lot of reasons to switch to vegan leather products!
Vegan Leather isn’t as Bad for the Environment
Traditional leather is bad for the environment in a number of ways. Firstly, the breeding of the animals whose skin is then used for leather uses vast quantities of water and food, and takes up a lot of land. Most leather is made from cow hide and it is well known that cows release a harmful amount of methane into the environment.
Secondly, the production of real leather uses a process called ‘tanning’ which changes the protein structure of the leather, making it less likely to decompose. In the majority of cases, this process uses chrome which produces toxic waste (normally disposed of in waterways). Not only is this harmful to humans, but to sea life that comes into contact with the waste as well.
A large pro to vegan leather is that as no animals are used in the process so we do not have to worry about the harm caused to the environment in raising cattle. As vegan leather is not made from animal hide it also does not have to go through the tanning process, again meaning less toxic waste is being released into the environment. So you can look fantastic in your vegan loafers without having to be concerned about their impact on the environment.
Vegan Leather can be made from Recycled Plastics
As vegan leather is often made of plastic it does bring into question how eco-friendly it is. However, many companies are now investing in material that has been made from recycled plastics, often those fished out of the ocean. This ocean plastic can have serious consequences to fish and aquatic creatures.
As the human population looks to reuse existing plastic, rather than create more, vegan leather made from recycled plastics benefits the environment and sea-life alike.
Vegan Leather can be made from Plant Materials
Even more eco-friendly than using recycled materials, there are many options for making vegan leather out of plant materials. From pineapples, to bananas, to cork, it seems it can be made out of almost anything!
Plant waste produced from crops, such as leaves or stems, are collected and stripped for their fibres. The vegan leather is then made from these fibres. Not only does this option use otherwise waste material, but it also creates a material that is then biodegradable! The use of this waste also benefits the farmers who gain an extra income stream from selling it.
More Colour Variety than Real Leather
Unlike real leather, vegan leather has the ability to hold many more colour dyes. Meaning it can come in almost any colour the designer chooses. This flexibility in colour means that vegan leather is far easier to manipulate into whatever the designer has in mind. Whether that be bright yellow vegan ballet flats, or a turquoise sofa.
Introducing Butterfly Twists Vegan Shoes
Here at Butterfly Twists we think that gorgeous shoes shouldn’t cost the price of an animal or the environment. That’s why we make vegan shoes with 70% of our range made from vegan leather. Whether you’re after vegan flats, heels, or loafers, we have the shoe for you!
