Vegan leathers are complicated by questions of commercial viability and sustainability. How do they compare to traditional leather?
-
Change by degrees offers life hacks and sustainable living tips each Saturday to help reduce your household’s carbon footprint
-
Got a question or tip for reducing household emissions? Email us at changebydegrees@theguardian.com
In sustainable fashion, breathless promises about vegan leather have arrived thick and fast for over a decade. Innovations promise mushroom and cactus alternatives that look and feel like real leather – minus the negative associations with methane, deforestation, chemical pollution and animal welfare.
While these next-gen materials have absorbed billions of dollars in capital under an environmental banner, experts are concerned they remain a shiny distraction while the fashion industry’s emissions and reliance on fossil fuel-derived materials grows.