Hey You!
Welcome back to the World of Tao, where we strive to update you on the latest trends leading the footwear style-charts.
Today, we'll be talking about a trend that's swept the world off its feet…and slipped it into something rather toxic- we're going to be talking about ‘vegan leather’.
‘What is vegan leather’, you ask?
The trend of making 'leather-like' materials from non-animal based raw materials is loosely termed as 'vegan leather'.
Now, at first glance, this material seems to be the solution to all the problems that arise from the use of genuine leather. But a deeper look into what this material is made of, busts the myth completely.
Okay, this is where it gets confusing, so let’s take it slow…
Most Commercially Viable Vegan leather is essentially made of polyurethane a.k.a. Plastic.
And that is just one of the core problems!
These plastic based shoes, agreed, are inexpensive, but they are also totally non-durable! Meaning they are what one calls 'fast fashion'.
Fast fashion is the term used to describe cheap and low-quality goods that you buy in bulk and discard shortly after a few uses.
With most fast fashion footwear being made primarily from plastic; each time you discard a pair, it goes into a large mountain of waste also called a landfill.
Remember here that plastic is non-biodegradable. So when it’s in a landfill for a long period of time, it releases harmful microfibres into the environment, completely contaminating soil and water around it. It also releases methane- a deadly gas that exacerbates the ‘Greenhouse Effect’.
Animals and fish who feed on this soil/water, further get infected by its toxicity!
To sum up:
Vegan leather => Plastic => Low Quality/Cheap => High Frequency of Being Discarded => Filling up of Landfills => Greenhouse Effect => Death of Nature and Biodiversity
In short- vegan leather is THE MOST unsustainable material we can use in our daily lives.
Now you may ask what is a suitable alternative? And this is where we would like to spread awareness about the option of ethically sourced natural leather.
Ethical sourcing of leather takes place when an animal is not reared or harmed at all for its bi-product. In fact, the animal dies a natural death, and only then the leather is sourced from it.
The LWG (Leather Working Group) certification even accolades the ethical sourcing of leather. And of course, to earn this certification one has to adhere to the stringent guidelines put forth by them.
The best part? Natural Leather is very durable! Even after decades of use, when you do discard the leather products, they go into landfills and decompose naturally over time.. Slowly becoming one with nature.
Sure, natural leather products may be a slightly more indulgent expenditure, but you’re likely to use it for a lot longer! Which basically negates your requirement to indulge in fast fashion footwear.
Now that you are more aware of this side of the argument- what are your views on Vegan leather? Yay or Nay?
