PU & PVC ：Is artificial leather really environmentally friendly?

PU/PVC artificial leather Essentially, it’s still plastic

The production methods for PU and PVC leather are derived from plastic manufacturing. To understand them, we first need to know where “plastic” comes from. The plastics we are familiar with, such as plastic bags, bottled water, and takeout boxes, are essentially made from Oil Hydrocarbon molecules (such as ethylene and propylene) are chemically reactions to “chain together”—these are these long-chain molecules Polymer polymers 。

PVC, officially known as “polyvinyl chloride,” is a member of the plastic family. Its production process is almost identical to the hard plastics used for pipes and flooring: petroleum is first refined into ethylene, then reacted with chlorine to form vinyl chloride monomers, which undergo polymerization to become powdered polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The problem is, this raw PVC is too hard to be used for leather. So people joined in Plasticizers (Let it soften) and various other things Stabilizers, pigments, fillers , then heated, pressed into a film, and stuck onto the fabric. That’s what we see artificial leather PVC leather is actually a “plastic piece wrapped in a leather coat.”

Later, scientists invented PU, which is polyurethane. Compared to PVC, it is softer and feels more like genuine leather, thus becoming a high-end product artificial leather A synonym for ‘s.’ But its raw materials still come from petroleum, though the chemical formula is more complex: benzene and propylene extracted from petroleum undergo multiple reactions to form it Polyols And Isocyanate , when the two are combined, they form PU resin.

During production, this resin is dissolved in an organic solvent (usually DMF), then applied to fabric, foamed, dried, and finally forms the texture of leather.

Both PU and PVC are used Made from petroleum, non-degradable, and the production process releases pollutants 。 The only difference is that PU feels more authentic to the touch, and the stain is more “premium.”

So, when we pick up a document that says ” artificial leather In fact, what they are holding is not an “eco-friendly alternative,” but a piece of plastic that has been chemically treated with precision.

Trading environmental pollution for animal protection?

Like plastic, they are non-degradable. Even if buried in the soil for decades, it won’t decompose; it will only slowly age, break, and become Microplastics Entering air and water. Recycling is almost impossible because PU and PVC are not single materials.

They are usually tightly bonded to fabrics, fillers, and dyeing layers, and even recycling cannot separate pure raw materials.

Burning it makes things worse. PU and PVC are released when burned Irritating gases , especially PVC contains chlorine, which is produced when burned Hydrogen chloride In fact, Dioxins That pungent smell you’ve probably smelled at places where garbage is burned. It causes a sore throat and fills the air with toxic particles.

So, when we buy a bag made of PU or PVC, maybe we avoid the death of a cow, but at the same time, we also create a plastic product that will exist on Earth for hundreds of years. Is this choice more environmentally friendly, or is it just a form of destruction?

One is hunting animals, the other is polluting the environment: which is more important?

Perhaps there is no standard answer; we can only say we are hesitating between two costs.

Even more ironically, Even from a “quality” perspective, PU and PVC leather still struggles to fully replace genuine leather 。 Their breathability and toughness are not as good as animal leather, and after prolonged use, they are prone to cracking, peeling, and stickiness. After polishing and caring for genuine leather, it becomes shinier with use, and can even last for over ten years. That’s why, despite everything artificial leather Cheaper and more “harmless” advertised, many consumers still have concerns about the feel and durability, Still leaning towards genuine leather 。