With an investment of $2 million in a new company called Natural Fiber Welding, Allbirds wants to replace the vegan leather by December 2021. Allbirds is a San Francisco-based New Zealand-American footwear and apparel company.
Recently, there has been a boost in Vegan leather utilization as an alternative to natural leather. Yet, Vegan is much less durable than traditional leather and is thinner, making it more vulnerable to wear and tear over time. During the production process, vegan leather emits toxic carcinogens in the environment that can cause congenital disabilities and breathing problems. The overall disadvantages of vegan leather are:
- Vegan (synthetic) leather is essentially plastic; it’s a microfiber made from petroleum = oil, a non-renewable resource
- To transform the oil into vegan leather requires chemicals
- Depending on where the products are produced, there can also be a concern for the people in the production of vegan leather
- Synthetic leather such as PVC is not breathable – think sweaty, stinky feet
- The quality can vary, making vegan leather less durable
- PVC and PU can’t biodegrade. It breaks into smaller and smaller (plastic) pieces
- Vegan leather doesn’t give as leather does (which for me is a big con when it comes to shoes)
On the other hand, the new vegan leather replacement by Allbirds is made from rubber, vegetable oil, and citric acid, among other plant-based ingredients.Once it reaches the end of its life, Plant Leather can be ground up and recycled or placed in an industrial composter, where it would degrade in a matter of months.
The global experts warmly welcome such environmentally friendly initiatives due to their sustainability and other aspects.
On the other hand, the new vegan leather replacement by Allbirds is made from rubber, vegetable oil, and citric acid, among other plant-based ingredients.