What is Eco tanned Leather: A Precise Guide to The Sustainable Choice
The world is shifting towards more sustainable products and various manufacturing practices have been introduced in the view of increasing environmental impact. The leather industry is no different from that and one of the biggest contrition in this race towards sustainability is the Eco tanned leather.
As the name suggests, it’s tanned leather which means its a real leather sourced from animals. But this is not it as it has also added more confusion among the consumers as they think that vegan leather that is the fancy term for faux leather is called Eco leather which is a false notion. It’s not the fault of people as the faux leather makers often re-brand their plastic-based imitation leather as Eco leather, since those terms are targeted towards a similar audience from the marketing perspective.
In this article, we will discuss Eco tanned leather in detail and also compare it with other types of leather which are often falsely named. After reading this article you will get a clear insight into which is what. So lets get started.
Table of Contents
What is Eco tanned leather?
The simple answer to this question is that the leather of hide that has been tanned with a low environmental impact process is known as Eco tanned leather and the process adopted for it is the Eco tanning method.
In other words, the tanning must meet the requirements of specific standards such as UNI 11427:2011 so that the leather produced is still real animal leather that has been obtained with Eco friendly production process
It is real animal leather unlike some synthetic leather material which resembles real leather but actually plastic. One of the best examples of Eco tanned leather is vegetable tanned leather which is tanned using natural tanning agents sourced from tree bark, leaves, etc., and also dyed using natural nontoxic dyes which is often water-soluble.
Another example of Eco tanned leather can be brain tanned leather which is a traditional form of leather tanning and leather is tanned using the oils and fats from animal brains and smoke. It was first created by the Native Americans and it contains a smokey smell. However, it is rare leather so we will refer to veg tanned leather when we refer to Eco tanned leather further in the article.
Eco leather vs leather
Eco tanned leather is a more environmentally friendly option unlike another type of leather such as chrome tanned leather which uses harmful chemicals and heavy metals in their production. In addition, unlike chrome tanned leather less water is required to produce vegetable tanned leather reducing the strain on the water resources.
Veg tanned leather as compared to normal leather (chrome tanned) is more durable and strong, which means it need not to be replaced as often as chrome tanned leather. Moreover, it also tends to develop a gorgeous patina over usage and time. All these properties can be seen in chrome tanned leather also but they are more significant with veg tanned leather
Veg tanned leather is stiffer as compared to chrome tanned leather which makes it the perfect leather to make leather shoes, belts, and many more accessories
Eco leather vs faux leather
Here comes the most interesting part of this article, as we have mentioned earlier many people confuse eco tanned leather with faux leather which is a completely wrong notion as eco tanned leather and faux leather are both completely different materials
Eco tanned leather is a natural leather that is sourced from animals, unlike faux leather which is a kind of plastic material.
Faux leather is also known as vegan leather which is considered animal friendly this is in fact a big lie as faux leather is more harmful to animals and the environment than real leather as they take hundreds of years to break down, leaching into the soil and then being ingested by animals in the form of microplastics. However, Eco tanned leather can be completely biodegraded in 25 to 50 years.
In addition to the toxic effects of faux leather, it is not even nearly as durable as real leather and needs more frequent replacements, and often ends up in landfills polluting nature.
Eco leather vs recycled/byproduct leather?
Well, so called recycled or byproduct leather products or if I use more fancy term upcycled leather is even worst for the environment, unlike Eco tanned leather.
In upcycling the leather, useless leather scraps or old leather pieces are shredded to make a fine paste which is then mixed with a silicon-based bonding agent. Then it is applied on a cloth or paper backing to make a material that resembles leather in terms of surface finish.
The problem with this recycling method is that the natural leather is mixed with silicon which is a kind of plastic and it is non biodegradable in nature.
On the other hand, Eco tanned leather such as veg tanned leather is 100% biodegradable in nature and its production process is also environmentally friendly as it doesn’t use any harmful chemicals.
Conclusion
In conclusion, If you are looking for a sustainable and environmentally friendly leather material then you should only consider Eco tanned leather such as vegetable tanned. There are other types of Eco tanned leathers such as brain tanned and smoke tanned that are even more environment friendly but they are very rare and difficult to find.
If you have any doubts, feel free to ask in the comment section, and for more information on leather products, you can check our other articles or you can contact us. LeatherBlues is known as one of the best stores for real leather products. Explore our amazing collection of leather garments and services.
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