Sustainable Vegan Leather
Leather products have been used for thousands of years. The demand for leather products are high that even leather materials are made from plastic and other compounds. However, as global awareness of environmental protection rises, people have been looking for alternative eco-friendly leather materials for decades, and Compo-SiL® silicone based vegan leather is one of the alternatives.
Environmental Problems Cause by Leathers
Leather production emits toxic gas and causes environmental problems like water overuse or deforestation. Animal leather products release toxic chemicals during the manufacturing process, and hence bring massive pollution to the environment. Besides, workers are exposed to toxic chemicals, which cause health problems including cancers.
One of the replacements of the animal leather, faux leather, is also harm to the environment. Faux leather products are composed of petroleum-derived materials, which include polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC contains toxic materials that are harmful to human health as well, while the widespread use of chlorine causes environmental pollution.
What is Vegan Leather?
The production of leather hurts not only animals but also the environment and the workers. Afterwards, people find that there is another material choice for the leather products: vegan leather.
Vegan leather is a material that is created from artificial or plant products instead of animal skins. That means there’s no animal during the manufacturing process. It looks and feels like real leather. However, much vegan leather is composed with polyurethane, which has actually raised the same concerns as animal leather about the safety and environmental impact.
Compo-SiL® Vegan Leather V.S. Other Leather
Different from other vegan leathers, Compo-SiL® vegan leather is silicone based. Compared to other leathers, there are no harmful chemicals or solvents added during the production process. It helps to reduce CO2 emissions, providing access to a greener environment, and enhances sustainability. Most importantly, all Compo-SiL® coloring additives for vegan leather production are created by masterbatches, which are tested by SGS in the aim of complying with FDA / RoHS / REACH standards. Last but not the least, Compo-SiL® is ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certified.
Compo-SiL® vegan leather handbag
Sustainability of Silicone
Silicone is a sustainable alternative material for leather products. With Compo-SiL® technology, the problem of silicone adhesion is solved. Silicone is extracted from natural silica, which is the major constituent made from sand, and will convert to harmless ingredients after disposal. In comparison with other plastics production, it is more sustainable and less intruding on the environment by reducing carbon emission (Credit of information goes to CES Silicones Europe), and water consumption. What’s more, with silicone high durability, weather resistance, and other features, silicone based vegan leather products are not only eco-friendly, but also have a longer lifespan than other leather products.
