Running your hand over a genuine leather top grain upholstered sofa is an experience in luxury and comfort. Owning or reupholstering your own sofa in genuine leather is a dream not everyone can afford, but with recycled leather taking the market by storm, you may find your dreams coming true.
Recycled leather is a byproduct that is made from leather offcuts from the leather industry and from used leather goods. It is a versatile textile that uses the best of fabric manufacturing processes and genuine leather quality. Best of all, recycled leather costs a fraction of what genuine top grain leather does.
The leather industry is one that uses a lot of chemicals in tanneries and dyes to color leather hides in the shades that design houses want. If the leather is responsibly used, these leather upholsteries, bags, clothes, and other leather goods will last many years. Sadly, leather is often discarded, resulting in leather waste that can cause serious ecological problems.
Discarded leather soaks waterways with chemicals that cause the death of water plants, leading to the death of animals and other lifeforms in rivers and dams.
For the discerning buyer, opting for environmentally safe leather or leather alternatives not only results in a lower carbon footprint and less pollution but also supports recycling initiatives that are reclaiming leather, giving this fabric a new life.
While we recycle paper and tin, we had previously been unable to recycle leather into a new fabric. Luckily, that's all changed with recycled leather fabric.
Recycled leather has several benefits. For starters, recycled leather reduces the need to make more leather, which requires tanning and a host of chemical processes. Recycled leather can also reduce the cost of achieving the "real" leather look while still using actual leather.
The cost of recycled leather is far less than working with actual leather hides, and the resulting leather sheets can be made in any size without needing to accommodate the actual leather hide shape. This reduces further wastage, and you can more easily reupholster your furniture in leather without having to purchase additional hides to be able to cut the upholstery panels without seaming.
To make recycled leather fabric, the leather fibers from discarded leather products and waste leather from the leather industry are crushed into powder, mixed with latex, and pressed into leather sheets. Finally, a clear sealant is applied, resulting in a durable fabric that is both textile and leather.
By using recycled leather, several options become available to improve the natural leather look. Different sealant coats can be applied, which makes the leather more waterproof and scratch-resistant than real leather.
Vegan leather is a leather-feel fabric that is made from non-animal sources. There are over 23 different vegan leather sources that include lorica and vegetan. These two vegan types of leather are made from natural fibers that are bonded to fabric layers, creating pliable leather look-alike options that are ideal for upholstery, clothing, and safety wear.
Since vegan leather is made from fibers, it also means that unused vegan leather can be recycled into new non-vegan leather. Recycled vegan leather is a combination of "leathe" and vinyl, creating a synthetic blend that is durable and highly functional.
Faux leather is synthetic leather that is made from non-natural fibers. Vinyl is often considered a type of faux leather, though it is not actually faux leather since it is a layer of synthetic material on a fabric backing. Faux leather can be made from any material as long as these are incorporated into a single-layer fabric that resembles leather.
Pleather or PU is what is often known as vinyl or polyurethane leather. This is a material that is elastic and leather like. It is sealed onto a fabric layer or backing, creating a soft touch leather feel that is popular in safety products, vehicle upholstery, and clothing.
Whether you are going for genuine leather hides, or you want to give vegan leather a try, Kovi Fabrics has the widest selection of PVC, PU, pleather, faux leather, and vegan leather to try. If you are looking for a leather feel and quality on a budget, then recycled leather is the way to go, and you will find that Kovi Fabrics selection of stunning recycled leather will meet all your requirements.