Plant-based leather

Plant-based leather, also known as vegan leather or eco-leather, is a group of non-animal materials made from plant sources (e.g., pineapple leaves, cactus, cork, or apple by-products) that aim to replicate some properties of animal leather. The term ‘vegan leather’ is broader and also includes plastic-based materials (e.g., PU or PVC). The growing interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly products has led to increased demand for plant-based leather in recent years. In some jurisdictions, the word "leather" is legally reserved for products of animal origin. In 2025, Germany’s Higher Regional Court of Cologne held that marketing plastic-based goods as "Apfelleder" (“apple leather”) was misleading. More broadly, the EU’s "Empowering Consumers" Directive (EU) 2024/825 restricts unsubstantiated generic environmental claims (e.g., “environmentally friendly”, “biodegradable”), tightening oversight of product marketing across categories.