Understanding Recycled Leather: What It Is and How It’s Made

Understanding Recycled Leather: What It Is and How It’s Made

The fashion industry is one of the main parts that’s been impacting the environment for so many years. In order to reduce their impact on Mother Earth, many brands are willing to adopt sustainable practices. Whether it’s adopting eco-friendly materials or using environmentally friendly manufacturing processes, everyone is moving forward with a positive step.

“Recycled leather” is also a product of an eco-conscious environment. Do you know that leftover leather in the factory can now be turned into a sustainable product? Recycled leather is a type of leather that is produced with few resources. It reduces the pollution, carbon footprint, and waste. 

However, recycled leather isn’t alone in becoming a sustainable product. Instead, there is a whole lot of story of where it comes from, how it is produced, and how it degrades. All of these together make recycled leather an eco-friendly partner. If you are still wondering how recycled leather is being made, what its benefits are, and what its considerations are, then keep reading.

What is Recycled Leather?

Recycled leather is made with leather scraps. Now, the leather might come from different sources, such as used leather products, by-products of leather tanning, and waste of extra leather from fashion factories. No matter where it comes from, the waste leather goes through a process where it is recycled and used for product making. The main aim of recycling leather is to keep the cycle going, where leather is being used, recycled, and then comes back into the market as a new product. 

Apart from being an environmentally safe product, recycled leather is durable, beautiful, and sturdy. People use this leather for various purposes. Whether it’s the fashion industry, home accessories, or automobiles, recycled leather is used everywhere. Although recycled leather may not surpass the premium quality of genuine leather, it does serve as the best alternative for high-quality leather. It is highly resistant to wear and tear and stains, which makes it the preferred choice for most eco-friendly solutions.

How Is Recycled Leather Produced?

There are various types of recycled leather. However, the most common and traditional way of creating recycled leather is by sourcing the material. Manufacturers gather all the discarded leather, scraps, and waste. It is then shredded under a grinder. The fibers are dried for a while and then combined in granules. 

Then, manufacturers knead the granules with water to form leather pulp. Then, they stretched the pulp over the ground for a long time and left it to dry. It basically forms a tape that has the same properties as genuine leather. 

The leather tape is then pressed and put in an oven to dry for about 8-16 hours. The dried tape is now fully recycled leather, which is ready to be dyed and finished. In the end, some finishes are applied to enhance the overall appearance of the leather and increase its softness. 

Types of Recycled Leather

There are various types of recycled leather in the industry. Each recycled-leather type has its own unique benefits and attributes. They all contribute to eco-friendly products by reducing the carbon footprint and encouraging the reuse and recycling process. If you hope to bring sustainable practices to your business, you need to understand how each type of recycled leather is made and where it stands in terms of sustainability. Some of the recycled leather include:

1. Bonded Leather

This type of leather is produced by bonding. Recyclers gather leather fibers and scraps together and bind them using a strong adhesive called polyurethane binder. This results in strong leather, which is mostly used for furniture and other home accessories.

2. Genuine Leather Offcuts

These are basically the cut pieces of real leather from the factory or workshop. Recyclers gather these pieces in one place and reuse them to make small leather products. The main aim is to repurpose the leftover leather as much as possible. 

3. Upcycled Leather

Upcycling is a leather recycling process in which recyclers collect the leather scraps and waste and then convert them into new products. The whole process mainly focuses on reducing waste from the environment and enhancing sustainability.

4. Regenerated Leather

This type of leather is made by grinding leather scraps into a fine powder. The powder is then combined with a binding agent and molded into desired shapes and products. It is used for various applications and is also known as reconstituted leather.

Benefits Of Using Recycled Leather

Recycled leather offers various benefits to brands, manufacturers, sellers, retailers, and even consumers. The safe and eco-friendly choice of recycling helps create something new that impacts the environment.

1. Versatile

The biggest benefit of recycled leather is that it is not an original product itself. It is made from different sources and materials, which allows for more finishing choices. For instance, it can easily be dyed, shaped, trimmed, and textured, offering great flexibility to make designs and styles of products of your own choice.

2. Environment Friendly

Recycled leather is the by-product of everything that was initially thought to be a waste and is going to be thrown away. Whether it’s leftover leather material, scraps, or waste, recyclers repurpose the whole material and shape it into fine leather. This significantly reduces the waste from the land and increases the sustainability of the environment.

3. Cost-Effective

Recycled leather leather is quite affordable. They give you almost the same quality as genuine leather. However, it is always a better alternative, especially if you are low on budget and need something sturdy.

4. Wide Application Quality

Recycled leather has a soft appearance that matches various types of products and applications. Due to its versatile nature, it is used in a wide range of industries. Some common applications include furniture, home decor, Fashion accessories, shoes, belts, jackets, handbags, wallets, briefcases, bags, and even in the textile industry. 

5. Liquid Resistant

Almost all types of recycled leather have high water-resistant quality. Usually, genuine leather or vegetable-tanned leather is susceptible to water and requires quite care to keep it away from water. Any water droplet may leave stains on the leather. However, recycled leather is the best solution, especially for brands that want to make their products water-resistant.

Challenges and Considerations

Recycled leather has a lot to give to consumers, especially Mother Earth. However, it also comes with some serious considerations and limitations. Some of those considerations include:

1. Production Cost:

The biggest challenge in making leather from scraps is maintaining the cost of production. The main aim of recycled leather is to make the use of waste materials as much as possible. However, what’s the point of recycling leather when it costs a fortune and automatically raises its price? At this time, consumers obviously prefer to buy genuine leather of the same price but with high quality. In order to reduce production costs, manufacturers require the right set of bonding techniques and production processes that are not expensive and efficient at the same time.

2. Change In Supply Chain

The leather industry is intertwined in a global network of supply chains. So, when one part of the chain moves forward with eco-friendly practices, the rest of the chain may be impacted by it. It demands a great sense of coordination within each part in order to continue the recycled leather network. From sourcing materials from different parts of the world to recycling and delivering, it requires a steady plan and effort, which cannot be done alone. The whole leather industry needs to step forward and do its part to acquire a steady recycling leather supply chain.

3. Strict Laws and Regulations

Consumers are already adopting a sustainable means of life. Recently, the government has also become more strict about sustainable practices. Recycled leather, although a product of sustainable practices, sometimes requires a lot of energy, which increases carbon footprint. Apart from that, when you don’t use high-quality bonding and strong adhesive due to a low budget, it will result in less durable recycled leather that won’t last long. 

The main aim of recycled leather is to reduce the carbon footprint, waste landfill, and environmental impact. It’s not the other way around, where you are reusing leather but ending up hurting the environment. Therefore, the government comes with certificates like RCS and GRS to support reliable recycled practices. So, if a small company wants to create recycled leather, they have to use advanced techniques, the latest bonds, and an efficient production process, which may be costly and time-consuming. Such initiatives are necessary and hard for most low-budget companies.

Future Initiatives Regarding Recycling Leather

Many companies are already taking initiatives to improve their recycling process while focusing on efficiency and lower costs. New technologies are being introduced to the industry, which will significantly help the leather industry become more sustainable over time. The government’s strict laws also help brands to look for better options. Collaborations between international brands and organizations are the proof of a new, healthy green leather industry. With the rising demand for a green environment, the whole leather industry needs to come forward and take important steps to make the recycled supply chain go steadily. 

How is Recycled Leather Contributing To Sustainable Fashion?

Sustainability is one of the biggest concerns of most brands and consumers. Whether it’s a businessman or a consumer, everyone wants to have sustainable products. Recycled leather comes forward as an ethical material that reduces environmental impact. It literally gathers scraps, leftovers, and discarded material and repurposes them into fine, useful, and attractive leather. 

Recycled leather is used in a wide range of industries, including fashion, homeware, and automobiles. The soft appearance of the leather makes it easy for the manufacturer to turn it into a desirable product. Now the question is when you have the option to choose between a sustainable bag and a faux leather bag with harmful impact, which one do you choose? Obviously, most people prefer to join an eco-conscious team. 

However, recycled leather does not have much resilience and durability, yet it is still the best eco-friendly option in the leather industry. It reduces the demand for new hides from the animals. The use of discarded material contributes to reducing waste from landfills. The upcycling process results in initiating a cycle of use, discarding, recycling, and producing new products. The unending circle keeps enhancing sustainable fashion in the industry while hoping for consumers to get their hands on these products without impacting the environment.

Shopping Guide

Whether you are a wholesaler, drop shipper, small business owner, Amazon seller, or retailer looking for sustainable leather products, you can rely on Mherder. At Mherder, we produce premium-quality leather products, ranging from wallets, handbags, and briefcases to purses, belts, and backpacks.  Our skilled craftsman makes each product manually with love and care, which makes them perfect for your collections.

You can trust our sustainable leather source if you are an eco-friendly retailer. We also give customization options for each leather product so that you can create your own brand image. Our fast delivery methods ensure that you receive your bulk orders in time and at affordable prices. 

Mherder is a reliable, sustainable leather product supplier that meets your business style, needs, and aesthetics. We strive to deliver high-quality products to our clients that genuinely help them increase their sales and bring more revenues. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our website page, choose your favorite product design, and email us to get your quote now. 

Final Thoughts

Recycled leather is a byproduct of discarded leather strips, scarps, and waste. Manufacturers use these materials as their primary source and turn them into useful, fine leather. The leather produced through this process has softness, high flexibility, and increased versatility. This means that, unlike other rigid leather, you can mold, dye, trim, shape, and design a unique product. However, the quality of recycled material does not match the premium quality of genuine leather. But it is the best sustainable leather alternative in the industry. 

Despite the amazing attributes, there are some considerations that you need to think about before dealing with recycled leather. It is less durable, sensitive to sunlight, and risky for people with allergic reactions. Whether you are a seller, business owner, shopper, retailer, or consumer, if you are looking for a cheap and eco-friendly leather option, then recycled leather is your answer. 

Contact our team to learn more about Mherder products and get yourself highly customized leather products.