Is My Plant-Based Vegan Leather Actually Plastic?

If you’re sourcing sustainable materials, this is the real question you should be asking every brand.

Three to four years ago, when plant-based leather was still new to the world, the journey began with materials that were roughly 50% bio-based and 50% plastic. It was a starting point — not the destination. Innovation takes time. And iteration. And courage.

Today, the industry has evolved dramatically. Many serious material innovators are reaching bio-based contents as high as 90–95%. The shift is real.

At Banether, the journey has been one of constant refinement. Our crust layer is 100% plant-based, built from upcycled agricultural residue. The top coat contains a small percentage of PU — not as a shortcut, but as a durability enhancer to ensure the material performs beautifully in real-world applications. The result? An overall bio-content of approximately 92%.

And we believe claims should be backed by proof. That’s why we are in the process of obtaining the USDA BioPreferred Program certification — to transparently validate our bio-based content.

But reaching 92% didn’t happen overnight.

It took multiple trials, reformulations, and relentless R&D to move from 60% bio-content to where we stand today. Each iteration reduced dependency on fossil-based inputs while maintaining strength, flexibility, and aesthetics. Sustainability without performance is not a solution — it’s a compromise. And we refuse to compromise.

As humans become more conscious of their responsibility toward nature and its creatures, the plant-based leather industry is taking a beautiful shape. The goal is not just to replace conventional leather — it is to shift the narrative from PU and PVC-heavy “vegan leather” to genuinely plant-forward alternatives.

When evaluating materials, don’t just look at the direct cost per meter.

Look at the hidden cost:

• The carbon footprint

• The water consumption

• The microplastics

• The long-term environmental burden

The future of materials is not about being perfect. It is about being progressively better.

And the right question to ask is no longer “Is it vegan?”It is — “How much of it is truly plant-based?”

We care.