In an article by Kate Sheppard, she brings up some interesting points about pleather vs. leather. Most people think that buying faux leather items is more environmentally friendly because it doesn't involve the killing of animals. While this is true, there are many negatives to purchasing cheap knock-offs. First of all, they don't last as long and will probably end up in a landfill (as will your next two or three pairs). Real leather lasts much longer and in the long run this means less production and less waste. What about the fact that the pleather items are made somewhere in China with "all man-made materials"? Are these materials smart and sustainable? Probably not...they are synthetic chemicals and dyes. Not to mention that petroleum is a depleating resource for making plastics, which is what pleather is made out of. If we applied the "natural vs. synthetic" principle to our shoes and bags instead of just our foods...people may be re-thinking their choices. There are pros and cons to both, of course. For example, processing of natural fibers (animal hides) involves a lot of chemicals as well as water.
Overall, neither choice is really the 'best' choice.
A quote from the article really got my gears grinding: "When you start the conversation with 'How
should I shop?' rather than 'Should I shop?' then you've already given in a little bit."
http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2011/01/fake-leather-really-more-eco-friendly-real
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