Embracing Eco-Friendly Style With Faux Leather Materials

Looking to step up your style game while being eco-conscious? You're in luck! There are tons of great alternatives that are easy on the environment. Take faux leather, for example – it's a stylish choice with minimal impact.

Introducing the OtterBox Symmetry Series faux leather cases. Combining the quiet luxury of a leather aesthetic and our proven protection to give you the best of both worlds, these cases are crafted from ethically sourced nopal cactus. Made for environmentally conscious shoppers who refuse to compromise on style and protection, the Symmetry Series is an outstanding eco-friendly option.

Not familiar with faux leather? We've got you covered with all the info you need, including the significant environmental benefits of choosing our faux-leather products.

What is Faux Leather?

Faux leather is a synthetic material designed to mimic the look and feel of real animal leather. However, it's a broad term encompassing several leather alternatives, including vegan leather and eco-leather. It usually sports a high resistance to abrasion, which gives it the durability needed for high-wear uses, such as protecting your devices, while still feeling silky soft to the touch. It's also naturally water- and stain-resistant, and it's easy to clean and maintain.

Understanding Faux Leather

This isn't your parents' faux leather from back in the day. Say goodbye to the days when faux leather not only looks but feels like plastic. Today, faux leather is an eco-friendly option made from materials like polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). When combined with an imitation leather finish, the result is a highly durable product that feels like the real deal.

It's all that we love about real leather — and no animals are harmed in the process.

Eco Leather: The Sustainable Choice

Often made from plants, recycled plastics, and other sustainable vegan materials, eco-leather gives the appearance of genuine leather without harming animals. Polyurethane is one of the most commonly used types of eco-leather. It's also one of the greenest because it's plastic-free and made with eco-friendly materials. 

The manufacturing process doesn't create any highly toxic dioxin compounds, and it's also soft and supple for an authentic leather feel. While some types of faux leather are made with polyurethane, others are crafted with PVC plastic or polyamide microfiber.

What is Vegan Leather?

Sometimes referred to as leatherette or pleather, vegan leather is a cruelty-free, animal-free leather option. Thanks to its contributions to animal welfare and environmental conservation efforts, vegan leather is quickly growing in popularity as a fashionable and ethical fabric option for products such as clothing, purses and backpacks, phone cases, wallets and other accessories.

Vegan leather has been around longer than you might think, but we didn't start referring to it as vegan until around 2010. In the late 19th century, Prestoff, a layered pulp paper material marketed as artificial leather, was introduced in Germany as an affordable alternative to animal leather. Did it break down whenever it got wet? Sure — but it was a step in the right direction.

While today's options are crafted from a variety of eco-friendly materials, the common factor in all types of vegan materials is that animals are never used in production. 

What Is Vegan Leather Made Of?

While specific materials used to create vegan leather can vary depending on the product, some common alternatives include pineapple leaves, recycled plastic and cork. Apple leather is a vegan leather made from apple skins, and coconut leather is produced with organic waste material from the coconut industry. Our Symmetry Series Cactus Leather cases are crafted using vegan, cactus-based leather made from nopal cactus fibers.

Since vegan leather is produced without harming animals, it helps in the reduction of C02 emissions related to cattle farming. When you opt for vegan leather, you'll significantly reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, when vegan leather is crafted from recycled plastic, it helps prevent excess plastic waste and lower plastic pollution levels. 

Explore Eco-Friendly Alternatives With OtterBox

The leather may be faux, but the style and protection are real.

OtterBox's Symmetry Series Cactus Leather Cases are designed with ethically sourced fibers from mature nopal cactus pads that require zero irrigation for added sustainability. Take some time today to explore eco-friendly options, such as faux and vegan leather, cactus leather and other plant-based alternatives to move toward a more sustainable future.