James&Co information about harmful leather-looks: PU, PVC, PVB.

• in technical terms, polyurethane (PU) is a polymer. It is prepared using fossil-fuel raw materials, most commonly petrol-based or oil-based. Hence at the early stage of life PU is created with non-renewable and non-biodegradable materials and emits high levels of GHG in its production
• a polymer is the raw material (resin) that is combined with other ingredients to be shaped into final form PU plastic. There are varying types of PU plastic - flexible or solid - and used in a wide variety of applications to create many consumer and industrial products, including fashion clothing and accessories, building insulation, car parts, and more
• PU material used as faux or vegan leather is then produced by mixing the PU polymer with 2 chemicals. The chemical reaction of combining the PU polymer with those chemicals delivers the PU plastic which is then attached to a textile backing beit polyester, cotton, nylon or whatever
• in technical terms, the 2 chemicals used are 'di-isocyanate (TDI)' (which is a form of 'isocyanates') and 'polyols'
• isocyanate chemicals used in the production process are toxic and hazardous to workers. Regulators and organisations around the globe have focussed on the exposure of workers to isocyanate chemicals in manufacturing

What is polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

• polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is also, like PU above, a synthetic polymer of plastic
• PVC is made from fossil fuels including natural gas
• it is the world's 3rd most produced plastic polymer and considered to be most versatile because it is lightweight, durable, low cost, easy processing
• PVC polymer resin is combined with additives to create the PVC textile required – rigid, semi-rigid, flexible and very flexible applications
• it is widely used in the building and construction industry, also used in the making of fashion products – faux or vegan leather – and in children's toys
• it is the additive chemical 'phthalate' aka plasticizers which give PVC its flexibility
• in the case of very flexible PVC, it is estimated that up to 44% of the textile is comprised of phthalate
• phthalates are not chemically bound to the plastic and leech out over time
• health impacts include reproductive health and developmental problems
• there are increasing calls for businesses and consumers to reject products made with PVC containing phthalates

What is polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and Recycled PVB?

• similar to PU and PVC, PVB is a plastic polymer resin created using petroleum-based fossil fuels
• PVB is made by chemical reaction of polyvinyl alcohol with butyraldehyde
• PVB is used for applications requiring strong binding, optical clarity and flexibility
• major application is laminated safety glass for car windshields
• PVB sheets usually include a plasticizer additive of about 20–25%
• Recycled PVB (RPVB) is made by recycling windshields from abandoned cars
• post-consumer RPVB can be reused for upholstery, packaging and similar applications
• claims exist that RPVB is used to create vegan leather handbags
• research shows this use is theoretically possible but not yet developed or verifiable at scale