What is Bonded Leather?
It can also be called Enviro Leather or Eco Leather.
Conventional tanning techniques include the use of chrome and other heavy metals which transform the perishable raw hides into durable leather, but at the expense of our natural resources. The chrome and other metals pollute and contaminate our air and water.
Enviro-Leather is made by bonding tannery leather fibres which would otherwise go into landfills. Bonded, Eco or Enviro Leather use processes to create high quality products using environmentally friendly recycled content.
Bonded leather is made from small pieces of genuine leather that have been infused into the fabric’s backing. Bonded leather looks and can even smell like genuine leather.
Bonded leather has the same look and feel as genuine leather. On high quality bonded leather fabric you can hardly tell the difference.
Bonded leather can smells like real leather. It’s so similar it can be hard to tell the difference.
Bonded leather is good for the environment. Leather scraps that wouldn't have been otherwise used are recycled to create bonded leather.
Bonded leather is a material that consists of recycled leather that’s combined with other materials to create a 'bonded' leather. Bonded leather or Enviro leather is used to upholster furniture, bind books, and create clothing and fashion accessories.
There are several different types of bonded leather that are created for a variety of uses. Bonded leather is commonly used to upholster furniture and contains recycled leather. The amount of leather used depends on the manufacturer and quality of fabric.
The material is leather that is "left over" or otherwise not in its original form, pressed together and adhered to other leather via a bonding agent. This type of leather, sometimes referred to as reconstituted leather, is an alternative to what is known as genuine leather, which are whole pieces of animal hide.
Some may confuse bonded leather with artificial leather or synthetic leather, which should not be done. In some cases, a bonded leather product is 100 percent leather. Those looking at bonded leather should understand this is an option that does include realleather. Some may appreciate that fact, while others may not.
The difference between bonded leather and genuine leather, in terms of quality and looks, can be hard to see. If it is done properly, the grains and textures of bonded leather should look very close to that of genuine leather. In some cases, the only different may be that the texture of the bonded leather may not be quite as pronounced as that of natural-grained genuineleather. The function, smell, and overall appearance remains much the same.
As with all types of leather, the material remains very durable, able to withstand a number of conditions, including heat and moisture. This is a hallmark of leather and why it is used in applications such as Bibles, shoes, belts, and even sports balls. In the end, the choice will usually come down to a personal preference.
Bonded leather is produced in a similar process to paper manufacturing. Leather scraps are dispersed in water and are shredded and milled by special grinders to free the leather fibres. Mixing these fibres with natural latex binders and other additives, a leather fibre pulp is produced.
The pulp is then continuously poured and processed on a web, which is then dried and reduced to a uniform thickness.
The surface is then embossed with a grain to make it look like natural leather and finally a polyurethane coating is applied to give a soft feel and rich colour.
