What Is Synthetic Leather?

What Is Synthetic Leather?

According to the report by Next Move Strategy Consulting, the global Synthetic Leather Market size is predicted to reach USD 71.14 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 6.2% from 2025-2030.

Synthetic leather—also called faux or artificial leather—combines a textile backing with one or more polymer layers to replicate the appearance and performance of natural hide. Typically, a woven, knitted or nonwoven fabric (often PET, PET/cotton blends or polyamide) serves as the substrate; it is then coated with an adhesive layer and an embossed top coat made from PVC or various polyurethane.

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Why Is Sustainability a Challenge for Conventional Synthetic Leather?

Traditional composites use different polymers for fabric and coating, making them extremely difficult—and often cost‑prohibitive—to recycle by type. Moreover, none of these conventional polymers biodegrade, so end‑of‑life waste accumulates in landfills. With the EU’s 2022 Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) under the Green Deal mandating eco‑design across a product’s full life cycle, these mixed‑material leathers no longer meet regulatory or circular‑economy criteria.

How Do DITF and FILK Use Bio‑Based PBS to Achieve Sustainability?

In a joint AiF‑funded project, the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) and the Freiberg Institute (FILK) replaced both substrate and coating materials with a single polymer—polybutylene succinate (PBS). By using identical bio‑based PBS for fibre and top layer, they created a “varietal‑pure” system that is a prerequisite for industrial closed‑loop recycling.

Key PBS properties that enable this breakthrough:

  • Bio‑sourced & Commercially Available: Produced from renewable feedstocks and offered in multiple grades and large volumes.
  • Thermoplastic Processability: Both fibres and coatings can be melt‑processed from the same polymer.
  • Validated Biodegradability: Demonstrated to break down under industrial composting conditions.

What Production Innovations Enable Pure PBS Synthetic Leather?

  1. High‑Speed Spinning: DITF modified their cooling shaft to spin textured PBS partially‑oriented yarns (POY) at up to 3,000 m/min, achieving tenacity of just under 30 cN/tex. These yarns exhibit sufficient strength and elongation for subsequent textile processing.
  2. Fabric Formation: The resulting PBS POY was converted into 100 % PBS woven, knitted or nonwoven fabrics without any additional binders.
  3. Extrusion Coating: FILK then applied the same PBS as both adhesive and embossed top layer, producing the characteristic structure of artificial leather—again from a single material.

What Are the Sustainability and Recycling Benefits?

  • Closed‑Loop Recycling: Material purity allows for collection, remelting and re‑extrusion of PBS composites back into new sheets or fibres without separation.
  • End‑of‑Life Biodegradability: Should PBS enter composting streams, it will degrade under industrial conditions, avoiding persistent microplastic accumulation.
  • Regulatory Compliance: This single‑material approach aligns fully with the EU’s eco‑design regulation, supporting manufacturers’ circular‑economy target.

What Are the Next Steps for Industry Adoption?

To realize the promise of PBS‑based synthetic leather, brands and manufacturers should consider:

  1. Pilot Trials: Source small‑lot batches of PBS leather for compatibility testing in existing cut‑and‑sew or lamination processes.
  2. Lifecycle Assessments: Undertake cradle‑to‑grave environmental analyses comparing PBS products against current composites.
  3. Supply‑Chain Partnerships: Engage PBS resin suppliers early to secure multi‑grade availability and price stability.
  4. Standards Mapping: Update internal specifications to reflect EU eco‑design requirements and other regional sustainability standards.
  5. Green Marketing: Leverage closed‑loop recyclability and biodegradability as key selling points to meet both regulatory and consumer expectations.

By unifying substrate and coating into one bio‑based polymer, DITF and FILK have charted a path toward truly circular, high‑performance synthetic leather—one that not only mimics but improves upon natural and conventional leather in sustainability terms.

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