At Bags of Ethics, we are proud to offer our customers an affordable plant-based leather alternative to PU vegan leather.
For the past two years, this innovative and eco-friendly leather-like material has been developed through extensive research, combining agricultural innovation with advanced material science.
Our leather experts at the factory have rigorously tested this material, putting it through stress tests and a wide range of personalisation techniques. The results have been remarkable.
What is plant-based leather?
Plant-based leather is a leather-like material made from agricultural by-products.
One of the main challenges in producing this type of material is achieving large-scale production without disrupting existing agricultural supply chains while ensuring a reliable year-round supply of raw materials.
What is the Bags of Ethics plant-based leather made from?
Bags of Ethics plant-based leather is made from rice straw and rice husks—agricultural by-products that are often burned in fields, contributing to air pollution and carbon emissions.
Using a proprietary patented process, this agricultural waste is transformed into a durable, high-quality material that is ideal for premium accessories and performs similarly to traditional PU leather.
How does this plant-based leather look and feel?
This is where the magic happens.
The surface has a smooth texture with a subtle matte finish and a natural grain. It is soft, flexible and pleasant to the touch.
We have developed a seasonal colour palette, but we can also produce custom colours to match your brand, subject to minimum order quantities and lead times.
How does this agricultural-waste leather smell?
Bags of Ethics plant-based leather is naturally odourless.
However, fragrances can be incorporated into the material during production, allowing it to carry a custom scent where suitable. Our subtle jasmine fragrance has proven particularly popular.
Does Bags of Ethics plant-based leather have the same properties as PU leather or genuine leather?
Although laboratory testing confirmed its performance, our factory team also carried out extensive real-world manufacturing tests.
These included folding, creasing, debossing, laser cutting, hot foil stamping, machine and hand stitching, laser engraving, printing, and metal hardware application.
The results exceeded our expectations, demonstrating excellent durability and compatibility with standard leather-working techniques.
How does Bags of Ethics plant-based leather perform compared with PU "vegan" leather?
Conventional PU vegan leather typically consists of a polyurethane coating applied over a woven backing.
By contrast, Bags of Ethics plant-based leather is thermally bonded, meaning it does not peel under normal use conditions, offering improved durability and longevity.
Why is Bags of Ethics plant-based leather more sustainable than PU vegan leather?
Bags of Ethics plant-based leather offers measurable environmental benefits, supported by science and transparency.
Circular sourcing: Made from rice agricultural by-products, this material requires no additional land use, helping maximise resource efficiency.
Reliable supply chain: As rice is the world’s second most cultivated crop, our raw material benefits from a stable and scalable supply.
Positive environmental impact: Purchasing rice straw provides farmers with an economic incentive to avoid open-field burning, helping reduce air pollution and carbon emissions.
High bio-based content: Bags of Ethics plant-based leather contains a significantly higher proportion of bio-based materials than conventional PU or PVC leather alternatives.
Biodegradability: The bio-based components are naturally biodegradable under industrial composting conditions, supporting a more circular approach to material design.
What about the pricing?
As Bags of Ethics (Supreme Creations) is behind this patented technology, we are able to offer this innovative and affordable plant-based alternative to PU leather with minimum order quantities starting from just 200 pieces.
An affordable and biodegradable leather-like solution for your sustainable accessories.
