Is BioThane Eco Friendly?

In this modern age, there are many new products and materials around us. Some of them can replace old-school products. Like technology, our materialistic world is changing every day and it is changing faster than you can imagine. One of these inventions is BioThane.

BioThane is an alternative and even better than leather. BioThane is now a great invention in human history becoming a solution to many environmental problems. Due to being waterproof and durable, it is commonly found as an animal equipment leather alternative in dog leads and horse tack. However, its eco-friendly credentials might be questionable due to its heavy use of plastics.

Let’s see what exactly is BioThane, and how is it better than leather. Is BioThane eco-friendly? Here we take a deeper look into a wholesome discussion about BioThane.

Key Takeaways

• BioThane is a brand that makes collars and equipment for dogs and horses. It is even used in the production of the medical field.
• Due to the presence of plastic, BioThane products are not 100% eco-friendly. The production process also makes it difficult to call it eco-friendly.
• Comparison between BioThane and leather, where one is better in some areas but worse in others.

What is BioThane?

First and foremost, BioThane is a brand. The company produces a product that feels like soft leather. The product BioThane is not one single product. It is a group of coated webbing products produced by the brand BioThane.

These are made from a polyester webbing that has been coated with a TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) or PVC (polyvinyl chloride). It has a rubber-like feel and comes in an endless variety of colors. Beta BioThane, sometimes simply referred to as Beta, is a more recent innovation from the BioThane brand. It has a different type of vinyl coating.

What is BioThane used for?

Cat’s and dog’s collar

BioThane is suitable for many uses. Most people know that BioThane material is for use in animal care. It makes great accessories for domestic animals. BioThane dog leads and collars are really popular. Cat’s jacket and collar are also made with this.

It is particularly great for active dogs who love to get muddy and play in the water. The durability and ease to clean make it an ideal material for heavy and messy use. BioThane is also used widely in the equestrian world. BioThane horse tack includes bridles, halters, and reins.

Medical equipment

Outside the animal world, it is used in a multiplicity of activities. From proactive shoulder pads in the sports and medical industry to wheelchair straps in healthcare. BioThane has been utilized widely. Anywhere there is a need for a durable, waterproof, and easy-to-clean material, it could be an option.

Is BioThane Eco-Friendly?

First and foremost, BioThane is not 100% eco-friendly nor environmentally hazardous. The eco-friendly product depends greatly on its uses and reuses before the end of its life. Importantly, a key factor of a product’s impact on the environment is the number of resources it takes to produce the product in the first place.

1. Use of polyester webbing

Since BioThane leashes and collars are made of plastic like TPU or PVC which is highly durable, it is undoubted that a single leash or collar would have to be replaced in a dog’s lifetime. However, there is a significant impact of using non-recyclable natural resources to create plastic materials like PET, TPU, and PVC that can’t be reused and won’t break down for hundreds of years if at all.

BioThane is a mixture of many materials when it comes to its core identifications. Even plastic-based faux leathers like BioThane products have a lower carbon footprint than animal leather. It produces much less carbon dioxide than the rearing of cattle to produce animal leather. This can only be a good sign since carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

2. Water uses

Massive amounts of water are also needed to produce an animal leather product to maintain the leather production processes. The synthetic leather water footprint is little in evaluation. And BioThane is not an exception either. It requires less water than other leather materials but it still requires a lot of water.

3. Non-recyclable

BioThane is extremely durable. It can be used for a long time. Yet, when it is finally worn out, it can’t be used again and it is difficult to dispose of in an eco-friendly way. BioThane is not totally biodegradable. Instead, it will break down into smaller and smaller pieces over a very long time.

This results in microplastics that get ingested by a variety of aquatic species in the oceans and waterways amongst other things. This can have ranging consequences from internal organ damage to reproduction issues.

4. Wastage in production

The polyester used in strap work also comes with negative environmental impacts. Even though using less water than in the production of natural materials. It uses a large amount of energy to produce and avoid producing greenhouse gases in the process. Like PVC, it does not biodegrade leading to similar microplastic issues for years down the line.

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BioThane VS Leather

When it’s BioThane, the only similar thing in the mind is leather. BioThane is a perfect competitor of leather products. This argument can be narrowed down to personal preference when it comes to comparing BioThane and leather. Like many products, both have their pros and cons. This discussion will help you to come up with a solid decision.

1. Comfort

Many dog walkers consider BioThane to be more comfortable to handle. On the other hand, many people do not like the rubbery texture. Whilst some are drawn to the bright colors available in BioThane lassie, some prefer the natural look and smell of animal leather.

2. Rain and dirt

Many dog owners and horse enthusiasts choose the benefits of BioThane over leather in the rainy months, especially on filthy mud days. It is considered that BioThane is a lot easier to clean than animal leather and copes.

3. Durability

In terms of durability, BioThane will last a long time. It is not rare for leather items to last decades. In some cases, it has been noted that BioThane is actually too durable. In some horse riding situations, it may be beneficial for the item to break for safety purposes and BioThane is not easily breakable. Plus, BioThane is cheaper than leather.

Both BioThane and leather are quite similar. They both have their pros and cons. It very much depends on your preference want to use the item and what material you find most aesthetically beautiful.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

After all these discussions, you can see that BioThane is an eco-friendly product by BioThane undoubtedly. It is a fine replacement for pure leather items. The benefits of BioThane against leather are that it is more durable, flexible, and cost-friendly. Also, BioThane is much easy to manufacture with less energy waste than leather. BioThane has uses in heavy-duty weather and rough situations.

Ultimately, both BioThane and leather use depend on your opinion. At that point, none of them are better as both have pros and cons. It is more likely to consider your personal interest and reliability of uses.

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