Major Announcement | The 2025 China Synthetic Leather Eco-Environmental Certification Standard Launch Event Is About to Begin!
10/07/2025
China Plastics Processing Industry Association - Artificial Leather & Synthetic Leather Committee
will join hands with
ChangfengNew Materials, with nearly 20 years of expertise in 100% water-based synthetic leather
to hostRenew · Co-create the Future
2025 China Synthetic Leather Eco-Environmental Classification Certification Standard Launch
From product manufacturing to standard leadership
Leading the synthetic leather industry towards sustainable value creation
Rewriting global competition rules with eco-friendly technology
For decades, the industry has pursued new materials that combine environmental performance, high physical properties and functionality. Nitrocellulose-coated fabric, developed in the early 20th century, marked the beginning of synthetic leather. In 1931, the industrialisation of polyethylene and the emergence of PVC lamination processes enabled mass production of PVC leather, which was then widely adopted across sectors.
Breakthroughs in PU synthetic leather followed in the 1950s-60s. DuPont developed PU synthetic leather on a non-woven synthetic fibre base, while Japan's Kuraray introduced a two-layer structure without an intermediate fabric. These innovations accelerated the evolution of PU synthetic leather, which rapidly improved in quality, variety and output — approaching or even surpassing natural leather in performance. Diversification, functionality, fashion and eco-friendliness have since become the defining trends of the industry.
PU synthetic leather
However, most synthetic leather manufacturers in China still rely on solvent-based processes, discharging over 200,000 tonnes of volatile organic compounds and 8 million tonnes of wastewater annually — a heavy, long-term environmental burden. Under increasingly stringent domestic and international regulations, solvent-based PU leather is becoming obsolete. Water-based and bio-based synthetic leathers, with their low-carbon and ecological advantages, are steadily gaining market share. Green transformation and premium upgrading will define the future of the industry, securing a competitive edge in the global low-carbon economy.
Traditional solvent-based leather manufacturing causes severe pollution
After decades of technological iteration — from PVC and PU to water-based and bio-based materials — the industry has long faced a critical bottleneck: the absence of unified environmental standards. The market is flooded with eco-friendly synthetic leathers of inconsistent quality, including misleading "green" products that undermine consumer trust and make it difficult for buyers to identify materials that genuinely meet their sustainability requirements.
To drive standard implementation and accelerate the industry's green transition, ChangfengNew Materials — the world's first 100% water-based synthetic leather manufacturer — will host the "Renew · Co-create the Future | 2025 China Synthetic Leather Eco-Environmental Classification Certification Standard Launch" on 10/07/2025. Together with the China Plastics Processing Industry Association - Artificial Leather & Synthetic Leather Committee, Huafon Group, Beijing Building Materials Testing Academy Co., Ltd., the China Light Industry Federation Testing Centre for Furniture & Decorative Materials, and 77° Global Home Furnishing Media, the event will officially release the Technical Specification for Classification Certification of Hazardous Substance Emissions from Synthetic Leather and Implementation Rules for Classification Certification of Hazardous Substance Emissions from Synthetic Leather (both filed with the CNCA).
From the early functional substitution of PVC/PU, to the clean production of water-based synthetic leather, and now the sustainable revolution of bio-based materials, the industry is responding to market demand through material innovation. As a pioneer in the field, Changfeng began water-based leather R&D in 2007 and achieved full-scale production of 100% water-based synthetic leather in 2014. Our products are manufactured with zero solvent addition from raw material to finished product — non-toxic, odour-free, and free from formaldehyde, toluene and DMF — delivering ultra-low VOC emissions and trusted by markets across Europe and the US.
Changfeng PURE water-based synthetic leather series
Changfeng products are certified with OEKO-TEX® Standard 100, GRS Global Recycled Standard and SEDEX Social Responsibility Certification, and comply with EU REACH and ZDHC requirements — strengthening our customers' export competitiveness. Our bio-based synthetic leather, already in mass production, is USDA-certified with bio-based content ranging from 25% to 80%. It is odour-free, soft, colour-rich, durable and easy to maintain — delivering both practical value and genuine environmental benefit.
By establishing the eco-environmental classification certification standard for synthetic leather, Changfeng is setting a new industry benchmark, addressing market disorder, and driving the sector's transition towards greener, higher-value production. Through technological innovation and standard-setting leadership, we are helping China's synthetic leather industry strengthen its global voice — moving from follower to leader in the worldwide low-carbon competition.
10/07/2025
Renew · Co-create the Future — 2025 China Synthetic Leather Eco-Environmental Classification Certification Standard Launch
W Hotel, Zhujiang New Town, Guangzhou, China
We look forward to having you with us
to witness the transformation and upgrading of the synthetic leather industry!
