What does "vegan" faux leather mean?

In recent years, consumers are moving away from buying real leather and real fur.  It's a conscience decision based on the notion that you are saving animals.  So manufacturers have begun using man-made materials to make handbags.  Some companies call this "faux" leather, or "Peta-approved".  Some call it "eco-friendly" or animal-friendly. Today I noticed a company calling it "eco-leather".  

What it really is is polyurethane or plastic. Plain and simple.  This man made material does tend to be less expensive, obviously, than real leather.  That's good.  Depending on how they manufacture the "faux" leather, the material can be rigid or, soft and pliable, similar to real leather to the touch.  Most all of it is made in China.  That's bad.  This makes us hesitate to buy it again, because even though we might think we are being more responsible to buy animal-friendly products, they are indeed made overseas, which is not so desirable these days.  

So we made a decision to carry products we stand behind, no matter if it is made in the USA or in China.  So even though we buy man-made handbags for our shop, we buy from companies that are on top of current trends and today's style.  Ladies, we are certainly picky about our handbags.  We get it!  You'll find we've put a great amount of thought into each handbag we purchase.  It has to have unique materials and fabrics with unusual design and smart features incorporated into each bag.  And, the best part about these "vegan" handbags is that they are incredibly affordable.  Department store handbags are boring!