Bonded leather, also called reconstituted leather or blended leather, is a term used for a man-made upholstery material that looks like real leather but is a fraction of the cost. It is a layered material comprised of a fiber or paper backing, a pulp made from shredded leather scraps and fibers, and a polyurethane coating which is embossed with a leather-like texture. Bonded leather is also considered environmentally friendly because it uses leftover pieces of real leather that would otherwise be discarded.