Vegan has become chic and a prevailing megatrend. Besides numerous other animal alternatives, we are more and more faced with so-called “vegan leather”. After all, leather is always an animal by-product and the connection with the adjective vegan is misleading for consumers.
As a matter of fact, meat consumption is declining in many countries and a new awareness of sustainability on diet and consumption behavior is increasingly prevailing. A more honest relationship with animal products is, however, needed. To live vegan is more than just eating vegan. This includes refraining from garments made of materials such as leather, silk or wool, as these are of animal origin. Should we feel guilty when wearing our leathers and feeling good in it?
Leather is a natural, hardwearing and flexible material made of animal hide and thus, a by-product of the food industry. The animal rights organization Peta (short for: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) claims that animals are exploited in “bloody tanneries” to produce leather. No animal is killed for leather! This fact is unaware to many of us and therefore we are unknowingly deceived by media, influencers and institutions. In 2018, 6.31 million people in Germany were vegetarians, and nearly one million people completely abstained from animal products and lived vegan. According to the environmental organization WWF Germany (short for: World Wide Fund For Nature), nearly 70 percent of our direct greenhouse gas emissions are due to animal products. It has even been proven that meat companies are more damaging to the climate than the oil industry. And where today fire rages in Brazil’s rainforests, cattle graze tomorrow, which makes consumers jointly responsible for the threat to the Amazon. Nevertheless, over 90% of the world’s population still eats meat. Animals, such as cows, pigs, sheep and goats are primarily bred for their meat, not for leather. In case of cows they are also held for their milk, and sheep for their wool.
Due to modern upcycling, 20% of the value of an animal comes from secondary industries other than the meat industry. Bones, blood and fat by-products can be found in soap, fertilizer, gelatin, medicines and other products. Hides can not only be processed into sustainable leather, they can also be transformed into new products or specific ingredients like collagen, protein and gelatin. Leather, however, has always been the most sought-after by-product. In case only synthetic materials from cheap plastic (so-called “vegan leather”) would be used instead of turning leftover hides into a durable product, a second additional pile of waste would be created. Furthermore, without processing into leather, disposal of animal skin would have serious environmental consequences. Every year, around 2,200 square kilometers of leather is produced from over one billion (leftover) hides. That’s the equivalent of 330,000 soccer fields or an area slightly smaller than Luxembourg in Europe or Rhode Island in the US. Leather manufacturers thus contribute to a circular economy where nothing goes to waste.
On the other hand, more and more third-world countries produce leather for our Western world. Most of the world’s processed leather originate from South American and Asian tanneries. The danger of health issues for employees, caused using aggressive chemicals as well as ecological hazards due to toxic wastewater, arise in these regions. European tanneries increasingly use environmentally friendly chemicals, vegetable tanning agents and state-of-the-art water treatment plants to improve the ecological footprint of leather. In Central Europe, leather producers must also comply with strict limited values for waste and emissions, the production itself takes place under the most stringent health and safety conditions and external parties regularly audit tanneries. The high environmental standards and higher labor costs result in the leather price. A comparison of price and quality of each brand or manufacturer reveals a lot about the sustainability of the leather used: a rather cheap price of a leather shirt or leather jeans, an artificial smell of paint, or a rough grain/surface of the leather are signs for a low-grade quality used. It pays off to ask the shop assistant or the tailor about the origin of the leather.
About 50% of the produced leather is used for shoes, followed by furniture, clothing, bags, vehicles and saddlery. In all those segments, an increasing offer of leather alternatives can be found. Although these synthetic materials are called vegan, they only have a vegetable origin in very few cases. They are mainly made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyurethane (PU), textile-polymer composite microfibers or other petroleum-based materials. Even though the modern plastic manufacturing is less toxic than it used to be, it remains more dangerous to mankind and nature than real leather.
Consumers may falsely transfer the positive properties of natural leather to the synthetic material when they hear the term “vegan leather”. Artificial leather is by far less resistant and wears off quickly. Genuine leather, on the other hand, can last for decades with proper maintenance, ages elegantly and forms a patina that adds to its unique character. The environmental impact is higher by repeatedly replacing a synthetic leather. Synthetic leather, especially based on PVC, has no breathable characteristics, which can be particularly unpleasant for garments. Natural leather breathes, is supple and can be easily maintained and cleaned. It feels warm and soft and is aesthetically pleasing. Leather has a unique fragrance and erotic sensuality, resulting in a sexual appeal for many of us.
It is up to you to make your own individual decision on whether to buy and wear a pair of pants based on fossil fuels or on animal hide. What is important is to know the difference and to reduce the prejudice of leather as an animal product. Transparency is required for a conscious purchasing decision. What if the problem is not about animal or vegan issues, but about our manic consumer culture? The deception of the buyers and thus imprudent purchase and excessive consumption have a harmful effect on both, the environment and society. It matters to appreciate the moral value of products and to practice sustainable consumption. And if you like it, go ahead and continue wearing your leather with a clear conscience and feel completely comfortable – and sexy – about doing so.