There are many doubts and stereotypes about leather, but we hope that this article will help you to understand that using animal skin isn’t as bad as you may think.  

Are cows, sheep or goats raised for their skin?

In no case. Leather has been a by-product of our food chain since prehistoric times, so while we consume meat, making leather is a way to recycle animal remains. 

 

Is the leather a sustainable material?

Yes. Currently, the impact on its manufacture is very low due to the important environmental controls in place, such as the reuse of wastewater. In addition, due to the high strength and durability of leather, much less waste is generated, compared for example, with equivalent synthetic products. And last but not least, if the remains generated by the meat industries were not used for the manufacture of leather, there would be a huge surplus of food skins that would directly be waste.

 

Is the leather recycled and is it recyclable?

In both cases yes. On the one hand, we turn into a quality article, something that otherwise would be the rest to eliminate. Worldwide, we generate 7 million tons / year of skin from meat consumption. And secondly, for years now, and thanks to technology, many materials and compounds have been made with leftover leather that has already been used, for example, to make belts or shoe soles.

 

Is the leather biodegradable?

Yes, unlike synthetic plastics that are derived from petroleum, leather is an entirely natural product. Hence, genuine leather, due to the action of bacteria and fungi, decomposes much faster than artificially manufactured ones, which remain much longer.

 

Is the leather an ecological material?

Endorsing all of the above, without a doubt. It is a natural, renewable, biodegradable material and, with the help of new technologies, respectful with the environment, minimizing the impact on the environment.

 

Can materials such as vegan leather, eco-leather, imitation leather, etc … be considered authentic leather?

Absolutely NOT. They are alternative materials with various compositions: polyurethane, plastic agglomerates, polyester, traces and traces of skin … Describing the products that these compositions carry as “Synthetic Leather” is a contradiction in itself, and a mere advertising device. It can only be considered as genuine leather or leather when 100% of its structure is entirely of animal origin, a statement supported by the product naming law of many countries.

You can read the original article written in Spanish here.