5/15/2023

The process of producing real leather

Do you know how leather is transferred from animals to you? If you knew the process of making real leather, perhaps you would not like it as much. In Europe, there is a profession called tanner, as the name suggests, they are people who tan leather. This profession has basically disappeared in Europe and exists only in a few relatively backward, ancient cities, such as the city of Fez in Morocco. The reason why this profession disappeared is due to large-scale industrialization, but in my opinion, the most important reason is that tanning is a very disgusting and extremely polluting thing! I believe that no one wants their neighbor to be a tanner.

The first thing to do after removing a piece of fur from an animal is to remove the hair. Masses of hair are cut down physically, like when we cut our own hair. However, no matter how careful the tanning process is, the tanner cannot completely remove the hair through this method. Therefore, the processed skin is put into an acidic solution made up of lime and pigeon droppings for chemical depilation.

After the hair is removed, the skin needs to be softened, which means making it soft. This step also requires putting the skin in a solvent with many chemical substances. The softened leather is then dried by wind, and then dyed.

From the removal of hair to final product, this process often takes several days. While leather production has entered the industrial age, the basic steps have remained relatively unchanged. The freshly removed animal hide needs to be soaked in a solution containing chemicals for effective cleaning, and the cleaned leather is then processed in other solvents. Additionally, leather needs to be treated with chemical preservatives, which often contain toxic substances. Research indicates that leatherworkers in Switzerland and Italy have a 20-50% higher risk of cancer than the general population.

Furthermore, the composition of industrial wastewater from leather and fur processing is complex and varies based on factors such as the type of raw material, processing techniques, and intended use of the finished product (e.g. footwear, clothing, furnishings, bags). This makes it difficult to treat the wastewater and can result in ecological pollution. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States have reported that residents living near a leather factory in Kentucky have a five times higher risk of leukemia than the national average.