5/18/2023

Plain leather-Leather products often give us a sense of luxury and glamor. With different techniques applied in the post-tanning process, animal hides can be transformed into textured, touch-sensitive products that cater to various aesthetic preferences. As a result, leather products have maintained their popularity in the consumer market, especially in the high-end fashion industry. However, the environmental damage caused by leather production is much worse than we imagine.

The issue is not only the problem of animal killings, but also the carbon emissions, which pose the most severe pollution problem in the leather industry. The tanning process, which is the conversion of animal hides into leather, is a heavily polluting source. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of leather is treated with chromium, a toxic chemical substance that, if not handled properly, can pollute waterways and endanger workers' health. Behind the glamorous façade of leather products are the factory's emissions of foul-smelling waste gas, heavy metal-containing wastewater, and untreated sludge and solid waste, which impose environmental burdens and health threats.

According to statistics, the greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming account for 14.5% of the total global emissions, and the harm it inflicted on the earth is no longer a secret. Although leather is often considered a by-product or waste material of livestock farming, opponents argue that it is actually part of the entire industry's business model. Leather production may account for a significant share of profitability in the industry, which is an essential part of the industry. If leather were purely a by-product, this claim would not be fair.Plain leather~