EDUCATION

NO.

Raw hides from cattle, sheep, goats and pigs are a by-product of the food industry, which if not processed into finished leather would have to be disposed of in landfills.

SI.

Leather is a renewably generated raw material; breeding ensures the renewal of animal resources in a relatively short time to ensure the meat demanded by consumers. The tanning production process, performed with proper controls, has minimal environmental impact. The entire life cycle of the finished leather has a low carbon and water footprint considering its durability and qualities over time. At the end of its life, the leather degrades chemically and biologically.

SI.

Everything you eat, grab, touch or smell is chemical. In any industry, if chemicals are not handled properly, they can be harmful. The chemicals used to tan leather are complex. Sodium, for example, must be handled very carefully when it is found in the form of sodium hydroxide because it is highly caustic, unlike when it is found as sodium chloride, the common table salt. However, if common salt enters our groundwater in significant amounts, it makes the water undrinkable.

The tanning industry is one of the oldest activities and has always used chemicals, from smoke in fires to tannin in plant materials. Leather has an ancient history of intelligent use of biomaterials, some of which, perceived as unpleasant, were actually scientifically advanced. The modern tanning industry is particularly careful about the chemicals used, to minimize environmental impact. Many processes have been refined with the introduction of new biochemical chemical processes that reduce the overall use of chemicals and eliminate those derived from fossil sources.

Of primary importance in tanning production, as in all industries, is to ensure that all personnel are properly trained and equipped with the proper devices and work clothing to handle chemicals appropriately and to ensure that all waste, discharges and air emissions are handled safely and in accordance with the law.

Tanneries are required to meet high standards such as the EU's REACH requirements for chemicals, and most companies work with their customers on much more stringently restricted substance lists. Many tanning companies have in addition joined the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) program or have established similar standards that are far more restrictive than any national or regional legislation.

Responsibly made leather prevents the consumer from coming into contact with toxic materials. The best available technology for leather production does not require the use of toxic chemicals and is used in all major tanning operations worldwide.

SI.

The term "biodegradable" has many definitions and nuances. Leather is tanned in such a way as to be rendered imputrescible, so it will not rapidly biodegrade. One of the main environmental benefits of natural leather is its durability and the fact that it can be reused and regenerated many times and for different products. Leather items that are well designed, can be repaired several times, as it is rarely the leather that wears out. If kept dry and clean, items such as books, furniture, upholstery, car interiors, and the like can last indefinitely, and that is why much of our wonderful history that can be found in museums includes artifacts in whole or in part, made of leather.

That said, leather is rich in carbon, nitrogen and oxygen; three elements that bacteria and fungi love to eat. The biodegradability cycle of leather is between 10 and 50 years, so much faster than synthetics such as Polyethylene or PVC that take between 100 and 500 years with a tangible benefit to the environment by not contributing to the dispersion of microplastics.

 

SI.

Leather fiber sheets have been used for more than 70 years as materials for footwear and sound insulation. Leather composites have been around since the early 2000s, and much research has been done to produce a wider variety of materials from recycled leather.

In general, we prefer leather items to be repaired and refurbished or, if their useful life is over, to be reused in other leather items. In addition to small leather goods, many creative people are designing items such as wall coverings and carpets made from small pieces of leather, giving it a new life for many more years: for example, trimmings and cuttings of finished leather can be used to stuff items such as punching bags. Although not as common today, for many decades tannin was removed from trimmings and shaves in tanneries and recycled, while the protein part (collagen) was used for gelatin. This is still the case today for chrome shaves and cuttings of finished leather from shoe factories, for example. While the chromium is reused in the chemical industry, the protein part is used as a fertilizer. Another historical use for used leather and small offcuts is regenerated leather fibers in leather is milled and the fibers used to create a sheet used for many purposes, such as insoles and spurs. New uses for the scraps are continually being developed and include, for example, a very successful product in which fibers are reconstructed around a plastic skeleton. Again, the resulting materials are good for certain uses, but they will not have the longevity of leather, cannot be repaired, and will be more difficult to dispose of at the end of their life.

NO.

International standards, and in many cases national laws, clearly state what can be defined as leather and prohibit the use of the term for materials not of animal origin. Labeling as leather, something that is not of animal origin, is illegal in many countries.

Terms such as "vegan leather," "synthetic leather," or "faux leather" are marketing terminologies used to refer to artificial or plant-based materials that resemble the same natural appearance as leather, but without having the durability and quality of real leather.

 

NO.

The tanning industry is global, and the best tanneries are found in both developed and less developed countries. The best manufacturers, regardless of geographic location, ensure a high level of expertise in processes and related impacts and a strong commitment to investing in state-of-the-art production facilities to protect the environment.

One of the advantages of the tanning industry lies in the creation of added value that many countries are able to exploit by recovering raw hides from their animal herds and creating a new market.

NO.

Demand for meat and dairy products is being met by increasingly efficient ranches that require fewer animals rather than major growth in herds. Where forest land is apparently being replaced by ranches, the usual drivers are greed and corruption, with profit from logging, mining or growing crops such as soybeans. Creating a ranch is often a quick way to establish or claim property. The leather industry is absolutely opposed to deforestation.

In Brazil, for example, research conducted by the University of Edinburgh shows the need for more livestock in existing savanna, or long-term grasslands, to improve Brazil's future emissions data. Brazil's grasslands are among the best in the world for CO2 sequestration, but they need to be improved and maintained with adequate levels of grazing. There is absolutely no need to destroy the forest for livestock, quite the contrary.

 

NO.

After the European Commission's thorough assessment of the product's environmental footprint for cowhide, the environmental footprint from the animal's life cycle to be allocated to leather was limited to 0.42 percent.

Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive access to Montelliana promotions