The original article states leather is forcibly created through the slaughter of billions of cows. Leather UK director Kerry Senior has labelled these numbers as false. According to Leather UK, 99% of hides and skins used in the manufacture of leather are from animals reared for wool, milk or meat, “Not one of these animals was reared for its skin and a halt to leather production would not prevent their slaughter,” the organisation states.
“Leather manufacture takes a problematic waste material – hides and skins – and turns it into a sustainable, renewable, biodegradable and beautiful product. If hides and skins were not used, the meat industry would have to dispose of over nine million tonnes of waste each year. Their conversion into leather is an example of the circular economy in action.”
Many brands are looking at ‘vegan’ leather, but these plant-based alternatives often rely on plastics to hold them together and require chemicals for finishing.
