Debbie Burton

What say leather industry honchos on Apple Inc’s recent move to do away with leather in its phone cases, watchbands and more? texfash.com finds out.

Blackwashed much, leather is standing up as a material which is irrefutably a by-product of food production and could well be a waste on a huge scale of a natural material which instead is turned into something useful for society.

The Leather Manifesto was a call to action not just for the COP27 delegates themselves, but for all in the space of sustainable materials production.  As a natural material that is long-lasting, can be repaired or repurposed and at end of life will biodegrade, leather needs to be part of wider discussions towards a circular economy. This industry will continue to push the point that it can be part of the climate solution.

As the leather industry grapples with the question of how it can sustainably play its part to meet ambitious climate and other targets set at a global scale, it is imperative that individual companies in the supply chain focus their efforts in a way that is highly localised to their specific circumstances.

Textile Exchange (TE) has accepted the official ISO 15115 definition of leather, and manufacturers, brands and retailers must make it incumbent on themselves to educate consumers the difference between genuine leather and faux leather, PU leather, mushroom leather, pineapple leather, or any other plant-based leather which cannot be categorised as 'leather'. So, what does industry think?

Leather can be classified as a biomaterial, and the industry increasingly is realising that it needs to invest in fact-based communication to consumers and brands that it is one material where there is no waste, where everything can be re-used, re-cycled and ultimately be biodegradable. Debbie Burton, Marketing Head at Pittards, shares how this industry is part of the solution to create a circular society.