Leather

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?

Inversa Leathers has launched the first ever collection made with invasive dragonfin leather in collaboration with Teton Leather Company.

With the intent to ensure that the cost of preserving forest is shared more equitably by the two ends of the supply chain and between majority and minority world countries, Textile Exchange and the Leather Working Group (LWG) are putting out a call to action for brands and retailers to commit to sourcing all their leather from verified deforestation-free supply chains by 2030 or earlier.

A 'Leather Manifesto' has exhorted the COP27 to recognise the cyclical, climate-efficient characteristics of leather and other natural fibres. It also urged the COP27 to understand the implications of the huge amounts of raw material of leather production, hides and skins, that are currently being thrown away.

Textile Exchange has defined "leather" as an entity. The definition assumes significance in the backdrop of many companies using the "leather" suffix to identify their own alternative materials.

The world’s first invasive leather brand Inversa Leathers is also the first company to produce leather from the Everglades Burmese python, a certified harmful and destructive species. A conversation with Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Aarav Chavda.

The current level of supply chain transparency in the leather and allied industries is dramatically low. Only 29 of the 100 major companies surveyed provide some information about their supplier base. And no, luxury brands are not frontrunners. A texfash.com report.