{"id":6084,"date":"2020-10-15T17:39:04","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T16:39:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fashioninsiders.co\/?p=6084"},"modified":"2020-10-16T10:53:47","modified_gmt":"2020-10-16T09:53:47","slug":"vegan-vs-real-animal-leather","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fashioninsiders.co\/features\/opinion\/vegan-vs-real-animal-leather\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Leather vs Real Animal Leather: the race towards sustainable fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"
According to the global fashion aggregator Lyst, the appetite for more sustainable fashion is on the increase, reflected in searches for sustainable fashion brands up by 75 per cent year on year.<\/p>\n
One of the hot topics in the industry for a while now has been the debate if faux or often referred to as \u201cvegan\u201d leather is better environmental and sustainable choice than real animal leather?<\/p>\n
The answer is complicated with passionate arguments for both \u201cfor\u201d and \u201cagainst\u201d.<\/p>\n
Personal preferences aside \u2013 let\u2019s take a look at the factual side of the evidence.<\/p>\n
It is often cited and said that the animal leather is a by-product of the meat industry. While not all animal leather used in fashion is of a single type and classed as a \u201cby-product\u201d, it is certainly the case for cow derived leather.<\/p>\n
The meat and dairy industries<\/a> are the two largest global industries primarily responsible for huge environmental damage caused over a prolonged period of time now.<\/p>\n There is a popular saying that says\u00a0 \u201cwhen you know better, you do better.” Perhaps this is the reason behind the decrease in demand<\/a> for global meat consumption, but despite the gradual decline \u2013 it is hard to imagine a future where the meat industry is completely eliminated.<\/p>\n The leather resulting from the animal slaughter is mostly seen to be used in fashion, but it is also used in many other industries and for industrial purposes. If that was not the case the vast amounts of leather skin would be left to dry rot in landfills.<\/p>\n The main reason leather is seen as bad for the environment as a by-product material is mostly due to the way chromed leather (used in fashion and automobile industries) is processed.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In order for the leather to be made usable, it needs to be tanned. In the process, the hides are placed in a chromium salt bath where layers of hair and fat are removed, so the leather can become soft and supple for further use. However, the process involves toxic chemicals that naturally get mixed in with the water. When the remaining toxic water is disposed of, it can wreak havoc on aquatic ecosystems and even negatively\u00a0impact human health<\/a>.<\/p>\n As the use of chemicals across all industries is not anything new, global institutions have introduced various legislation regulating the use and disposal of these chemicals. In the EU, we have comprehensive chemicals legislation, spearheaded by\u00a0REACH<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0CLP<\/a>, which aims to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment. All tanneries adhere to these strictly and without a fail.<\/p>\n