Is Leather Environmentally Friendly?

The simple answer is ‘yes’. Leather is a highly versatile, widely used material and there are a number of elements in its manufacture that contribute to its environmental credentials.

Is real leather environmentally friendly?

The simple answer is ‘yes’. Leather is a highly versatile, widely used material and there are a number of elements in its manufacture that contribute to its environmental credentials.

Use of chemicals

Leather making is one of the oldest industries and has always required the use of chemicals. Nowadays, there are strict requirements regarding the use of chemicals. They are restricted by legal requirements and by many voluntary industrial initiatives which are committed to eliminating potentially harmful substances from the supply chain.

Read our The sustainability of leather fact sheet to learn more. 

Is leather sustainable?

Leather as a raw material is renewable, and in products it is long-lasting and repairable.

It is made from a by-product of the food industry. If this by-product were not converted into leather, it would be thrown into a landfill, a significant environmental risk.

Can leather be recycled?

Leather can be repaired, refurbished and re-purposed but it has also been recycled for well over 70 years into leather fibre board, a material used in footwear, or sometimes as ground up trimmings for stuffing boxing punch bags. A lot of R&D is currently ongoing to expand the applications for leather recycling.

Leather is based on a renewable material

Leather is made from a by-product of the food industry. If this by-product were not converted into leather, it would be thrown into a landfill, a significant environmental risk.

Is leather biodegradable?

As a natural product, leather will biodegrade in a typical landfill in 10 to 50 years, depending on the type of leather. A typical Polyvinyl Chloride plastic material takes 500+ years to break down in the same environment.

Responsibly governed, worldwide

Large leather-producing countries, like Brazil and Italy, have implemented sustainability certification schemes which include good governance in chemical and water usage, social responsibility, and environmental and sourcing stewardship. The Leather Working Group (LWG) is the global standard for environmental stewardship for leather manufacturers.

Get the full picture by reading our fact sheet, Everything you need to know about leather

Is faux leather environmentally friendly?

Faux leather is an umbrella term for products marketed as vegan leather, PU leather and synthetic leather – all artificial leather-look materials that are made mainly from oil, a finite fossil fuel.

There is certainly some confusion around what ‘environmentally friendly’ means in relation to  these marketing terms.

For some it can imply its level of ‘green-ness, ’ or that the material ethically suits those who follow a certain lifestyle, like a plant based diet or vegan philosophy. For the latter, the choice of whether to use an animal-derived product or a man-made one, no matter its provenance, is clear.

For those who are concerned about the environmental impacts of the products they use, in terms of criteria such as sustainability, recyclability and end-of-life disposal, faux leather does not meet the same standards as real leather. Usually manufactured with polyester or nylon, then coated with PVC or PU, synthetic materials are not made from a renewable source, they are generally not as durable as real leather, and they are more likely to end up in a landfill, given their unsuitability to recycling.

Even new materials made from mushroom, apple skins, pineapples or grapes, still require treatment and coatings, which are often made with PVC or PU.

To help you make a fully informed choice, read our fact sheet – Leather & Leather Alternatives, a guide to labelling

Which is more environmentally friendly – leather or plastic?

Responsibly produced leather around the world is subject to the strictest regulations and environmental stewardship standards. Processes are highly regulated, governance is enforced, inspected, and standards have to be maintained, which requires significant investment by tanneries.

It does feel counter-intuitive, to Leather Naturally, to suggest that materials derived from finite fossil fuels are more environmentally friendly than leather but we cannot and do not wish to speak on behalf of the plastics industry. However we can say that leather is based on a natural material that is a by-product of another industry, and that if not converted into leather, would otherwise be sent to landfill.

Why not browse our range of fact sheets about all manner of leather-related topics to find out more about the environmental impacts of leather production?