World Leather Day

What is World Leather Day?

Leather is a natural material and in using the hides and skins that are the by-product of the food industry, leather makes its contribution to a circular society every single day, but once a year we come together to celebrate its benefits as a material, the people that make it and the innovation and expertise that continue to push it forward.

Why is leather so important?

There are many complicated messages about how to live more sustainably, but leather is NOT complicated. Simply put, without it, around 10 million tonnes would go to landfill. In a world where we are trying to do more with less, keep waste to a minimum, and where we have the expertise and the technology to turn this by-product into a versatile, long-lasting material we have a responsibility to do just that.

It’s important to remember that alternatives to leather are, the main synthetic and fossil-fuel based. Even those that sound natural or as though they come from plants often need combining with PU for strength and stability. Check out our fact sheet on labelling to learn more

 

Celebrating Longevity

The first step to make in reducing impact for all of us as individuals, is to buy fewer things that last a long time. Choosing leather items from footwear to furniture, bags to apparel, means investing items that will last, wear beautifully and can be repaired through their lifetime.

That’s why in 2023 World Leather Day celebrates the long lasting* beauty of leather and its place in a circular economy.

*The FILK independent study showed that leather compared to many of its alternatives gave the balance of comfort and wear – check out the full report here: Benchmark Study on Leather Alternatives Published

Responsible Manufacturing

Modern leather making is clean and highly regulated. Want to know what to look for in terms of certification of the leather you buy? Independent bodies such as Leather Working Group, (LWG) Institute of Quality Certification for the Leather Sector, (I.C.E.C. Italy) Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (C.S.C.B. Brazil) Leather Standard by Oeko-Tex and the Sustainable Leather Foundation (S.L.F.) audit tanneries in terms of best practice. Look out for their symbols and learn more here – Certification.

Leather FAQs

Learn more about leather with our FAQs.

Join Us!

If you’d like to help celebrate World Leather Day 2024, please register here.