It is on our feet, our hands and our heads: leather is a reliable material that has proven its durability over time. Indeed, its robustness gives its products a lifespan of at least ten years. It is therefore not surprising that leather has become a must-have for us that we cannot do without! However, to access this product, there is a heavy environmental cost to pay that few are aware of. In addition to the ethical issue, the leather production process has numerous consequences on our planet. Fortunately, for several years, many companies have managed to innovate and offer consumers good quality and ecological products.

Animal leather 

It would be wrong to claim that leather is just a simple by-product of the food industry. Indeed, while it may once have been, leather is now an industry. In fact, some farmed animals are today used for their skin. This requires significant amounts of water, food, and land, not to mention the waste produced by this process. To produce 1 kilogram of raw hide, you need: 

• 17,100 liters of water 
• 7.4 kg of cereals 
• 41 kg of green fodder… 

This means that a lot of agricultural land is used to meet the food needs of livestock. For example, it is estimated that meat and leather production correspond to nearly 65% ​​of deforestation in the Amazon. Forests, which play a vital role in the fight against climate change, are thus transformed into pastures. But that's not all!

Animal leather not really ecological ?

Although cattle leather, used very widely in industry, is generally a recycled product from the food sector, therefore more ecological than certain raw materials produced specifically for the fashion sector for example, the fact remains that before to be made into your favorite pairs of shoes, the rawhide needs to be processed. This process, called leather tanning, has negative impacts on its environment. You should know that for each ton of rawhide, we obtain 200 to 250 kg of chrome-tanned leather. This requires an addition of 15 to 20 tonnes of water, 500 kg of chemicals and a considerable amount of energy. Therefore, for one tonne of treated leather, we produce between 60 and 250 tonnes of polluted water (containing, among other things, around 20-30 kg of chromium and 50 kg of sulphide), between 1,800 and 3,650 kg of solid residues. , 2,500 kg of sludge and between 4 and 50 kg of solvents which are released into the air. In other words, this dangerous and extremely polluting waste can end up in the environment, for example in surrounding waterways. In addition, the metal used, chromium, is also highly dangerous for people exposed to it in factories, for example.

Natural alternatives - Pineapple leather

Now that we have established the many harmful impacts of the animal leather industry, what options do we have to replace this material which is, all the same, quite essential for clothing? Several options, more respectful and in harmony with the environment, are available! 

Pineapple leather is probably the most famous alternative to regular leather to date. The latter, made from pineapple leaf fibers, can be dyed and is as strong and waterproof as animal leather. In addition, its costs are lower since it comes directly from recycled materials. Thus, important companies such as Puma use this advantageous textile which bears the name Pinatex. As it is actually a by-product of pineapple cultivation, it does not require additional environmental resources and therefore does not use any toxic chemicals. The Spanish company behind this material, Ananas Anam, bases its model on the principle of the circular economy. Its vision is to collaborate equitably with the farmers who produce pineapples in the Philippines. It also takes care to only sell its products to ecologically and socially responsible companies.

Natural alternatives - Mushroom leather

Mushroom leather, another vegetable possibility, has some characteristics that differ from traditional leather. Attention! It’s no less interesting! With its extremely soft texture and flexibility, it far exceeds synthetic leather substitutes, which are also very polluting. In 2021, Adidas is releasing a limited edition of its famous Stan Smiths made from, you guessed it, mushroom leather! This textile, named Mylo, was developed by the German company using mushroom roots. As for the cultivation process, it uses vertical farming, allowing the underground roots of the mushroom – also called renewable mycelium – to be cultivated in a space-saving system, while increasing yield.

Natural alternatives - Cork leather

Finally, another advantageous and eco-responsible option is cork leather. This is obtained by peeling the cork oak trunk, aprocess which does not cause damage to the trees since they are not cut down and their bark regenerates naturally. First, cork debarking takes place every 9 years on a mature tree of at least 25 years old. A cork oak can live up to 300 years and therefore be skinned up to 16 times during its life. Next, the cork is dried, then boiled and steamed to give it more elasticity. Finally, the cork is pressed into blocks with heat and pressure to transform it into cork leather. The latter can be dyed and printed just like classic leather. 

In short, ecological leather is an industry that is still young, but very promising, which offers a multitude of choices to its customers, and which presents an interesting alternative to the use of animal leather in the fashion sector.