5 ms·
I've always had a hard time reasoning about this. On one-hand, it's a waste-stream, which means that finding a purpose for it means that the resources gone int
by jszymborski 5y ago
I've always had a hard time reasoning about this.
On one-hand, it's a waste-stream, which means that finding a purpose for it means that the resources gone into the animals from which leather is made become more efficient.
On the other, if you believe that meat production at its current scale is bad for the environment, you're making it cheaper and subsidising it.
Then there's the impact of all the chemicals involved in leather tanning, which are not inconsequential.
I don't know what to think about leather in all honesty.
- colechristensen 5y agoIt looks to be 1-5% of the value of the animal at this point but some are just discarded entirely.
- notatoad 5y agoIt's important to consider the durability of leather products. IME, good quality natural leather products easily last 3-4x longer than alternatives. The tanning process isn't exactly environmentally friendly, but it doesn't have to be if it can reduce overall consumption by enough.
- causi 5y agoIndeed. Good leather products can last for years or decades. Leather belts, wallets, shoes, bags, etc all last far longer than their fabric alternatives.
- xorcist 5y agoCenturies, if cared for properly.
- ChrisMarshallNY 5y agoBad quality, leather, on the other hand, disintegrates within a few months. I was at the Apple WWDC, where they passed out those leather jackets with the big blue "X" on the back. Mine didn't make it to the next WWDC, and I took great care of it. I think that they may have had a couple of versions of the jacket. I saw it reappear, for quite a while, on the bodies of Apple favorites (I wasn't one), for many years.
- Tepix 5y agoWhat do we know about the durability of mushroom leather and how does its environmental impact compare with animal leather?
- TaylorAlexander 5y agoOne wonders how the total life cycle of cotton or nylon compare to the leather production process. Mushroom leather could be used when the look really matters, but otherwise I would think a lot of leather products could be made with heavy canvas or nylon. Anyway I am a vegan so using animal skin as an industrial output is something I think we should make a conscious effort to end as much as possible.
- i_am_proteus 5y agoLeather is also a byproduct of dairy production! Many may relinquish their hamburgers, but few will relinquish their pizzas. One must consider the cow a miraculous piece of technology: an efficient reactor for converting cereals and grasses into valuable fats, proteins, as well as useful materials.
- ballenf 5y agoOne more complicating question -- does the hide value of an animal incentivize better treatment during its life?