Say No to Leather ????

Let us hear what the critics have to say

1. "Using leather products is cruel to animals" This is one point to which we can say "wrong" with absolute certainty.
   
   
   1. Skins (or hides) are taken from the animals always after they are dead, killed for their meat in majority of cases and naturally dead in some cases. Therefore, the animal is not subjected to any harsh treatment for providing the raw material for leather
   2. A well reared animal hide is in better in quality without any marks left by diseases, unattended wounds or intentional punishment. This makes a higher valued leather and in the long term this benefit is communicated to the farmer resulting better treatment of animals. Those animals which are at their terminal stages of life may receive better treatment from farmers and traders, because of the value of its hide, after it is dead.
   
   
   
2. "Leather tanneries pollute the environment"
   
   Let us look at the nature of waste material coming out from the leather processing plants per tonne of hide processed into leather:

   Proteins, sugars and natural fat

   These are removed as wastes from the hides. We can not consider them as waste generated by leather processing, because if the hide is not processed into leather the whole hide will be a waste material. About 50% of the hide is removed as waste in various forms during processing.

   Chemicals in water

   Various chemicals are used during leather processing. Some of them are removed during subsequent operations and some are used in excess quantities and are discharged in the waste stream.

   The focus inside the industry now is to improve the efficiency of processing so that the second category of waste is totally eliminated. Alternate technologies are being developed to avoid the waste generated by the first category of chemicals

   Due to the increased awareness in and outside the industry many places require tanneries to treat the water inside the tannery itself to remove all the impurities before the water is discharged outside.

   Having said that, let us clarify that the pollution threat presented by tannery chemicals is minimal and ordinary in nature. The chemicals in question are Chlorides (common salt) and sulphates, lime, fats, vegetable material, organic material and so on. One major metallic pollution is chrome which is found to be harmless in the form it is released from tanneries.

   Air pollution

   The odour associated with tanneries is mainly due to the rotting proteins which will still be there if the hides are left to rot on their own. A few years back use of solvents for finishing on the leathe surfaces and for removing natural grease from the skins was prevalent. Agains, due to the improved awareness these processes are replaced with water based technologies and are no longer a threat to the environment

3. "Leather when trashed after use, pollutes the land fills"
   
   Well, a well processed leather can not be digested easily in the natural cycle. That is the purpose of processing it. However, leather can be burned and over 98% of the matter will be converted into combustible gases, water and carbon di-oxide. The residue is chrome in its safe form and a few other metals present in the pigments used for finishing. This can hardly be a threat to the environment.



4. "Chemicals present in leather will harm human skin"
   
   Sorry, no!. There is no known chemical used in leather processing which present a health hazard to humans. Yes, if you get the leather from unreliable sources and they have used some thing which is not agreeable, it is a danger present in any product we use!!