Earlier this week we attended the 6th Sustainable Leather Forum, hosted by Alliance France Cuir. Our team was on site in Paris to hear from global leather industry experts on the challenges facing the sector as it works to become more sustainable and meet the demands of the market, consumers, and legislation alike.

Some of our takeaways:

Traceability is on everyone’s minds

The leather industry faces a unique challenge when it comes to achieving traceability, eliminating deforestation, and complying with legislation like EUDR, due to its limited influence over the farming practices of the meat industry. However, there is some common ground between the two industries. Achieving complete traceability for leather products requires better technology, more accurate and reliable data, and collaboration between different stakeholders in the leather supply chain.

Raising livestock & leather making

The leather industry should maintain clear communications with consumers about the connection between raising livestock and leather making in order to promote a better understanding of its position as a by-product of the food industry.

Science-based methodologies are key

There have been many attempts to quantify the environmental footprint of leather as a material, which is no easy task. There are many different factors to consider, such as the type of hide and skin, the method of farming, the transport of a material, the impact of the chemicals used in production, and so on. Moreover, most studies do not consider the impact of the product in use, where the durability and repairability of leather is an important factor. Italian sustainability consultancy SPIN 360 is working with UNIDO to create a science-based methodology for creating leather environmental footprints, which will help the industry better understand its impact through the supply chain and eventual end use in order to demonstrate a bigger and more informative picture.

For more information about the sustainability of leather, visit: https://bit.ly/3OHIuR8.