What if the world stopped using leather

You’ve heard that buying vegan leather is better for the environment. But is that true?

Imagine the entire world stopped using leather right now. Think of replacing every leather product in your home, vehicle, workplace, and community. How would this impact you? And how would this impact our environment?

To answer this question today, we have tools such as the carbon footprint to evaluate our favorite products. But does this number capture the full picture? Does it include the impact of raw materials, how long a product lasts, or how we dispose of it? How can we make responsible choices if we are only given a portion of the facts?

Thus, it’s up to us to uncover the truth. What would happen if the world stopped using leather?

Sources:
“Leather Industry”. 2024. Leather Dictionary.
“Methane”. 2024. PubChem National Library of Medicine.
“Carbon”. 2024. PubChem National Library of Medicine.
“Meat and Dairy Production”. 2023. Our World in Data.
“Leather Industry Data Shows Us it is Far More Impactful Than Even Synthetic Alternatives”. 2019. Circumfauna.
“Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules Guidance”. 2018. European Commission.
“How Much Leather Can I Get From a Hide?”. 2018. Leather Hide Store.
“Leather Carbon Footprint. Review of the European Standard EN 16887: 2017”. 2017. Leather Panel UNIDO.
“The Green, Blue, and Grey Water Footprint of Farm Animals and Animal Products”. 2010. UNESCO-IHE.
“Editorial Observer the Whole Cow and Nothing but the Whole Cow”. 2004. NY Times.
“Chapter 2: Landfill Gas Basics”. 2001. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry.