Everything you want to know about the sustainability of the textile and fashion industry
Leather is made by tanning the skins and rawhide of animals. In the tanning process, many various chemicals are used, such as chromium, phthalate esters, and nonylphenol ethoxylate soapes. Tanneries around the world have been accused of several severe environmental pollution cases as well as significant negative health impacts amongst tannery workers.
The leather industry, a large section of the overall fashion industry, significantly contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming, deforestation for cattle ranching, high water and energy consumption, pollution from tanning processes, and inefficient waste management.
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This review examines the significant presence of pesticide residues in leather products, as detailed in the study by Jinlan Dai et al. (2020), and explores the broader implications for the fast fashion industry and the shift towards sustainable fashion practices.
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Leather is responsible for a variety of adverse environmental impacts at multiple points throughout its entire lifecycle. To combat these effects, it is important to improve the sustainability of the leather industry while more environmentally conscious alternatives are being developed.
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