To ask that people consider giving up leather?

[Breadandwine]

I’ve been a vegan for 13 years. My concerns are animal welfare and global warming, plus I feel it's good for my health.

With regard to animal welfare, I have issues with every aspect of animal husbandry - but I have to be honest, until now, I haven’t given much thought to leather. I avoid it, certainly - it took several years of delicate negotiations before I persuaded my wife to accept a faux leather suite instead of the leather one she wanted - but I’ve always thought leather to be a by-product of the dairy industry.

Not so. An article by Lucy Siegle in this morning’s Observer Magazine brought me up short.

Leather production seems to be worse than other forms of animal cruelty in that humans are suffering too:

"Finally the animals are skinned (in front of each other) in the back streets of Dhaka. The skins are processed in makeshift tanneries with workers, including children, knee deep in toxic chemicals."

[Junosmum]

YANBU to ask. I won't be doing this though, non-leather shoes day in ay out do dreadful things to my feet.

[MagratGarlikAgain]

What RandyMagnum said.

Man-made fabrics don't offer the same amount of protection for bikers. I'll stick to leather, thanks.

[LaContessaDiPlump]

I'm with you op - another vegan here. I still wear my old leather items because there's plenty of wear in them and the cows are already dead. I'm certainly not buying any more though, and future furniture will be firmly non-animal-based

[Bananasandchocolatecustard]

Fabric covered sofas are a good alternative. IKEA sofas have removable covers so they can be washed.

[MuddhaOfSuburbia]

I do fret about it, but I do still end up buying leather shoes

I eat meat but only high welfare

Afaik high welfare leather isn't a thing

Or Is It

I should rtft shouldnI

[LaContessaDiPlump]

You'd be surprised about some leather substitutes. I was in Monsoon/Accessorise recently and wanted a bag, but only liked the styles which looked like leather. I asked the assistant on the off chance if any of the bags were leather substitute and vegan suitable, and she pointed out a whole rack I wouldn't have known. Same price range as everything else too!

[Tfoot75]

I'm sure man made fabrics including faux leather are only produced in 100% ethical circumstances, in safe environments where employees are paid and treated fairly in Eco factories ... Hmmm...

[LaContessaDiPlump]

They probably aren't Tfoot75, but the leather prep places are probably shit too.

[ExConstance]

matt & nat tres chic. I have had several of these bags, the finish is top end, the metal fittings very good quality and they last for ages.

[maydancer]

Yes YABU Bog off!
we would be vegans if we wanted to be!

[unlucky83]

Skimmed read the thread. I already knew the issue of animal cruelty and cheap leather...what I've read is worse than that article. (Don't look into things like fake uggs and animal welfare in China... that is much worse)
But I'm not a vegetarian... and leather has its place. It does (can) last well and fake leather has its environmental problems.
The main problem with leather is cheap leather - in fact cheap anything.
Cheap cotton has a massive environmental impact, the pesticides etc used in its production poison waterways, so villagers and their livestock, wild animals.
I think more than giving up leather we need to show more interest in where it comes from (and don't think designer things are any better) - and really look into the origins - something labelled 'Genuine leather Made in Italy' ...means that it has put together in Italy (possibly in Chinese sweatshops there) using leather from anywhere...
And lots of cheap 'genuine leather' belts are often really leather & cloth - it will crack/break just as easily as fake plasticised leather effect ones.
A £200 leather sofa probably comes from these cruelly treated animals and is stretched so thin that is is not durable...will rip just as easily as fake leather.
The only way to try and avoid these things is to try and reduce the amount we buy of everything. Spend a little more if possible to buy things that will last better...

[betsyderek]

I have been to the Gucci workshop. No Chinese there I promise.

[betsyderek]

And I know Tods and Prada are made there too. I wouldn't knowingly buy anything Chinese. Especially leather because it is usually dog.

[unlucky83]

betsy
www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2014/12/11032-gucci-and-the-chinese-workers
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21350013
www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/news/article/?id=8803

[betsyderek]

Nothing about shoes in any of those googles. Bags and clothes are not the same. I boycott China because of their generally horrible culture rather than whether they can see a handbag. Like I said I don't want their filthy blood stained dog leather from Primark. I don't want to support their disgusting fondness for cruelty and beliefs. I don't really care a lot about being called a liar on a parenting website but I do care about what I support.

[betsyderek]

Jesus I have wasted almost as much time on this crap as that dude wasted googling Gucci to try and be clever.

[betsyderek]

So to add, I don't really give a shit if a Chinese person flew to Italy to sew a bag as long as they left their dog skins and bear claw medicines behind.

[lljkk]

That Guardian article OP linked to at start...

From what it's saying, the thousands of cows wandering around that fall down dead in the Indian streets would still be wandering around & left to lie in the street.... and without the untouchables dealing with the carcasses (for leather trade) those cows would still rot.

Creating more health hazard.
Leading to less employment for the untouchables.
Leading to less economic activity in the area.

And then in Brazil... the forests are being stripped for lots of reasons, but beef is much more profitable than leather. Leather isn't driving deforestation. Roads are, mind, ability by developers to get in there has driven deforestation bad. Tear up the roads & you might save the forests.

[OhShutUpThomas]

Just buy British. Job done.

[unlucky83]

betsy I'm not calling you a liar - I do think you are naive. Visiting a workshop you are hardly going to be shown the chinese workers working 17 hrs and kept a slaves ...and some American designer (whose name escapes me) was successfully prosecuted for basically running a sweatshop in the US. All I'm saying is just because it is expensive and designer doesn't mean it is any better ethically than something from primark -that Gucci leather could have come from China...
Because I said cheap -which is likely to be an indicator of poor welfare but actually you need to do more than just look at the price tag...
lijkk in India they also transport cows hundreds of miles in appalling conditions over the border into Bangladesh (I think it is) to slaughter for leather because it is illegal to kill cows in India.

[betsyderek]

I don't care about Chinese workers. I do however care about dog leather and the vile and sick produce of China. I genuinely do not believe my shoes are made of dog. I went to the workshop in the mid 90s for work so it may have changed. I can definitely confirm however, that the Mulberry workshop in Shelton Mallet is entirely staffed by ex public school gap yahs called Maul, Mabel and other such names. I was there in the summer getting my bags replied and a Chinese worker would have probably been far more efficient.

[lljkk]

so if the cows weren't transported to Bangladesh...

more cows going to fall down dead in India & provide handy anthrax breeding habitat
less employment for Bangladeshis

Buy British is good... But does anyone in Britain cure leather?

[betsyderek]

Maud

[betsyderek]

Repiped. Sick of this arrogant bossy phone.

[escapedfrommordor]

I honestly just really don't care. I think it's best to be honest. I like burgers and leather. Meh.