But currently, he said, the chemical creates a better product. There’s ongoing research to try to find more environmentally friendly tanning methods, such as using plant extracts and enzymes. hides, meanwhile, are exported to countries with less strict environmental regulations, where they’re tanned with harsh chemicals including chromium sulphate.Įven worse, this process uses a lot of water, said Cao, who also runs a sustainable apparel initiative. That industry generates methane emissions from cows and waste-filled runoff. While leather is a natural material, it’s derived from cattle farming. Every time you wash those stretchy pants, plastic microbeads and microfibers flow down the drain, into rivers and oceans. Petrochemical-based synthetics have the same sustainability problems as plastic, and they may even be worse. Huantian Cao, a professor of fashion and apparel studies at the University of Delaware, said both have drawbacks. Vegan clothing aside, the choice between buying fossil fuel-based yoga pants or the skin of mammals raises another question: Which is worse for the environment? And there’s some star power behind this latest trend: Meghan Markle has been spotted wearing Veja sneakers, which are made from recycled plastic and corn. “Clothing brands are trying to get in line with a more ecologically conscious, younger buyer,” Palmer said. Shoes saw the biggest gains, while the decline of leather footwear - which traditionally used about half of the world’s cattle hides - has been especially pronounced. retail stores in the first half of 2019, according to Helen Palmer, director of materials at trend forecaster WGSN. Such clothing, accessories and footwear saw a 54% increase at U.S. So now, shoppers are flocking to eco-friendly faux-leathers made from fruit peels and recycled fabrics.Īs long as it doesn’t contain leather or other animal products, it can be described as vegan. Many synthetic leathers are made of petrochemicals, which raises an environmental dilemma for some consumers. And for those who still favor the look of leather, imitations have gotten more sophisticated and can breathe like the real thing, said John Hochstein, vice president of hide and leather sales for National Beef Packing Co., one of the four major U.S. So-called fast-fashion and athleisure - clothing which contains no leather at all - now dominate American retail. Hide, Skin and Leather Assn., an industry lobbying group.īut thanks in part to synthetic fabrics, that’s no longer the case. A finishing treatment, like a print, a coat of polyurethane, or buffing the hide into suede, could smooth over rough spots, said Stephen Sothmann, president of the Washington-based U.S. “Some people used to say, ‘We haven’t buried any hides yet.’ Now they can’t say that.”īefore the bottom fell out, imperfect hides could be turned into small leather goods, such as cheap handbags. Vera Dordick, chief executive officer and publisher of Hidenet, added that it’s not just the U.S. “There’s no one bidding, no one trying to buy them,” said Brannan, who has worked in the hide business since 1976.Īccording to Hidenet, a leather markets research firm, a hide from a branded cow went for as little as $4 the week of July 15, down from as much as $81 just five years ago. In the first five months of this year, the company saw a 27% drop in production, with 20% of its current inventory sitting in warehouses - worthless. Twin City Hide has had to stop taking lower-quality hides from smaller beef companies, since the cost of processing them is more than it can recoup. Older animals that have weathered the elements on pastures for years have skin marred by imperfections. Most animals don’t have perfect hides, and many are branded. But that’s just one part of the industry. ![]() ![]() There’s still plenty of demand for high-quality leather - the type used in pricey handbags or high-end sofas. “We’re throwing a natural product in the garbage.” “There are hides with no value,” said Joe Brannan, manager of export sales at Twin City Hide, a processor based in South St. It’s not even 1% of the value of a live cow. Hides from cows, which are lower quality than those of steers, have fallen to only about 5% of the value of all byproducts - worth less than tongues and cheek meat. Hides have often accounted for 50% of the value of the animal’s byproducts, and byproducts can be 10% of a steer’s value or more. With piles of 100-pound cowhides accumulating all over the country, unused and unsold, leather makers are warning of a looming commercial disaster. And while dairy producers have been under pressure from declining milk demand and dairy alternatives, the rise of meat substitutes has yet to dent America’s taste for the real thing. Cattle hides, an obligatory byproduct of beef and dairy consumption, will be around as long as Americans like cheeseburgers, steaks and ice cream.
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