There's no black and white answer when it comes to the ethics and sustainability of real leather vs. faux leather. There are a lot of factors to consider - and while I've obviously landed on an answer for myself, I wanted to try to present an unbiased overview of what those factors are, and what the impact each option has. This post is unbiased in that I will present the pros and cons of each honestly - I will however explain my stance on each piece as I go. I will also generalize a bit, to keep this brief - there is a lot of information out there if you want to dive deeper on any of these points to come to your own conclusion, but I didn't want to get TOO in the weeds here.
We'll start with ethics, just to begin at the beginning. I've always had a bleeding heart for animals - I was a vegetarian for over 7 years, and went to college for animal science; all I wanted to do from an early age was grow up, become a veterinarian, and help animals. It's a little ironic that I'm now a leathercrafter - but that speaks to the complexity of the issue as well. I do eat meat now, but I also live under the paw of a fluffy, K-9 overlord. You win some, you lose some...
As a meat eater, the discussion of animal welfare is doubly important to me. I do plan to continue eating meat, and try to do so responsibly and in moderation. It's important to me that the leather sourced for my shop comes from ethically operated farms and to the extent that I'm able to ensure that, I do. By sourcing the bulk of my leather from a single source that I trust, I'm confident that the cows involved are coming from countries where the industry is the most regulated.
Animals and people tend to suffer the most in areas of low industry regulation - especially in the third world where everything is often done for the lowest cost possible, to the detriment of any living being involved. By avoiding these sources, I know my business isn't supporting the irresponsible and cruel practices that are rampant in some parts of the world. I also don't work with any exotic leathers; as with the fur industry, killing animals for their pelts or hides is not only wasteful, they are often treated with particular cruelty.
Cows are not raised or killed for their hide, however - cowhide is strictly a by-product of the meat industry. Don't get me wrong, I have plenty of criticism for the meat industry, but people will continue to eat meat for the foreseeable future, and as long as they do, there will be plenty of cowhide that would otherwise be wasted if not for it's use in leather. It's easier as someone who also eats meat for me to justify this - I would be a hypocrite if I justified eating meat but not the use of leather; and I would rather see all parts of an animal be used than have more waste. I don't feel qualified to argue the other side here - because I do look at the situation very objectively and rationally. We will not all be vegans tomorrow, or the day after, so while there are hides that need a use, I feel the right thing to do is to use them. I respect those who disagree, and understand where they are coming from, to be sure. But it's just not where I land on the matter.
The undisputed benefit of faux leather is removing animal suffering from the equation, and that's significant. But there are a lot more things to consider, unless that's your primary concern and the environmental factors are meaningless for you; if that's the case, I think you've already landed where you are on the issue - and this post isn't written to try to change your mind, but rather to offer additional information and points to consider for those who have additional concerns on the matter of leather and the larger impact it, and it's faux counterpart, may have.
Sustainability is just as complicated, if not more complicated. From my research, the jury is still out on which is more harmful for the environment, although I will note that in these comparisons, the by-product nature of real leather isn't factored in and the consequences to the environment of the meat industry is attributed to leather, which I don't think is fully rational.
On the real leather side, the strain on the environment includes: the clearing of land for raising livestock and the resources used to nourish them, the chemicals often used to process and tan the leather and how those chemicals are disposed of, the excessive amount of water also used in this process, and the lack of safe working conditions as well as the fair wages often not provided to workers processing and tanning leather. Contrary to what many believe, leather doesn't readily biodegrade. The tanning process is specifically geared to prevent leather from degrading - and depending on the method of tanning used, it can take decades for leather to degrade - and leather that's been tanned with chemicals will release those chemicals into the environment when it does.
As for faux leather, the vast majority of faux leather is petroleum-based. We all have some familiarity with the detrimental effects of fossil fuels and plastics on the environment, so I won't get too deep into that topic. Water and additional chemicals go into the production of faux leather, and the disposal of those chemicals is a huge concern, just as it is with real leather. Workers producing faux leather also suffer in poor work conditions and exploitative labor practices. But the major difference between leather and faux leather when it comes to sustainability is it's lifespan and what happens after it's disposed of. Faux leather has improved a LOT in recent times, but it just cannot match the durability and longevity of real leather. The longer an item can be used and kept out of landfills (and the less often it needs to be replaced with another of the same or similar), the better for the environment. And when faux leather inevitably ends up in landfills - much sooner than it's real counterpart, just due to the faster wear of the material, the sooner it wreaks havoc in ways that real leather does not. PU leather adds microplastics to the environment that will be there indefinitely. We have not found a solution to massive issue of microplastics and their horrible effect on our environment, especially our oceans; I'm not sure if we ever will.
Where ever you land on the balance of these issues is fair - I don't think there is a right or wrong answer...it's extremely complicated. I will say that I land on the side of real leather, because there are things that can be (and are being) done to reduce and mitigate the environmental costs. Tanning processes continue to improve and by buying leather from eco-conscious tanneries that use natural methods of tanning (such as vegetable tanning) and/or dispose of chemicals responsibly, you can reduce that part of the environmental impact. When it comes the the land and resources used to raise cattle, I don't think it's completely fair to put all of that on the leather industry. As I went over earlier, cow hide is a by-product of the meat industry, and that land and those resources are going to be used as long as we continue to eat meat - wasting the hides wouldn't change that one bit. To address the issue of human rights and the health and livelihoods of workers - it's important again to know the source, and choose sources for leather and leather goods that don't exploit workers and put their health at risk. That means paying a little more, but cheap leather has a very real cost, to human beings, animals, and the environment.
The longevity of leather is what really sets it apart from faux leather for me, from the standpoint of sustainability. A quality leather piece can last decades with a little care - and if and when it does end up in a landfill, it's not adding microplastics into the environment for eternity.
I work hard to make sure the pieces I make for Culte du Cuir are made to last. Not only so my customers will be able to enjoy them season after season, but also to ensure they don't fall apart and need to be disposed of, adding to the world's waste. By taking care of your leather pieces, you can help ensure they remain usable for the long lifespan that leather offers (I'll be posting an article on leather care very soon) and make your purchase a more sustainable one.
It's a bit of an aside, but I do want to mention the natural leather alternatives that are starting to become available commercially. I said that faux leather has come a long way, and nothing demonstrates that more than the natural leather alternatives that are starting to gain popularity. Faux leather is now made with cork, mushrooms, and apple peels, just to name a few. These leather alternatives, some more than others, can be surprisingly durable and great looking. And many are completely biodegradable - from my understanding. I don't know much more about this topic, it's not readily available enough or affordable for my business - but it's something I'm very interested in, and hope to be able to explore these options for the shop someday. I don't think it's attainable for most people yet, both due to cost and availability, to replace leather or PU leather, however. But it's an exciting breakthrough!
In the meantime, I will focus on making durable, long lasting pieces with leather sourced from ethical, sustainability minded tanneries. I offer vegetable tanned leather as an option (all of my natural/vanilla colored pieces are already made using vegetable tanned leather); if you are interested in one of my pieces in black leather, please note that this is oil tanned leather. I am able to make black leather pieces using vegetable tanned leather, but there will be an increase in price. If you'd like a quote on a vegetable tanned version of any of my black leather pieces, please reach out and I will get that to you.
I'm sorry I'm not able to answer the question once and for all - but it's a complicated issue with no easy answer. Making educated choices starts with being educated on the issue, so in that way, I hope this article was helpful and shed more light on this matter and the factors involved. Ultimately, you have to make the decision that feels right to you. For me, at least, the answer is clear.
That's all for today!
Emily
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