The sustainability of leather and the way it can affect the environment has always been a hot topic. Of course, we are aware of the damages that have come from the history of leather, however as the world continues to evolve and improve, so does the way we do things. The word ‘sustainable’, is a label that is arguably used for marketing purposes. The ‘sustainable’ term, sung with many others - such as “green,” “eco-friendly,” “ethical,” and “responsibly-made,” - lack concrete, uniform definitions with foundations in law that brands and consumers can observe.
But all in all, the idea of brands being fully sustainable is a relatively new idea. The movement as a whole has been rooted within social expectations of today. However, in terms of the idea of a sustainable lifestyle meeting our needs without compromising the ability of future generations being able to meet theirs - the world still has a very long way to go.
Now here at BODA, we are doing everything in our power to ensure that what we do is as sustainable as possible. We’re not blind to the fact that it's tough to ensure that there are no broken links in the 100% sustainable chain. You could argue that it’s pretty impossible to be 100% sustainable, as the word has so many different factors. One thing we can do is ensure that we are aware and consciously improving our processes by being the best we possibly can be, not only as individuals, but as a collective, as a family.
Leather goods, mainly handbags, shoes and jackets are often thought of as the most expensive items within the luxury fashion sector. Due to the many processes that the materials go through, these products cost the most to construct and sell, especially when produced in the most environmentally-friendly way.
The mass production of garments across the world is one of the biggest factors behind the increase of the world’s carbon footprint, producing 1 tenth of the world’s carbon emissions. This has lead to both BODA SKINS, and the luxury fashion industry as a whole, making big changes in how things are done.
Georgie Williams, BODA's Head of E-Commerce and Marketing said: "Education into the impact that we are all having on the planet is vital in understanding the importance of every move we make as a brand and as individuals. We all need to be consciously aware of our decisions and how they can positively or negatively impact the planet we all call home.
"I strongly believe that everyone needs to be further educated in this area before it’s too late to reverse our actions. I fear that too many people are going about their daily life totally unaware."
Creating a sustainable garment from the byproducts of the meat industry is one of the key components to ensuring complete environmental sustainability across the fashion sector. Using hides left over from the process of meat production are how things are done around here these days, fitting comfortably into our “buy less, buy better” ethos.
Fast fashion, opposed to slow fashion, produces over 92 million tonnes of waste, along with 79 trillion litres of water per year. Developing countries often bear the burden over western, more developed countries in the world, due to the cheap nature of garment construction in poorer countries
Kirsi Niinimäki, Associate Professor in Design, especially Fashion Research, said: “Slow fashion is the future, but we need a new system-wide understanding of how to transition towards this model, requiring creativity and collaboration between designers and manufacturers, various stakeholders and end consumers.”
“Leather is ultimately a sustainable product, the carbon footprint of leather is now lower than rival materials like plastic, which is a huge pollutant to our planet.
- Laura Millington, BODA SKINS Head of Product & Creative
But behind every great brand, comes an equally great manufacturer. This is the process that a lot of the world tends to misunderstand. The luxury end of the fashion market has seen a revival of ancient tanning techniques. The use of leather dyeing with vegetables, bark, wood, berries, roots and leaves are used to colour and preserve hides; producing far less harmful waste. These processes are becoming more popular amongst leather manufacturers, with world-renowned corporations taking the leap into a greener and more sustainable space.
The LWG estimates that 20% of all leather is covered by their audits which assess chemical, waste, water management and safety matters regarding tanneries. Today, around 42 brands and 36 suppliers along with many more tanneries are LWG members. Whilst 20% may seem low, this is a figure that is on the rise, with many retailers and brands refusing to work with factories who are not certified. Through further education, we hope that consumers will look out for this too when purchasing from brands.
One corporation making a huge difference in the world is The Leather Working Group (LWG). Besides the LWG helping in the sourcing and production of our leathers, the multi-stakeholder involves brands, suppliers, manufacturers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and end users. They use an audit protocol that assesses the environmental compliance and performance of tanners while promoting sustainable, environmental business practices.
The LWG estimates that 20% of all leather is covered by their audits which assess chemical, waste, water management and safety matters regarding tanneries. Today, around 42 brands and 36 suppliers along with many more tanneries are LWG members. Whilst 20% may seem low, this is a figure that is on the rise, with many retailers and brands refusing to work with factories who are not certified. Through further education, we hope that consumers will look out for this too when purchasing from brands.
One other form of unity comes from the Higg Materials Sustainability Index. This index aims to help brands, retailers and manufacturers assess the sustainability of materials for use in footwear, garments and other consumer products. After it was launched in 2012, it has been making a lot of noise in the battle against unfair treatment in the leather industry.
In a rare, but welcome display of recent unity, the global leaders in the leather industry, including The Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) and leather’s representative bodies in the European Union (COTANCE) joined forces and sent a joint letter to the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).
In the letter, the secretary of the International Council of Tanners, Dr Kerry Senior, said the leather industry recognises the need for assessment of the environmental impacts of products. “This has led to a negative perception of leather that does not reflect its sustainable, circular nature,” he said.
But, How Do We Keep Things Sustainable At BODA SKINS and within Luxury fashion?
We have made it our mission to continually evolve and improve our sustainability journey. You see, we’re never satisfied. We are moving in the right direction to become one of, if not the most sustainable luxury fashion label in the world; and to do this, there’s a number of steps we’re taking to ensure that…
Waste Reduction
We have been working long and hard to reduce our waste production as much as possible. We’ve been doing well with this, bringing in a limited number of styles per item, ensuring that we sell out before we bring a fresh collection in. We avoid seeing over-stock in the BODA warehouse and we will continue to live by that. Working with the best hides on the market, we ensure that no waste comes from the use of them. Through repurposing our waste into other products, each unused hide goes into other projects such as jewellery construction, along with other leather-based products.
The beauty of our jackets is this: they don’t need to be washed. This steers all of our leather away from the washing machines, with the average washing machine using 9.5 litres of water for every kilogram of clothes it washes.
Also, if stock comes in plastic bags or cardboard boxes, we always make sure that it’s recycled.
Transport and Packaging
The transport of our products is extremely important to us. We strive to move our products in a variety of different ways to help reduce our carbon footprint as much as possible. In partnership with this, our packaging is the most innovative yet, with our multi-functional bag being introduced to be used for day-to-day purposes.
Leather Wastage
BODA has now made a shift towards working with leather manufacturers that make sure that our leathers are coming from sustainable sources, along with all animals being treated fairly with legit welfare.
During our manufacturing process, our latest leathers include chrome-free tanning that eliminates chromium toxins, this process helps reduce water resources to move towards a more environmentally sustainable approach.
In a recent interview, BODA SKINS’ Head of Product and Creative, Laura Millington said: “Leather is ultimately a sustainable product, the carbon footprint of leather is now lower than rival materials like plastic, which is a huge pollutant to our planet.
“Leather is renewable, a by-product (not a co-product) and will last you a lifetime. It’s important that we make a conscious effort to improve the leather processes, particularly in transparency and chrome-free tanning. 80% of the leather industry actually uses chrome tanning, which is massive. We understand that chrome-free tanning is a much more expensive process, but without the chroming, we would give the industry a much healthier ecosystem.”
The misconception of leather is that plastic alternatives, as well as the labels who work solely in fast fashion are more harmful to the environment than slow fashion brands that work on longevity, rather than quickly-changing styles. The “buy less, buy better” ethos is the key component in the direction in which the industry needs to go as a whole, and here at BODA, we live by the idea of our jackets lasting a lifetime.
You can pass your BODA down, or even sell it back to us using our BODA BuyBack scheme. This process steers away from the concept of fast fashion, and settles in a circular motion of life-long fashion.
The Bottom Line
When it comes to sourcing your final opinion on the ethical reasonings behind leather manufacturing, the bottom line is that sustainability is not a simple or clear-cut standard that brands and retailers can easily achieve. There are numerous variables involved in the materials, manufacturing processes, packaging and freight methods that aren’t only integrated here at BODA, but the whole luxury fashion space.
So, what can you do to help? You can get informed. When it comes to sporting leather items, be sure to find out where your materials and components are coming from. Analyse each brand you purchase from, from their suppliers, to the materials used to construct their garments.
Creating a better planet comes from making better decisions. Staying aware of advancements in an ever changing world across every industry isn’t always easy. The Fashion industry is forever evolving in its quest to become more sustainable. It’s clear to say that the fashion industry isn’t in the place where we want it to be right now, but as fashion lovers, designers, clientele and worldwide brands, collective decisions can be made to ensure that everyone is doing their part.
