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You are here: Home / Industry / A thoughtless attack on vegetable tanning

A thoughtless attack on vegetable tanning

June 30, 2020

There is a most unfortunate press release on vegetable tanning that came via PR Newswire, that is a shock to read.  It implies that vegetable tanning is fraudulently supported and promoted,  but that in fact plays a major role in the destruction of forests. The link to the text is here

“Vegetable Tanned Leather” Could Cause Devastating Environmental Effects and Lead to Future Pandemics, it is NOT “Safer” or “Eco-Friendly” as Many Leather Companies Imply

but we expect to see more publications and web sites use it as went out before we had sight of it, and although the author has kindly accepted that it is wrong it had already been posted.

The impact that vegetable tanning can make on the environment via deforestation can be large and impactful as it suggests, but we are talking about events 100 years ago. In Central America, where the charity who wrote it are established  the historic problem was with the mangrove forests.  This was one of the main materials used in tanning. It has, of course, not been used in the last century there and we are not aware of anyone in the world who has even considered using it in the last 6 six decades, and almost certainly  much longer. Mangrove forests remain threatened but the damage of the 20th century and this century seems to come from population growth and tourism. This is undoubtedly the case in Central America. It certainly has not been from leather making.

Such vegetable tannins as are used in Central America come from the major suppliers of vegetable tannins who are certified as using material – only some vegetable tannins come from bark – from renewable sources. Most of the companies are involved in carefully managed forest regeneration and their use of timber for tannins is fully considered. With mimosa for example the trees are used and replanted in managed plantations on an 8 year cycle. The newest innovation in the sector, coming from Germany but now being used widely uses the tannin from the leaves of olive trees, which as you know are a waste collected up after the olives are picked.  Leather tanned with this is already used by BMW. Taking a hide which is a waste product from the meat and dairy industry, tanning it with olive leave sourced tannin and creating a material that needs minimal maintenance and which will last for decades does not feel like it is destroying forests, and doing harm to the planet: particularly so since the alternate is plastics or synthetic textiles which do not last very long, are based on fossil fuels for their origins, are not easy to reuse or recycle but quite often end up in the oceans as tiny but damaging particles.
While we agree that vegetable tanning – a term that has been used for some centuries – has been promoted by some organisations as extra green in ways that are not based on sound science but on a “feeling” that something “vegetable” is inherently good, this is not enough to condemn vegetable tanning as totally harmful and deadly to the cause of reforestation. Its technical capabilities are such that its return to volume use will always be limited.  In particular society and industry is not going back to sole leather for all our footwear which was the major use, or industrial belting to run our machines and factories.  Its use in footwear uppers, most upholstery and garments will always be limited. Those days are history. But we do anticipate considerable growth based on the biophilic nature of leather and its wonderful characteristics and longevity.  The leather is lovely to handle, has a beautiful patina, and items made from it like belts and bags can be particularly handsome.  Even when environmental matters were not well understood and Rachel Carson was only just writing her book, vegetable tannins were sourced from carefully considered renewable resources with a high proportion from fruits and leaves and where bark was used the trees replanted in cycles so there would be no net deforestation.
We are very clear that vegetable tanning is no threat whatsoever to the forests in the world and our need to stop deforestation. There are other targets which need our attention.
Where you see this press release published please respond to stop this misinformation spreading.

 

Filed Under: Industry, Sustainability

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