1 wrz 2008, o 22:03
Prawdziwe oblicze skóry
Bardzo ciekawy artykuł o skórze "Don't hide from the truth" z The Guardian z działu "The ethical wardrobe". Cytat:
"Many ethical consumers excuse their leather purchases on the grounds that skins are simply a byproduct of the meat industry. The reality is not so simple."
Oczywiście wtręt autorki o "organic or free-range meats" i konsumentach je kupujących, starających się tym samym o mięso z jak najbardziej etycznych źródeł, to wtręt do dyskusji. Etyczne źródło mięsa, to chyba takie z hodowli tkankowej...
Cały artykuł:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... on.leather
Don't hide from the truth
Many ethical consumers excuse their leather purchases on the grounds that skins are simply a byproduct of the meat industry. The reality is not so simple, as Kate Carter reveals
Whether or not you chose to wear leather usually depends on your stance towards meat, be it vegan, vegetarian or carnivore. The issue of whether or not you are at ease with the practices of the meat industry is one for your own conscience: this column aims merely to provide some facts in an area where there is frequent misconception.
Many people happily wear leather on the grounds that it's a byproduct of animal slaughter for meat and therefore a form of recycling - waste not, want not. But is leather really a byproduct? Yes and no. It might be more accurate to describe it as a subsidy. It's very hard to get any statistics as the big meat companies are under no obligation to release figures, but the selling of skins can certainly be very profitable for farmers (while meat is not always so). You could therefore argue that by buying leather, you are supporting the meat industry.
Farmers don't sell hides for tuppence ha'penny out of the kindness of their hearts or from a desire to minimise waste. They are in a moneymaking business and need to maximise profits, and the leather industry is worth billions, if not trillions, of dollars annually. The profit depends on the animal involved: while cows, of course, provide most of the leather we use, there's an increasing demand for more exotic varieties.
Take ostrich, for example - in South Africa, ostrich farms are a developing industry. But there, the conventional picture is reversed: the skins account for some 80% of the slaughtered bird's value, and it is the meat that is sold as a byproduct. Again, if the bird's death doesn't bother you there's no moral problem, but don't kid yourself that the leather would have gone to waste if someone didn't buy it.
Another oddity is that demand is rising for organic or free-range meats, as an increasing number (though still a tiny minority) of people try to source their food as ethically as possible. Yet many of these same people will happily buy cheap leather. This makes no sense: if you won't tuck into a steak that came from a miserable animal, why buy its skin? Given much of the leather we use comes from countries where animal welfare is firmly at the bottom of the list of priorities, don't imagine your handbag previously led a happy life.
The softest, most luxurious leather comes from the skin of newborn or even unborn calves, cut prematurely out of their mother's wombs. Sometimes it will be from the same veal calves whose lives of misery are well documented. Many committed carnivores draw the line at veal: why then wear calfskin?
As I have tried to emphasise, if none of this troubles you then buying leather goods poses no problem. Clearly it would be hypocritical to happily devour a veal escalope but balk at buying a soft leather bag. But if it makes you slightly squeamish, consider cutting down on your leather purchases. If you feel sick, cut out leather altogether. It's your choice.
You may want to consider the environmental issues before making a decision. The process of tanning leather is incredibly toxic. Most is chrome tanned, which results in carcinogenic chromium (VI) being pumped into the water table. While most factories in Europe and America can no longer get away with this practice, the same cannot be said of the vast leather industry in China, where many bags, jackets, and shoes begin life - including many bound for the luxury market. While leather can be tanned used non-toxic vegetable dyes, chrome tanning is faster and produces a flexible leather that's better for high-end bags and coats, so there's no incentive for factories to switch.
So are there any alternatives? Yes, and they're increasing all the time. Vegetable-tanned or recycled leather is used to make Terra Plana's ethical shoes, which also feature sustainable rubber soles. Companies like Beyond Skin make shoes from fabrics rather than leather or plastic. And if you're hunting for accessories rather than shoes, look no further that Matt & Nat, a fantastic company who will provide you with gorgeous bags, purses and wallets.
Of course, PVC and PU plastics used in leather alternatives have environmental problems of their own, which I will come back to in future columns, but many ethical companies, including Bourgeois Boheme, avoid these by using a mix of recycled or biodegradable elements. And before you reply that leather is biodegradable, bear in mind that archaeologists frequently find leather items dating back 12,000 years. That's a very long time in a landfill.
Are you searching for ethical jeans? Want to know why you should buy organic cotton? Please email me your questions and each week I'll try my best to tackle them
"Many ethical consumers excuse their leather purchases on the grounds that skins are simply a byproduct of the meat industry. The reality is not so simple."
Oczywiście wtręt autorki o "organic or free-range meats" i konsumentach je kupujących, starających się tym samym o mięso z jak najbardziej etycznych źródeł, to wtręt do dyskusji. Etyczne źródło mięsa, to chyba takie z hodowli tkankowej...
Cały artykuł:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/ ... on.leather
Don't hide from the truth
Many ethical consumers excuse their leather purchases on the grounds that skins are simply a byproduct of the meat industry. The reality is not so simple, as Kate Carter reveals
Whether or not you chose to wear leather usually depends on your stance towards meat, be it vegan, vegetarian or carnivore. The issue of whether or not you are at ease with the practices of the meat industry is one for your own conscience: this column aims merely to provide some facts in an area where there is frequent misconception.
Many people happily wear leather on the grounds that it's a byproduct of animal slaughter for meat and therefore a form of recycling - waste not, want not. But is leather really a byproduct? Yes and no. It might be more accurate to describe it as a subsidy. It's very hard to get any statistics as the big meat companies are under no obligation to release figures, but the selling of skins can certainly be very profitable for farmers (while meat is not always so). You could therefore argue that by buying leather, you are supporting the meat industry.
Farmers don't sell hides for tuppence ha'penny out of the kindness of their hearts or from a desire to minimise waste. They are in a moneymaking business and need to maximise profits, and the leather industry is worth billions, if not trillions, of dollars annually. The profit depends on the animal involved: while cows, of course, provide most of the leather we use, there's an increasing demand for more exotic varieties.
Take ostrich, for example - in South Africa, ostrich farms are a developing industry. But there, the conventional picture is reversed: the skins account for some 80% of the slaughtered bird's value, and it is the meat that is sold as a byproduct. Again, if the bird's death doesn't bother you there's no moral problem, but don't kid yourself that the leather would have gone to waste if someone didn't buy it.
Another oddity is that demand is rising for organic or free-range meats, as an increasing number (though still a tiny minority) of people try to source their food as ethically as possible. Yet many of these same people will happily buy cheap leather. This makes no sense: if you won't tuck into a steak that came from a miserable animal, why buy its skin? Given much of the leather we use comes from countries where animal welfare is firmly at the bottom of the list of priorities, don't imagine your handbag previously led a happy life.
The softest, most luxurious leather comes from the skin of newborn or even unborn calves, cut prematurely out of their mother's wombs. Sometimes it will be from the same veal calves whose lives of misery are well documented. Many committed carnivores draw the line at veal: why then wear calfskin?
As I have tried to emphasise, if none of this troubles you then buying leather goods poses no problem. Clearly it would be hypocritical to happily devour a veal escalope but balk at buying a soft leather bag. But if it makes you slightly squeamish, consider cutting down on your leather purchases. If you feel sick, cut out leather altogether. It's your choice.
You may want to consider the environmental issues before making a decision. The process of tanning leather is incredibly toxic. Most is chrome tanned, which results in carcinogenic chromium (VI) being pumped into the water table. While most factories in Europe and America can no longer get away with this practice, the same cannot be said of the vast leather industry in China, where many bags, jackets, and shoes begin life - including many bound for the luxury market. While leather can be tanned used non-toxic vegetable dyes, chrome tanning is faster and produces a flexible leather that's better for high-end bags and coats, so there's no incentive for factories to switch.
So are there any alternatives? Yes, and they're increasing all the time. Vegetable-tanned or recycled leather is used to make Terra Plana's ethical shoes, which also feature sustainable rubber soles. Companies like Beyond Skin make shoes from fabrics rather than leather or plastic. And if you're hunting for accessories rather than shoes, look no further that Matt & Nat, a fantastic company who will provide you with gorgeous bags, purses and wallets.
Of course, PVC and PU plastics used in leather alternatives have environmental problems of their own, which I will come back to in future columns, but many ethical companies, including Bourgeois Boheme, avoid these by using a mix of recycled or biodegradable elements. And before you reply that leather is biodegradable, bear in mind that archaeologists frequently find leather items dating back 12,000 years. That's a very long time in a landfill.
Are you searching for ethical jeans? Want to know why you should buy organic cotton? Please email me your questions and each week I'll try my best to tackle them
