My thoughts on leather

The leather industry, and the brands that use it, are regularly criticized for their responsibilities regarding animal welfare and their environmental impact. Having chosen to make leather the primary raw material at ENVOL, I'll explain why here.
 
Sustainability:
  
Leather by nature is a sustainable material. Working with it is the oldest upcycling activity in human history , as it involves transforming waste into a high-quality material : rot-proof, durable, and versatile. This is the very definition of the circular economy: remanufacturing a raw material from a product that is, in itself, unusable.
 
Taking into account the life cycle of a material is essential to assess its environmental impact. At ENVOL, we believe that maximizing the quality of products placed on the market to prevent them from being thrown away too quickly is the key to minimizing our impact on the planet. However, the resistance of leather is almost unrivaled. This material has survived the ages since the dawn of time; and the best proof is that the major part of products found on second-hand platforms are made of leather.
The vision of the product we champion counts for a lot in the choice of materials. At ENVOL, we see the bag as a cherished object that we carry everywhere and wish to pass on to our children one day. We do not seek to create biodegradable or compostable products, at the risk of compromising their durability, simply because it is not our dream to sell you bags that you will put in the compost at the end of their life. Our dream is for you to wear them for a long time and never throw them away. We have also interviewed many women on this topic, and we promise that a bag is not to be thrown away !
 
  
Animal welfare:
 
The waste that is transformed into leather is the skin of an animal that was raised for its meat, milk or wool and that would be destroyed if it were not used. Despite what we hear regularly, no one in the world has ever raised a bovine for its skin (except exotics). This statement is completely false, and economically impossible. In the best case scenario, the skin is worth a maximum of 10% of the animal's value; and in at least half of the cases, the skin is completely unusable by French and European industries, sold at very low prices and exported to markets that manufacture entry-level products. It therefore makes no sense to raise an animal for 10% of its value.
  

The best way to stop animal suffering, which unfortunately exists everywhere in Europe, is to reduce our consumption of meat and milk, to favor small-scale farming over industrial farming, and to choose to buy as many products as possible through direct sales or short supply chains from organic and free-range farms. Not to boycott leather.

As for the traceability of the hides, the important thing until a reliable traceability system can ensure it is to use hides from Europe. At ENVOL, we source our leathers from an Italian tannery whose leathers are LWG Gold certified, the highest level of certification from the Leather Working Group.

 

Consumer protection:
The most widely used tanning process in the world (approximately 80% of tanned leather) is done with chromium salts, a heavy metal whose derivations can be toxic to health. It is therefore regulated by the European REACH regulation, which protects consumers regarding product safety and the elimination of hazardous substances. All European tanning companies must produce in compliance with this regulation, and the standards applied are the highest in the world.

Protection of people and the environment:

It is essential not to confuse practices that could be used on the other side of the world with those that take place in Europe. The leather industry generates major ecological and human problems because the activity of tanning hides is extremely polluting if it is not regulated. But this is not the case in Europe, where regulations very strictly govern the activity of tanneries, so that the chrome is processed and does not pollute the immediate environment of the tanneries or poison the workers and local populations.

 

Alternative materials to leather:

The term "vegan leather" or "vegetable leather" is nonsense. The word "leather goods" ("maroquin") comes from the word "maroquin," which refers to leather made from goat and billy goat skins, the tanning of which was invented in Morocco. As long as you don't use animal skin, you can't call it leather. In France, "leather" is a registered trademark. These terms are therefore incorrect and confusing for customers. 

In recent years, we have seen the emergence of innovative, bio-sourced materials made from recycled organic plant waste, such as apples or grapes. In reality, they are almost all coated with polyurethane, which is a plastic derivative, for a simple reason: natural fibers do not have sufficient strength to last over time and without it, they would disintegrate. However, the environmental impact of plastic is significant. This material is deadly for the planet because it disintegrates into microparticles that are found everywhere: in water, in the air, in the flesh of the animals we consume and even in our own bodies.

Furthermore, most of them are not subject to the same controls as leather, on which a large number of analyses are carried out constantly. Unfortunately, they do not guarantee the absence of suffering of other species, nor an ecologically virtuous product.

And finally, the physical properties of these materials are far inferior to those of leather. Much less resistant to tearing, folding, and rubbing, and much less flexible, they also don't have the same waterproofing or breathability qualities.