In a previous post, I had mentioned the horrific things that are happening at Bangladeshi leather tanneries.  I really had no idea how bad things were until I saw this segment on PBS.  It got me wondering: what does “proper” leather tanning look like?  I found this youtube video about how leather is made in the USA.  Even leather made “safely” in America is strange!  Frankly, it’s gross.  Manufacturing waste from the leather tanning process, in forms of dried up connective tissue and gray globs of fatty slime, is bought by cheap dog food companies to use as filler (yuck, I’m so glad we feed Freddy real meat and good dry food).  I’m not vegan or anti-leather, although I do admire those who do choose to be.  I do own a few cherished leather items: my APC gigi boots, half moon bag, watch, wallet, and loafers.  But after seeing this, I’m starting to evolve in this area, and will opt to purchase leather secondhand when I’m in need of replacements.  Or go “pleather” or “vegan leather”– both names don’t sit right with me.  There’s lots of snarky connotations in those terms.  What about removing the term leather altogether and replacing it with the name of the actual material.  As it terns out there’s a huge range of vegan leather and some are actually really bad for the environment and yet they all go under the same name. Continue reading “The strange way leather is made.” →