EcoZeal

Leather has got to be the original natural “fabric.” People have been turning animal skins into garments and other useful items for millennia. Yet most of the leather worn today is far from environmentally benign.

Toxic Tanning

Leather must go through a process called tanning to make it pliable and rot-resistant. About 95 % of the world’s tanneries use a tanning process based on the use of hexavalent chromium – a proven and extremely potent carcinogen. To give you an idea how toxic this chemical is, the U.S. Superfund list (a list of the highest-priority polluted sites in the country) includes more tanneries than any other industry. Chrome tanning is popular because the process is simpler and much quicker than more traditional tanning methods.

Traditional Tanning Methods

An alternate method is “vegetable tanning,” a traditional method using a substance called tannin, found in many types of plants and trees. (There is plenty of tannin in evergreen trees, which is why some relatively unpolluted rivers in the northern reaches of North America have a distinctive brown color to the water.) Oak bark is a traditional source of tannin for leather.

Vegetable tanning, although not totally benign, is much less toxic and easier on the environment than chrome tanning. The process can take four to six months or even longer. The resulting product has a distinctive look and feel, and thicker pieces are suitable for tooling and carving; however it is not stable in water.

An even more primitive process is brain tanning, so-called because it was traditionally done using the animal’s brains. In this labor-intensive process, the skin is fleshed, rubbed with brains, egg yolks or other fatty natural materials, and worked in the hands until it is soft and pliable. It is then treated with smoke to preserve it. The resulting leather is light-colored, extremely soft and absorbent. This is the process Native Americans used to make buckskin garments.

Where to Look for Leather

These more eco-friendly leathers are harder to find than chrome-tanned leather, but worth the search, both for their aesthetic qualities and lesser environmental impact. One place to start is Organic Leather, which carries organic and ethically-raised leather clothing and accessories.

For authentic frontier-style leggings, moccasins, jackets and the like, try The Stitchin’Scotsman.  Owner and craftsman John McKee handcrafts these items to order, and will make them from brain-tanned hides.

Or if you’re looking for whole hides to make your own eco-friendly leather garments, check out Ecohides,  which sells direct to the public as well as to manufacturers.

As always, the least invasive option where the environment is concerned is to re-use and recycle. A little poking around in your local thrift store may yield some fantastic finds in the leather department. Since they’re used, you don’t have to worry about it – all you have to do is shop!

This beatifully decorated vest from Organic Leather is made with respect for the animal and the environment.