Faux leather or genuine leather?

The animal has always been processed entirely - also its skin. If it were not used for the production of leather, it would simply be disposed of. In this respect, leather production is a good example of successful recycling.

Nevertheless: The leather industry is in disrepute. Intransparent supply chains, critical working conditions in processing, a high, sometimes harmful use of chemicals in tanning, especially in the Far East, as well as critical animal husbandry conditions are the reasons for this. Many brands react by switching to faux leather - but faux leather is usually made from petroleum and is therefore not a solution.

Newer products such as Modern Meadow - a biologically produced, ethical and environmentally friendly leather alternative based on bovine collagen -, Piñatex - a synthetic leather based on pineapple fibre - or Scobytec - a leather-like material from the laboratory, grown on the basis of bacterial nanocellulose - are currently still in their infancy, and at the same time cannot be compared with conventional leather in terms of their feel and durability. They also require a lot of energy and resources in their production, as they do not function without chemical additives. We are fundamentally open to these new trends, but we observe them critically with regard to the fact that it is not new materials that are the solution, but a drastic reduction in our consumption.

Animal skins are an essential by-product of the local meat and dairy industry. As long as the consumption of animal products is a fact that cannot be denied, there is nothing more sensible than to use the skins of these animals - instead of burning them - and to process the resulting leather as a positive natural material with unique and non-substitutable properties.