Is leather sustainable? There is no clear-cut answer. On one hand as a by-product of the meat industry, it’s a practical, durable, creative, and stylish way to reduce waste. On the other hand, the production of leather often involves animal cruelty, harmful chemicals, deforestation, and more.
The Australian fashion advocacy organisation Collective Fashion Justice classifies leather as a co-product – not a by-product – of the meat industry. By calling it a by-product, the leather industry can argue that leather is not supporting animal slaughter nor harming the environment, but rather it reduces waste. Collection Fashion Justice argues that this is not accurate.
The organisation makes a compelling case against the leather and meat industries, arguing that they are responsible for massive levels of waste and harm both animals and the people paid to slaughter and skin them. However, cutting out meat and animal by-products from our lifestyles is complicated, especially in a South African context.
South Africans love their cattle, dead and alive
Author Gregory Mthembu-Salter in his book, Wanted Dead and Alive: The Case for South Africa’s Cattle, says: “South Africans love their cattle, dead and alive.” Cattle are an integral part of South African culture: they are integral to the centuries-old practice of lobola, to linking people to their ancestors, and to be enjoyed at the national pastime of the braai.” Lobola is when a bridegroom’s family gifts cattle to his betrothed’s family before the wedding to legitimise the marriage.
In this context is a post-animal or a vegan leather industry a relevant goal? Should we rather explore how ethically sourced and responsibly produced leather can play a role in a circular economy? Should we not ensure that less, better leather is produced from the cattle that is reared in a responsible way?
To find out more, I visited Mossop Leather, a tannery in Wellington – about 70 kilometres outside Cape Town – earlier this year.
Writer Andie Reeves talks to Marc Lailvaux, who served as the tannery’s sales and marketing leader for over five years
South Africa has just 20 tanneries, a stark contrast to India’s 2091, making the local supply chain fairly easy to trace. Forward-thinking establishments like Mossop Leather are taking measurable action towards sustainability such as reducing water usage and sourcing raw materials from responsible suppliers. These suppliers do not partake in habitat destruction and actively reduce sending any inputs to landfills. The tannery takes an active interest in the lives of their employees and the surrounding community.
The oldest tannery in the Southern Hemisphere, Mossop Leather was established over 175 years ago by farmers from Cumbria, Italy, who produced saddles and riding boots. Today, it employs 165 people, plus contractors.
South Africa is fortunate as it has natural biomes for grazing cattle
Hides used by the tannery are sourced locally, and primarily from a tannery in Port Elizabeth. South Africa is fortunate as it has natural biomes for grazing cattle. In areas like Brazil, one of the major players in the global leather industry, rainforests are regularly cleared for ranching, which is why their tanneries struggle to achieve Leather Working Group (LWG) accreditation. As Europe begins to strongly enforce new policies, tanneries unable to meet sustainability and traceability standards, will no longer find markets in Europe.
Leather hides before they are treated in the tannery. Employees wait to receive new leather hides
Mossop Leather achieved a silver accreditation in LWG’s Audit Standard in 2022 and a gold in 2023. This is the highest accreditation a tannery can receive, placing the tannery in the top 5% globally. There are a handful of other South African tanneries who hold the same honour, predominantly producing leather for the automotive industry. Mossop Leather is the only tannery producing for the furniture, footwear and leather goods sector on the continent.
The factory roof is stacked with solar panels which generate 1 megawatt of power – enough to meet all its needs on a sunny day.
The tannery collaborates with universities and technical institutions to explore solutions for its manufacturing waste, such as buffing dust and wet blue hides. “Instead of sending them to waste facilities, we’re investigating ways to repurpose them – possibly as an energy source or an alternative material,” says Marc. “This requires collaboration with engineers and chemists.”
South African hides are known for their tight grain structure, making them highly durable. This has gained international demand for producing safety footwear, the bulk of Mossop Leather’s business. Some of the tannery’s local clients include Freedom of Movement, Jim Green Footwear, Bronx, Rowdy, as well as Grasshoppers.
A hide accounts for only 8% of the total sale of a cow
According to Mossop Leather, a hide accounts for only 8% of the total sale of a cow. “Without us, there would be a lot of waste that would go to landfill,” says Marc Lailvaux, who served as the tannery’s sales and marketing leader for over five years. “I always say that the main role of the tanning industry – and a business like Mossop – is recycling. It’s a recycling industry”
Marc argues that leather is inherently anti-fast fashion. “It’s a durable product, it’s long-lasting,” he says. “It’s something that you buy when you start your first job or you get your first pay cheque or bonus. It serves the test of time, through your career. That’s how we see leather.”
When fast fashion tries to recreate the luxe look of leather, it turns to fake leathers. Marc explains that this is called pleather, also known as vegan leather, and is made of plastic and will neither biodegrade nor last as long as real leather. Currently, no biodegradable vegan leather is produced in South Africa.
How leather is processed
Mossop Leather receives hides, which have been soaked, limed, delimed and cleaned at one of their LWG-certified suppliers. Each hide carries a source code which can be traced back to the abattoir that processed it. The hides are graded, and each hide is assigned to the appropriate orders.
Next, hides are split. The top or grain side will be used for full-grain leather while the underneath layers are suited for suede items or further processing, such as creating bonded leather. What follows is the re-tanning process, where hides may be dyed. It is also where technology such as water resistance or sun-reflective properties can be added. This is a water-heavy step, but the tannery has reduced water usage by 30% since 2015 by installing a drainage system on the plant floor.
Mossop Leather is a chrome tannery, one that uses chrome to standardise base colours before adding dyes or pigments to leather. The tannery does not do vegetable dyeing, largely due to the amount of water the process uses. “[Vegetable dyeing] is very water intensive, and also it’s harder to achieve colour intensity,” says Marc. All of the leathers produced by the tannery are free of forever chemicals as well as Chromium IV, a known carcinogen prevalent in the leather industry.
A pile of red leather after being treated and dyed
“You’ve got to create a safe working environment for people,” says Marc. “That includes being mindful of your suppliers, the chemicals used in the process, and your overall environmental impact.”
Hides are then stretched out to dry by various methods, depending on what they will be used for. Toggling is used for suede or soft leathers, air-drying for high-end leathers, and hot plate drying for products like shoe soles and belts. Leather is then passed through a staking machine to soften it and add flexibility, and buffed.
The finishing stage can include milling (tumbling to soften), embossing, and applying gloss or matte coatings. Finally, the hides pass through quality control, where aspects such as colour intensity, uniformity and feel are assessed.
As a competitive, global business, Mossop Leather is meticulous about product quality, for reasons that go beyond simply satisfying its customers. “In South Africa, we have to focus on creating a positive and sustainable impact on the community too,” says Marc. “This approach isn’t about ticking boxes for international requirements – it’s about taking action where it matters most, every day.”
Mossop Leather achieved a silver accreditation in LWG’s Audit Standard in 2022 and a gold in 2023
Leather for consumers
- Decide on your stance on leather. If you prefer not to wear animal products, brands like Call It Spring and Birkenstock offer vegan leather shoes.
- However, note that biodegradable vegan leather is not currently produced in South Africa.
- Ask brands for the name of the tannery they use. Cross-check it with the Leather Working Group’s list of certified tanneries, where you can filter by gold star rating.
Credits
- Feature artwork: Kirsten du Preez
- Photos: Jackie May
