The practice of clear-cutting forests does more than just advance climate change. Replacing forests with grazing lands (for products like meat and leather) also destroys ecosystems. When forests are replaced with land for industrial agriculture, habitats start to simplify: they start to host the same species and structures. This reduces biodiversity, which is not just a “nice-to-have” — it is actually key for ecosystem functions.

Healthy ecosystems do all sorts of great things for the planet, like cycling nutrients and filtering the water we drink. Plus, diverse ecosystems are even more productive, stable, and resistant to natural disasters and species invasion.

Raising animals industrially always has a huge environmental footprint (it’s nearly 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions). The leather industry also has a heavy impact because of the tanning process. Achieving leather durability and flexibility requires application of chemicals and a lot of water. Animal-derived leathers need to be tanned and re-tanned, lubricated, dried, dyed, and sometimes treated or distressed to achieve a specific look.

 

When making leather, manufacturers need to stop the natural decomposition of animal skins. In this process, tanners may apply chromium salts and chemicals like ammonia, formaldehyde, and even lead. Runoff products include chromium (IV), a known carcinogen, and many of these toxic substances make their way to water systems, where they can spread to wildlife and contaminate drinking water. Treating animal skins with chemical preservatives also makes them non-biodegradable, and even more likely to end up in a landfill. Conversely, leather alternatives have zero pre-tanning wastes.