Now that it’s the party season, you’ll be attending lots of celebrations and functions that require you to carry handbags and purses. These might be made from leather, but are they sustainable? Before you go out and purchase a leather bag, consider the importance of environmentally-friendly leather.
You might not think about the planet’s wellbeing when looking for leather accessories to buy, but you should. Leather can be harmful in many ways. In tanneries, toxic chemicals such as chromium are often used to treat leather. This leaks into the environment, polluting rivers and harming marine life. Since most of the leather in the world is produced in India and China, this is further disturbing since these countries do not follow regulations to protect the environment, often causing a higher quantity of toxins to be released into waterways.
Opt for Vegetable Tanning
Leather becomes much more sustainable when it is made from vegetable tanning instead of chemicals. Although it takes longer to tan leather in this way, it’s much kinder to the environment because vegetable tanning makes use of natural chemicals, such as tannins, that are found in plants. You can find beautiful bags that have been produced with vegetable tanning, such as the handmade Nomsa Zip Pouch that looks classy while giving you guilt-free enjoyment out of wearing it.
Choose Ethical Leather
Although leather bags and accessories are made of animal skins, which doesn’t feel very eco-friendly, there are ways that they can be produced in more ethical ways. For instance, by making them out of leather scraps or offcuts. This prevents the waste of leather by upcycling it into something beautiful and doesn’t require that the animal was killed specifically for the making of the accessory. The use of offcuts is one of the eco-friendly practices used to make the gorgeous Blue Tanzanian Print & Leather Foldover Clutch. Made from black ox hide leather offcuts, it’s a gem to update your accessories this party season.
Support African Leather
It’s not just how your bags are made that makes them more eco-friendly, but also where they are sourced. African leather and fabrics are interesting and unique, but it’s worth remembering that many so-called African fabrics are actually imitations that originate from China. Purchasing genuine African products is therefore a must, such as this colourful Ghanaian Print & Leather Foldover Clutch. By supporting African leather that’s made in sustainable ways, you make a difference to uplift the state of these communities while adding a beautiful touch of African culture to your style.
