According to “The World’s Worst Toxic Pollution Problems Report, 2011″ prepared by Green Cross Switzerland and Blacksmith Institute, the 62 chrome tanneries spanning South Asia, South America, Africa, and Central America have contributed to the chromium poisoning (this can lead to eye damage, ulcers, bronchitis, and kidney and liver damage) of 1.9 million people. As revealed by Connie Wang from Refinery 29, tanneries are seriously endangering the lives of nearly 2 million people every year.

Add that to the list of problems leather farming ensues, including animal abuse, global recklessness, and unsafe working conditions.  How can we say that adorning leather has anything to do with having fashion sense when we blindly ignore these issues?  We can’t call it fashion sense at all. It’s more like fashion suicide.

Although some companies say their products are “biodegradable” and “eco-friendly,” the process of tanning stabilizes the collagen or protein fibers so that they actually stop biodegrading. Vegetable tanning is often termed the more eco-friendly alternative, however we argue that leather can’t be considered a sustainable material no matter what. Raising animals whose skins are turned into leather creates waste and pollution. Huge amounts of fossil fuels are consumed in livestock production and trees are being cut down to create pastureland.

Most leather produced in the U.S. and around the world is chrome-tanned. All wastes containing chromium are considered hazardous by the Environmental Protection Agency. In addition, a chrome-tanning facility wastes nearly 15,000 gallons of water and produces up to 2,200 pounds of “solid waste” (e.g., hair, flesh, and trimmings) for every ton of hides that it processes.

Among the disastrous consequences of this noxious waste is the threat to human health from the highly elevated levels of lead, cyanide, and formaldehyde in the groundwater near tanneries. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the incidence of leukemia among residents in an area surrounding one tannery in Kentucky was five times the national average.  Arsenic, a common tannery chemical, has long been associated with lung cancer in workers who are exposed to it on a regular basis. Several studies have established links between sinus and lung cancers and the chromium used in tanning.

Wonder what you can do? Stop buying it. Period. You can make a difference.

Photo: Palash Khan