Is leather suitable for vegans?

Vegan leather is an oxymoron. Leather is the tanned skin of an animal. Whilst I could argue that cows are vegan (I don’t know, can you eat grass for a lifetime without swallowing an unfortunate bug or two?) I’m not here to pursuade anyone of anything!

But I do personally know at least one vegan that prefers leather over pleather products, and is the proud owner of an Eco Ravn foraging pouch.

The idea of genuine leather being suitable for vegans may seem contradictory. But vegans avoid animal products for a variety of reasons, including ethical, environmental, and health. Leather, being made from animal hides, is generally a no-no.

However, here are some reasons why leather is a better bet than any kind of fossil-fuel based fake stuff:

1. Respecting the animal by using more of it. Whether you call it a by product or are a pedant and call it a ‘co product’ the result is the same: people eat meat. Without using the hide for leather much would go to waste. Vegans concerned with waste reduction and sustainable fashion might logically use leather as a way to prevent further waste. The otherwise waste material is repurposed!
2. Respecting the animal for longer. Leather’s hard wearing properties mean fewer replacements, supporting a minimalist, eco-conscious lifestyle. I can break a pair of boots in 2 weeks: DMs last me 2 years! A well made leather product can last decades, and is much more sustainableThis reduces the demand for throw away synthetics that pollute with their fossil fuel base as they take thousands of years to decay. Here at Ravn Leather we offer a repair service to make your leather last even longer.
3. Sustainable Leather Practices: The leather industry was traditionally an eco-friendly trade. We only buy veg taned leather for the majority of our products. This tanning process minimizes the use of harmful chemicals as the name suggests. It also doesn’t leach harmful chemicals into the ground when it is eventually thrown away. For environmentally conscious vegans, Ravn leather is a responsible choice compared to synthetic leather! Plus we do a range of repurposed leather accessories.

Whilst most vegans wouldn’t accept this as justification for using leather products, it comes down to individual beliefs and the ethical framework they follow. Some vegans focused on waste reduction and sustainability or health do consider genuine leather a responsible choice, since it’s a byproduct of other industries.

Haha – I forced chat gpt to write this – I think it found it painful tand kept including “but….”! I edited the silly arguements against out! This is more like what I asked it for!