evidence: Leather is not a natural or sustainable by-product, it’s a profitable material produced at the expense of the planet Our new report on leather’s impact on the planet explores the interconnected environmental issues caused by leather derived from animals, rather than more sustainable and just alternatives. Here’s a rundown of what the best available scientific data tells us: [...] With an increasing demand for sustainability within the fashion industry, leather is often promoted as a ‘natural’ choice. But animal skins are tanned into leather for the specific purpose of rendering them inorganic and no longer natural, able to be long lasting due to heavy chemical use. Meanwhile, the selective breeding and domestication of 1.4 billion animals on largely cleared native land certainly is not of benefit to the natural environment.