The Leather and Hide Council of America has just released an infographic that highlights the issue of how the use of products made from plastics and other non-renewable sources is harming the environment. Real leather made from livestock hides is one of the oldest forms of recycling and can help play an important part in solving this problem.

Zero-waste pledges and concepts like upcycling, while seemingly novel, long predate their widespread adoption. In fact, our ancestors demonstrated most clearly their commitment to the environment and the preservation of our planet by following these practices even before they were in vogue. This is perhaps best exemplified in their conversion of hides and skins – byproducts of meat and dairy production – to beautiful, durable, and sustainable leather products. Now, a new infographic from the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) shines a light on the environmental costs of using imitation products and synthetics, mostly made from plastics and other non-renewable sources, as opposed to real leather in finished consumer goods.

“The fast versus slow fashion debate has reached a critical inflection point, as consumers, brands and retailers increasingly take stock of their purchasing decisions, and the broader societal impact of those choices,” said LHCA President Stephen Sothmann. “In the race to develop a greener supply chain and reduce waste, the fastest way to ensure defeat is to doubt leather’s durability and sustainability, which have been proven over millennia.”