A Sustainable Choice
Making a sustainable choice in the fashion industry can sometimes feel like two steps forward and one step back. There are multiple factors to consider when making a choice on which piece you want to buy.
You may question: Is Leather Really Sustainable?
Sustainable practices are not a new trend for Stitch & Hide. They have been the foundation of our businesses from the beginning, and are the core pillar of every decision we make. We are committed to continuously improving our sustainability practices in everything we do as we evolve and adapt in an ever-changing world. For us, sustainability is about leaving the world better off because Stitch & Hide exists.
A major consideration is the circularity of a product, meaning the approach to creating, consuming, or choosing to purchase a product - that is, considering the start, middle and end of its lifespan, and trying to do the right thing across these.
In today's reality, the leather we use is a wastage of the food industry. The leather hides serve the purpose of creating leather, with no waste, as they have traditionally done in the circle of life for thousands of years.
We source only the highest quality eco-certified leather from Europe and India and use ethical tanneries, audited and certified Gold standard by the Leather Working Group (LWG). The LWG provides the world's leading certification dedicated to improving the environmental impacts of leather. With this certification, we're confident that our leathers meet the industry’s highest sustainability, ethical production, and resource management standards.
Standing the test of time
Our products are designed to stand the test of time - they are not just fleeting trends that will be discarded after a single season. By buying our long-lasting products, you can reduce your overall consumption and environmental footprint. One of the largest contributors to sustainability is how much we are buying (and at the end of the day wasting). This is where your role as a conscious consumer comes in, buy something you love and keep it for a lifetime!
You will see how our customers cherished Stitch & Hide leather accessories aged beautifully over time. Hand-dyed and finished using our organic tanning process, these pieces showcase a rich patina and natural beauty that only gets better with age.
Is Vegan Leather better?
We have all asked ourselves this question at one point or another, so of course we looked into it!
Vegan leather can be made from mushrooms, pineapple, grapes and many more. Many of these alternative leathers still require treatment and coatings, which are often made with PVC or PU. Some of these products often contain up to 50% plastic or more. Plastics can take over 500 years to decompose and as they do break down tehy will release toxic chemicals into the environment. This is a huge environmental issue within the fashion industry and one of the very issues we are all trying to solve!
Some high-end mushroom leather alternatives do not have plastics in their coatings however there are still questions about its durability, meaning that you may have to replace your bag more often.
While vegan leather may be a good choice for those seeking animal-free alternatives, true sustainability goes beyond “vegan” or “alternative leather” and there is always much more to consider.
Another topic to consider for is the leather tanning process, a highly chemical process that is responsible for producing more than 600 million tons of waste each year. This waste includes chemicals, heavy metals, and other pollutants that can harm the environment and human health.
At Stitch & Hide we use an Eco-Certified tanning process, which is better for the environment, for our workers tanning the leather and also for you as the wearer.
Our mission is to create a more sustainable fashion industry and we are constantly exploring new options that tick all our boxes.
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