The Tannery Industry

The leather industry is one of the oldest industries in the world for manufacturing shoes and handbags. Leather is mostly referred to as tannery production. China leads as the largest country that manufactures leather by-products. The leather industry is estimated to be more than 200 billion dollars. The largest size of a manufacturing country is India, where 13% of leather products come from. Quality leather bags are manufactured from the best leather products globally. However, leather tannery affects environmental sustainability.

The difference between synthetic and real leather is that synthetic leather is made from plastic then treated with polyethylene, dye, or wax. Real leather is made from animal hides. The benefits of using genuine leather in luxury items are:

Durability

Most luxury bags or clothes made of genuine leather are expensive because manufacturers invest more in treating the leather to last long. Moreover, real leather is more durable due to its tough surface compared to faux or synthetic leather.

Value for money

Real leather products save you multiple purchases. Cheap is expensive; therefore, real leather does not easily peel, crack, rip, or lose shape. With available leather products, one can easily take care of a genuine leather product for years.

Strength

Real leather is mostly used in sofas, bags, belts, and shoes because of its strength. It is resistant to abrasion due to tight fibers and, if treated well, can be waterproof and fire-resistant. Genuine leather, especially from buffalo and cows, can withstand a lot of tension and pressure.

Moisture expel

Genuine leather is made from animals’ skin and hides; hence leather materials can expel moisture through pores. Genuine leather does not allow moisture to seep in. However, synthetic leather lacks this feature, leading to uncomfortable periods in hot and cold seasons. Additionally, fungus easily grows on synthetic leather products.

Several people are involved in the manufacturing and processing of leather products. The leather industry supports many economies and employs millions of people. Some of the people involved are:

Farmers

Most farmers, who have a large count of cattle and the primary use is the food industry, sell the animals’ hides and skin as a by-product. More than 12 million cattle are sent to the slaughterhouse for food and other by-products of leather in the US.

Meatpackers

Upon receiving the cattle, the meatpackers separate the different parts of the animal. Certain machinery is used to remove the hide from the animals in a consistent and even way. Afterward, the hides are preserved using different techniques depending on the intended use and hide type.

Tanneries

Leather tanners purchase the hides from local or international meatpackers. Leather tanning involves many different steps to tanning leather into finished leather from rawhide. Leather tanning varies depending on the time, chemicals and method used. Tanned leather is available in different colors, thicknesses, textures, and finishes.

Resellers

Leather resellers buy finished tanned leather in large inventories and sell to small resellers. A customer can also buy directly from a small reseller. Quality leather highly depends on the country which the leather comes from and the quality of animals present.