https://bji.mydigitalpublication.co.uk/december-2024-january-2025/page-42

Townsend Leather is proud to be a featured article in the recent publication of Business Jet Interiors International. The article highlights the many ways that leather is not only a sustainable choice, but is the preferred choice.

We love leather and all aspects of the production, including education. There is a lot of greenwashing and greenwishing out in the world, especially surrounding leather, so this article aims to give clarity and speak plainly the way you can count on leather to be your best sustainable material choice. For further conversation or information, contact us at info@townsendleather.com

A version of the article appears below.
Or see more at our sustainable page: https://townsendleather.com/about-us/townsend-the-environment

Townsend Leather Sustainability Facts:

Leather is the sustainable textile choice

The way forward for the aviation industry, and truly every industry, is putting focus on sustainability. True sustainability starts with knowledge and battling the onslaught of misinformation, greenwashing, and greenwishing. There are many options of textiles and seat coverings on the market, but when you are looking for the green/environmental/sustainable choice, there is only one option: Leather. Leather is the sustainable textile choice.

“The year 2025 will be all about sustainability. And sustainable – is leather. The only way to get a textile that is natural, safe, high-quality – sustainable, is leather. Unmatched durability, green from its start as a by-product, an inimitable fiber structure, natural, safe, the longest lasting, and truly sustainable, leather is the choice.”

Fact: No animal in Townsend Leather’s production is killed for leather.

Leather is inherently a green product. It is made from the waste of a different industry.

Leather is a by-product of the meat industry, free-range, well-cared for, humanely raised cattle are farmed for meat, what is leftover would be burned, but the leather industry turns this waste into something life-long lasting. Not letting waste be wasted, showing respect for the animal and the environment, the leather industry turns the trash of one industry into something reusable and beautiful.

Fact: Leather is humankind’s oldest textile.

Leather has been around almost as long as humans, the skills and craft to produce leather have changed a lot over the years, but the threads of that connection to history and craft remain.

Fact: Because of its irreproducible natural fiber structure – leather is natural, durable, repairable, and life-long lasting.

With skilled technicians, a hole or tear in leather can be repaired, filled, and seamless. The intricately woven fiber structure of leather cannot be reproduced in any fabricated product. This unique, natural, woven fiber structure allows leather to last a lifetime, often longer than the frame it is used on, it allows it to withstand time and harsh conditions. The natural durability of leather can handle wear and tear that would destroy mass-produced materials, like vinyl and others. The durability of leather is unmatched, it can last as much as 4 times longer than fabric coverings.

Fact: Townsend Leather’s production is sustainable

Townsend Leather is the manufacturer, we are not distributors or resellers, we harness the history of the “leather-making region” that we are homed in, to handcraft the highest quality and most beautiful leather for seats and feets. Because we are the manufacturer, we can change in real-time, create only what is needed, and have a literal hand on everything we do leading to reduced waste and increased efficiency. We are AS9100 certified ensuring the highest of quality. Quality leather last longer, and quality manufacturing means less waste, less reworks, less frustration. With our hearts on the history of leather craft, we put our minds to the future and utilize the most cutting-edge technology in our production leading to a reduction of chemicals, reduction of water, and a reduction of energy usage.

Our production process uses water-based finishes and vegetable-based retanning agents creating leather that is free of dangerous chromes post-consumer recyclable, and low VOC.

A word on chromes: there is some misinformation about chromes. All chromes are not equal and all chromes are not bad. The idea of chrome-free leather is a green-whishing effort, playing on the misinformation and unfounded belief that all chromes are bad. Chrome-free leather is not inherently any better for humans or the environment, it is just simply a different process. Chromes are a natural element found in many things.  The natural chromes found in Townsend’s production allow for the most luxurious feel and best quality leather, and they are the same chromes you find in broccoli – safe, natural. Removing broccoli-type chromes from your leather does not make it a better leather.

Our natural production process allows the leather to stay as true to its natural form as can be, we do as little as possible to it. Allowing the natural beauty of the produce to shine. When you visit Townsend Leather’s facility you will notice that no one needs to wear a hazmat suit or extreme safety protections, because the process is natural and safe. There is no fear of dangerous chemical spills or toxic exposure. Unlike vinyl or other human-made textiles, leather is natural and the production process is safe, leather is not made with harsh chemicals and dangerous production processes. Leather is not made from PVC, ethylene, chlorine, or crude oil. 

The organization Leather Naturally, which ‘promotes the use of globally manufactured sustainable leather and seek to inspire and inform designers, creators, and consumers about its beauty, quality and versatility’ is a great resource for more information about the sustainability of leather and Townsend Leather is a proud member. Luxury car manufacturer, Bentley, is also a member of Leather Naturally. Bentley has recognized that leather is the sustainable textile and understands leather is the way forward for luxury sustainability.

Fact: Leather is the sustainable choice and there are even further sustainable actions you can take

As a purchaser of sustainable materials, you can truly impact our collective future. First by relying on leather as the go-to solution for sustainable textiles. But also ensuring you are choosing quality manufactured leather, like an AS9100 manufacturing leather company.

Within your leather selections, you can choose Embossed products. Embossing allows for the greater reduction of waste, increasing yield, and better utilization of the hide selection process and product mix. Creating a uniform look with an even further reduction of visible defects for patterns or a consistency of grain for grain embossings, which leads to a superior cutting yield and even further improved wear performance. Choosing embossed products can often reduce your order quantity and waste by half.

Also utilizing a leather manufacturer with specialized additional offerings such as quilting and cutting. A cutting program can save you a tremendous amount in waste and cost savings. Receive only the material you need, save on shipping weight costs, save on storage, maximize your yield. Townsend Leather offers a cutting program which is truly a cost and waste-saving program. It is the greatest method for waste reduction, to the point where even the scrap that is left from our computer-driven machine cutting is utilized for other products making it a full-cycle green process.

Fact: Leather is natural and beautiful.

When the leather in your design project has served its purpose and is discarded you can feel good knowing that it degrades through biological means. It will only take 50-100 years to decompose in a waste facility, meanwhile vinyl will take 10 times that, 1000 years – before it has broken down.

Leather is the sustainable choice, but it is also the comforting choice, the historical choice, the savings choice, and the beautiful choice.