Environmental Passion

HOW WE MANUFACTURE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT IN MIND

• We use natural and sustainable manufacturing, utilizing the newest efficient technology, but drawing on hundreds of years of old-world craft.
• Unlike vinyl and other materials, our leather is never made with PVC, ethylene, chlorine, or crude oil. Vinyl is a plastic made from oil and chemicals, manufactured through chemical reactions and high-energy machinery.
• Townsend’s leather is made with water-based chemicals, vegetable-re-tanning agents, and low-energy, hand-crafted manufacturing.
• Townsend’s leather is free of dangerous chromes and the chromes that are present are a safe substance that also represents an essential part of human diet (with many people taking daily supplements that contain it).
• Townsend’s leather are all Low VOC products

MAKING A POSITIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT WITH WHO WE ARE

• We are AS9100 certified – everything is made to the highest of standards and improved upon each year
  • Quality leather lasts longer and Quality manufacturing means less waste, less reworks, less frustration.  Get it right and get what you wanted, the first time.
• We are a USGBC member – “a driver of green building innovation.”
• We are a AATCC member – “passionate about textile chemistry and quality with world-class reliability.”
• We are a SATRA member – “leading technical authority for footwear and leather.”
• We are a Material Bank member – “the world’s largest material marketplace for the architecture and design industry, significantly improving the sustainability of the design industry.”
• We are a Leather Naturally Member – “passion for and belief in, the value and sustainability of leather.”

ENVIRONMENTAL CHOICES YOU CAN MAKE
AS THE CUSTOMER

• Choose natural and sustainably made products, like Townsend’s leather
• Choose quality leather, like Townsend’s leather made with AS9100 certified standards
• Choose Embossed leathers – embossed leathers give you the greatest reduction of waste
  • Townsend’s unique and varied embossing techniques offer the industry-best yield for leather hides.
  • From sourcing to final product, embossing allows for better utilization of the hide selection process, product mix, and waste reduction.
  • Resulting in a more uniform look, reduction of visible defects, and opportunity for edge-to-edge pattern makes Townsend Leather’s embossed leather the best choice for waste reduction and yield improvement.
  • Embossing can provide consistency in grain structure throughout the hide which provides a
    • superior cutting yield with the potential to cut your order quantity in half,
    • and even further improved wear performance
    • https://samples.townsendleather.com/category/embossed-gaufrage
• Utilize Townsend’s Cutting program – cutting saves waste and cost
  • Designed to reduce waste in a variety of ways
    • By utilizing the most technologically advanced cutting system and nesting software you can reduce the amount of hide material needed to fulfill your project.
    • And by using less leather, the order weighs less, which means less cost and energy for shipping.
    • And the small amount of scrap leather, that is leftover from the cutting process, can be reused by Townsend, making the Cutting Program a fully green process.
    • Maximize your yield
    • Reduce waste / overage / scrap
    • Save on shipping costs
    • Minimize risk of shipping damage
    • Improve savings on receiving and storage
    • https://townsendleather.com/capabilities/cutting
• Repair instead of replace – leather will last a lifetime when cared for, don’t replace, repair! Holes can be filled, scratches can be covered, stains and ink can be removed… leather is naturally resistant to most damage and is durable enough to hold up in rough environments, but if it gets damaged it can be repaired. https://www.leatherinstitute.com/
• When leather is discarded, you can feel good knowing it degrades through biological means.  Leather decomposes in 50 to 100 years when in a waste facility.  Vinyl will take 1000 years or more to decompose. https://townsendleather.com/for-the-love-of-leather
  

LEATHER LIFE CYCLE

DESIGN 

Product choice can influence the longevity of project.  We aim to help our customers choose the perfect leather for their application, for use, yield, and design longevity.  Creating a product that is efficient and sustainable.

SUPPLY CHAIN 

Humanely and sustainably raised, our supply chain is held to the highest of standards and we only select from the best of the best.

MANUFACTURING 

With water-based finishing and vegetable-based re-tanning agents we manufacture products that are low VOC, free of dangerous chromes, and are post-consumer recyclable. Utilizing our culture of sustainability, we evaluate and improve on our all processes routinely.

MAINTENANCE

Leather will last 4 times longer than fabric or other materials and is repairable making its longevity unmatched and with proper care and maintenance, from Townsend’s guidance and our network of resources, it can last for 100 years.

END-OF-LIFE 

Leather will often outlast the frame it is on, when the leather has served its life as seating it can be repurposed into other items or can be safely disposed of.

We work with our customers through every phase of the leather life cycle to educate, support, and partner.  

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, but this article aims to clarify how 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.

See our Environmentally Friendly selection of leathers: samples.townsendleather.com/collection/environmentally-friendly-leathers

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Townsend’s passion for and belief in the value and sustainability of leather as a material is bolstered by our manufacturer membership with Leather Naturally.

 www.leathernaturally.org/Our-Story/Our-members/Townsend-Leather.  For many years, the Leather Naturally organization has been the go-to resource for leather education and information and Townsend Leather is a perfect partner in this mission.

Leather Naturally is “a not-for-profit industry members association that focuses on education and the promotion of leather. We promote the use of globally manufactured sustainable leather and seek to inspire and inform designers, creators, and consumers about its beauty, quality, and versatility.”

Download Townsend’s Green Statement (PDF)

Townsend is a proud member of the USGBC, read more here: Townsend Leather USGBC

Townsend Leather has taken great care to implement best environmental practices to protect our planet. Our leather is sourced from suppliers located primarily in countries in Europe. The hides are already tanned and the tanning process is strictly regulated in the European Union to assure minimal environmental impact. These hides are reclaimed from the waste stream of meat production.

Once hides arrive at our manufacturing plant in upstate New York, they are dyed and finished. Townsend continually invests in production equipment to reduce chemical consumption and emissions by more than 30%. Vegetable-based re-tanning agents are used, as well as water-based finishing systems. Effluent waters are monitored and pretreated before they leave our factory to remove any compounds that do not meet strict state and federal standards. This water receives additional purification in a state-of-the-art waste-water treatment plant engineered to meet the needs of the leather industry, assuring complete environmental compliance.

Our cutting program also reduces hide waste. All hides are utilized to the fullest and even leftover scraps are used and recycled to make small leather goods. The cutting program also reduces packaging and weight, thereby reducing shipping costs.

Townsend Leather also encourages a company-wide commitment to green initiatives as part of our “Green Team” to find ways to reduce waste and energy usage as well as to recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, and glass, and we have even installed energy-efficient products at our manufacturing facility.

Because leather is a durable and long-lasting natural material, it can be repaired instead of replaced. Leather also typically lasts four times longer than fabric or textile coverings. Just like leather, which stands the test of time, we want our environment and planet to remain healthy for future generations.