Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this topic, as this is something that's on my radar as well. You were the one who first introduced me to the topic/idea of sustainable living and I appreciate your insights! For me, sustainability is top of mind for my own work projects at the moment, but overall I am striving to be more sustainable with groceries, products, etc as you have shared.
I don’t know very much about this topic, but I am more leather biased. Simply bc it has a more to offer the senses in terms of luxury in texture, smell etc. Although, I am not a purist or particularly loyal. If you showed me a material superior to leather or a product that functioned better without it, you could make me a believer. I do worry about plant based farming though. I know it’s a huge issue when it comes to food, one could argue the sheer amount of cleared land needed for plants vs animals negates the sustainability/animal welfare aspects.
Yes until a better than leather product comes out most people won’t be converted but I do hope others like you would be willing to switch over if one does 😀 I really think we may get there in the coming years. In terms of plant based farming it really depends on the plant! Deforestation, cotton farming, palm oil, etc. absolutely have ginormous environmental footprints but lots of plants have a fraction of the amount and new innovations in vertical farming will hopefully combat that even further! If the debate was about cotton vs leather for example it is definitely one of those aspects of sustainability that is so tricky and very give and take. Conventional cotton is such a water suck, needs lots of land, and has huge issues with pesticides and the runoffs and toxic implications of that to the workers and people in surrounding areas (at least organic cotton helps in that respect but is only 1% of current cotton use) but, of course, the leather industry is one of the most problematic of all materials in terms of land use, the chemicals and water involved in tanning and the environmental and ethical aspects of the cows themselves. So definitely tricky. But leather vs hemp, linen, or bamboo for example are totally different arguments and a much much smaller footprint (though none are perfect!). Just another reason it is all so tricky!
Great topic I’d be very interested to see what your thoughts are on fabrics. And I can’t stand anything plastic. I find it uncomfortable to wear. Everything I buy and wear is vintage. Or at least the lining or foot bed is leather in the few new items I purchased
Thanks! I’ve done videos in the past describing fabrics but certainly happy to share my thoughts on which I prefer and which I avoid! Leather lined is important in footwear (if you’re doing leather) and one of the hardest parts of leather alternative footwear.
So I would say to you that you should go for leather shoes. I see you own a ton of suede shoes and suede is extremely bad for the environment when produced. Leather is actually better than suede when it comes to the health of the plant if you had to choose one or the other. Also Microplastics such as in Rothy’s can be bad for you after lots of use. Any exposure to Microplastics are bad for your health. Which is why some scientists say shoes made from Microplastics and plastic bottles are not the way to go and say people should stay away from them. My two cents as of now i would say stick to the leather versions of Sarah flint, and ally shoes and find some leather flats such as the Sarah flint flats until materials get better in a decade.
All good points! I would love to learn more about the suede vs leather debate! I agree, micro plastics are a huge problem. I refuse microplastic clothing more of the time but for some reason am more comfortable with shoes? I, unfortunately, don’t love leather flats and never wear them.
@@Chicprofessor suede does a lot more damage to the world. Leather while it isn’t the best is wayyy better and last longer which in term if you get good leather shoes they should last forever which makes leather better than suede also
@Aidan Norton I'm curious exactly how suede is so much worse than leather? From what I've read it uses leather just the same. Its not as durable as leather, but if looked after should last just as long as leather if cared for properly.
I don’t understand why people are so against leather? If you’re against using animal derived products in your daily life, it would still make sense but for the majority of the population that’s just not the case. The so called ‘vegan leather’ in the market is mostly just faux leather which is neither good for the environment or in terms of durability. Even plant based leather is combined with plastic for the end product and is for the most part priced on the higher end which is not accessible for most people . Leather that is used to create handbag/shoes etc. is a byproduct of the meat industry, animals aren’t harmed to make your bags/shoes. If that animal skin is not used to create products out of it, it will end up in landfills. The solution to this is to buy few better things that you know are made to last or buy second. Everything with vegan infront of it is not necessarily the next best thing. Don’t let the marketing trap you.
