Leather By Andrea Ritter Leather Production Effects on

Leather By Andrea Ritter

Leather Production �Effects on the Environment �Harmful Chemicals �Animal Cruelty �PETA �Alternatives

Effects on the Environment �Threat to waterways �Top polluters �Residents and workers suffer/die from cancer causing chemicals

Harmful Chemicals �Chromium �Arsenic chemicals �Cyanide �Formaldahyde Centers for Disease Control conducted studies showing that people who live near or work on tanneries have higher cancer rates and more incidents of leukemia

Animal Cruelty � The leather industry slaughters over a billion animals per year � Kept in confinement � Deprived of food, water, and shelter � Neglected � Tail docked, dehorned, treated very cruely � Slaughtered

Other Examples of Animal Cruelty �Kangaroo are decapitated to make soccer shoes �Alligators, lizards, and snakes are skinned alive �Kid goats are being boiled alive to make a pair of gloves �Tannery in Asia kills 2 million dogs and cats for the production of baby shoes �Tens of millions of cows are stunned, hung upside -down, bled to death, and skinned in slaughterhouses

PETA People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals �An organization dedicated to defending the rights of all animals �Boycotts to spread the word of animal cruelty �Help save animals

Alternatives Decrease the demand don’t buy leather � Synthetic leather � Pleather � Chlorenal, the new leather When shopping, think twice, Is it worth it? Companies against using authentic leather in their products: Liz Claiborne, Sam & Libby, Steve Madden, Nike, and discount stores

Resources � Newkirk, Ingrid. "Leather: No Friend of the Earth". PETA. 29 Nov. 2008 � http: //www. peta. org/. � � Newkirk, Ingrid. "Wool, Fur, and Leather: Hazardous to the � � � Environment". PETA. 29 Nov. 2008 http: //www. peta. org/mc/factsheet_display. asp? ID=146&pf=true. Freudenberg, Carl. "The Process of Leather Making". Freudenberg. 29 Nov. 2008 <http: //www. euroleather. com/process. htm>. Schwartz, Aaron. "Introduction to Leather". International Council of Tanners. 29 Nov. 2008 http: //www. tannerscouncilict. org/introtoleather. htm. Friedrich, Bruce. "Leather: Dead Skin, Environmental Nightmare". Common Dreams. 29 Nov. 2008 <http: //www. commondreams. org/archive/2007/04/30/863>.