Franziska Schneider says: Great idea! It just makes so much sense as soon as you hear it.

Franziska Schneider says: I also have a question: I never knew about the plastic on leather. How do you know the leather you have in front of you has plastic on it?

Ilona Ludewig Mack says: Hi Franziska,

a sure sign that a leather is plastic coated is when it is metallic or lacquered - these effects cannot be created naturally.

In general, to tell if it is coated/ finished or not is to put a tiny drop of water on the surface and see if it beads or sinks in. After about a minute, the natural surface will have absorbed the water, while it will still sit on top when the leather is coated.

And last but not least, you can tell a leather is plastic coated when you get hot sitting on it, as is the case with most of leather car seats or sofas or when wearing it, as with shoes.

Naturally Organic Leather will not have that effect, as it breathes.

Nick Russell says: Presumably the plastic embedded into the leather has both functional all well as aesthetic benefits. What is the durability of standard leather versus natural leather?

I'm thinking of organic produce which has better taste but lower shelf life and transportability as compared to chemical produce.

Also, what are the target markets for this? Can it be used as a direct replacement for conventional leather in all areas or are there specific products that are more appropriate/less appropriate?

Finally, the EU will begin heavily regulating chemicals in 2013; does that regulation provide any strategic advantage/disadvantage for the product?

Ilona Ludewig Mack says: Hi Nick - thank you for your questions - lots of answers for you here:

'STANDARD' VS 'NATURAL'

First of all, vegetable tanned leather is a traditional way of producing leather and was commonly used until 1858, when the now so-called 'standard' method of chromium-tanning was invented. Chrome-tanning (as it is commonly called) is still used for more than 90% of leather produced worldwide today:

"More than 90% of global leather production is through chrome-tanning process currently. The conventional methods employed for tanning lead to significant material loss and serious environmental concern. The current chrome management options like high exhaustion tannage, chrome recycling and recovery–reuse methods, though offer improvements, do not provide comprehensive solutions." (Central Leather Research Institute, Adyar, Chennai 600 020, India)

So vegetable tanned leather is the older method, with chrome tanning being the 'replacement'.

WASTE

Another obvious difference between vegetable and chrome tanning is the problem of waste generation and management - chrome tanned leather contains heavy metal components and no matter how well you use it or clean it up in production, there will always be residue in the leather produced, and some people get nasty allergic reactions from it.

Here is the link to a video by The Ecologist - Hell for Leather:
http://www.green.tv/ecologist_01

Natureally doesn't use any heavy metals in its entire production. All our waste is biodegradable. Natureally leather is certified free of harmful substances by TÜV Germany.

And as to your shelf life thought, it is the tanning that turns a perishable item (skin) into a durable one (leather).

DURABILITY AND PRODUCT QUALITIES

Modern vegetable tanning makes this leather as soft and pliable as the chrome-tanned variety.

Coating of leather provides a short-term benefit in that the leather will not age and look exactly the same for 1-3 years, but then start to flake and break and look scuffed instead of developing character. Coated leather cannot develop a patina, as its surface is sealed and cannot breathe. A lot of that type of leather ends up in landfill, as owners get tired of this tired-looking leather. A well-loved, well-treated natural surface will develop its own characteristics over time and will stay with its owner (and even their heirs) for life.

Coated leather also loses some of its stretchiness, as the different layers of material don't have the same elasticity.

TARGET MARKET

Natureally can be used in fashion, interior or furniture design, saddlery, shoe making, as walls or floors, the possibilities are almost endless. Furthermore, as there is no risk of allergies, it can be used in sensitive areas, such as medical uses (artificial limbs, orthopedic applications), jewellery and anywhere the material would come in close contact with skin.

Where chrome-tanned leather cannot compete is in variety of shapes - chrome-tanned leather does not do any other shape than 'flat', whereas vegetable tanned leather can be moulded into (and will keep) shapes. This means e.g. beautiful brogues or classic men's shoes cannot be made from chrome tanned leather.

CHEMICALS REGULATION

As a material that is certified by as strict bodies as the Soil Association in Britain and TÜV Germany, Natureally is under very close inspection for all chemicals used in production, from raw material to end of life disposal.

A regulation that demands all leathers to be as transparent will hopefully see the worst offenders disappear. I hope that videos such as the one I attached above will open people's eyes to the danger of what has sadly become 'conventional' in leather production.

However, the regulations will still allow use of even hazardous chemicals below a certain threshold, so I anticipate the use of chromium components in the production of leather will continue. The regulation says that buyers of materials with above threshold levels of chemicals will have to be "informed of their presence ... and of suitable measures of handling if relevant."

I don't see the regulations as stringent enough to make a significant difference to leather production. What could potentially change that would be a legal requirement to list all chemicals used on the end product; a measure I don't think is planned.

In the bigger picture, I hope that the regulations will alert the general public about cleaner alternatives and the benefits of natural leather.

Lucy Angelsberger says: What a great idea! Looking forward to seeing lots of organic leather products in the shops.

Antoine Laroche says: Chapeau to Natureally, wonderful idea, a very good thing to do. Reduce the amount of toxic waste in the world and create leather that people will keep is just right.

Ilona Ludewig Mack says: Another point about Natureally which makes a difference is that every step of the production is transparent - i.e. the end customer will be able to know where the animal was raised, where all the steps towards creating leather from it happened and which chemicals were (not) used in the process.

If we all asked where the leather we wear and use comes from we would be surprised to hear that most of it comes from parts of the world where environmental and health concerns are not on the agenda - leathers that can still be called European as they are sold under a European brand.

Isobel Mack says: Does the choice of animal make a difference? I mean, does a spotty cow produce spotty leather?

Ilona Ludewig Mack says: Hi Isobel, the choice of the animal does make a difference. While the lovely cow pattern and colours will not show in the finished leather, the origin of the hides is very important.

My using only certified Organic hides means that the animals are raised free from growth hormones (so no stretching of the skin and hence a more durable leather) and unnecessary vaccines (injections leave marks on the skin). But I also go another step further in using only British native breeds, which are typically kept in smaller herds by people who managed them particularly well and can therefore produce skins of superior quality (e.g. less scratches).

This in turn earns the farmer more money for their hides, increasing the value of the animal and therefore gives another incentive for to go or stay organic.

Tomas Williams says: Great that somebody is finally doing something to combat the dirty tanning industry!

Sally Anderson says: I have a friend who cannot even wear a leather watch strap. Now I understand!

If only we knew for every single piece of clothing or other things we wear where it actually comes from and how it was made, then I guess this would make life much easier.

It is a bit like the need to mark products with nuts in it for allergy sufferers! Maybe this is something you should suggest!

Margarita Rosmari says: Love this idea and would love to see shoes and jackets made for babies, toddlers and children:) They have such a sensitive skin...

Have any testings taken place comparing organic leather effects on skin vs plastic coated leather etc?

Ilona Ludewig Mack says: Hi Margarita

there are very strict rules on the finishing (i.e. allowed treatments after the tanning) for natural leather, which doesn't allow anything that restricts breathability of the leather. This includes a ban on all coatings (PVC or otherwise), it is incredible to know that solvent-containing coatings are allowed on standard leather!

A coated leather doesn't allow for breathability - this is why people sweat in their car seats or 100% leather shoes... which is very sad and unnecessary.

But before it even gets to the finishing, standard leather production allows for use of heavy metal components and other toxic chemicals, which can partially be cleaned up when well managed, but the residue that remains in the leather is enough to trigger allergic reactions in very sensitive skins, such as children's (but as mentioned in an earlier comment, also in adults!)

So the problem is not only the coating itself, but what might be going on 'underneath' - and in both cases, Natureally Organic Leather is safe, as it doesn't allow for toxic chemicals nor coatings.

Ilona Ludewig Mack says: Let me all add another important differentiation criteria, which became even more defined talking to certification bodies this morning:

Existing environmental certifications for leather mostly look at the end product only, meaning you could in theory put all the toxins in you want, as long as you clean them up afterwards.

This is a principle I vigorously oppose and that is why I chose certification with a body that actually looks at all the process steps in the making of the leather, all of which have to be ethical, fair and environmentally friendly.

As I said in my pitch - Natureally is heaven for leather :)

Ilona Ludewig Mack says: I have been asked repeatedly if I do calf skins - and I decided I won't.

Killing a calf is more like producing fur - it is done for the skin and the meat is the by-product, not the other way round as for my cattle hides. Yes, there are occasional calves that need to go, but these are the exception.

Cait Hurley says: Hi Ilona,

I'm from the UK and have been investigating whether it is possible to get hold of truly 'ethical' leather shoes so this is right up my street!

I've just found your website and I'm fascinated - have you been talking to 'ethical shoe' type companies with a view to them using your leather? I'm thinking of Terraplana? They seem to have very high ethical standards but say nothing about the source of their leather. I've recently been researching Timberland, also, who are pushing the way they create leather shoes and boots in to stronger ethical territory all the time.

I'm very interested as a vegetarian green type. I've been wearing petrochemical non-leather shoes for fifteen-odd years, and more recently have come to the conclusion that an end-of-life product like leather makes more logical sense than a plastic product created in France. Hemp shoes won't really get me through the winter, either!

Very interested in your responses!

greg sturmer says: Hi Ilona,

Nice to see things are moving along nicely for you. One thing about the calves.

Most calf skins are male calves, they are generally slaughtered just after birth because they are the wrong sex and consequently have no economic value whatsoever. They are neither raised for meat nor for Leather, if they were female they would survive longer, but obviously farmers seek to recover as much a possible from skin and dog food etc once the decision is taken. The skin does indeed form a higher part of the value recovered due to the size and weight of the animal at the time, but that does not make the practice close to the rearing of an animal for its fur. Its more like sexual discrimination gone mad. The farmers would also prefer all female calves.

As a male I am extremely glad such practices are not normal for our species, and hope someone solves this ecomonic problem one day.

I also, did not work calve skins, but I did try to work out how to make the calfskin price high enough to give sufficient funds to the farmer to give the male calf a similar life span to normally reared female calves. So again many might have said I was trying to support a Fur production but it could not have been further from the truth.

Best Regards

Greg