According to the American Raw Hide and Leather Council, the latest statistics show that the carbon footprint generated by the waste of raw hides is much higher than previously anticipated.

Data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reveals that the global cattle population exceeded 1.5 billion in 2022. Kevin Latner, Senior Vice President of the American Raw Hide and Leather Council, believes that theoretically, 334 million hides are available for tanners each year. However, due to brands choosing synthetic materials over leather for footwear and bags, a large amount of raw hides is wasted annually.

The American Raw Hide and Leather Council points out that in India, 30% of cattle hides are landfilled, with this percentage possibly being even higher in Ethiopia. In the U.S., the proportion of wasted hides has now reached approximately 15%, compared to just 7% in 2023.

With data provided by non-profit organizations like ReFED, the American Raw Hide and Leather Council calculates that every ton of raw hides landfilled generates more than 13 tons of CO2 equivalent.

Latner told World Leather: "If the average weight of a raw hide is 25 kg, the carbon footprint of each wasted hide would exceed 300 kg of CO2 equivalent. If we waste 10 hides, that’s 3 tons of emissions. But we're not wasting just 10 hides; we're wasting 134 million hides. If these hides are not turned into leather, more than 40 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions will be generated annually."

This suggests that the leather industry not only has the potential to transform waste from the food industry into new materials but also creates a circular economy while helping reduce CO2 emissions from landfills.

Source: American Raw Hide and Leather Council, November 25, 2024.