Environmental Issues of Traditional Leather and Need for Vegan Leather

The environmental issues (in a clear way, the environmental sustainability issues) confronting the leather industry are well known, and they have been discussed for many years. The entire sector and importantly the consumers are in search of and need alternate materials which have lower environmental impacts vis-à-vis traditional leather. It is evident in the recent past that any unconventional material which has proved to have lower environmental impacts is quite welcomed by any sector, including the leather industry, which is what made the invasion of vegan leather into the leather community. This chapter is dedicated to dealing with the environmental issues pertaining to traditional leather, which forms the strong basis for the need for vegan leather.