Micro-plastic pollution is a serious problem since it requires a lot of water, energy, and chemicals to process and manufacture the material, which has a negative influence on the environment. Hence, Vegan products in Sri Lanka are in high demand with the current issues taken into consideration.
“The use of heavy metals in the tanning and dyeing process has been a big problem in the leather industry, putting the environment, employees, and even the wearer themselves at danger due to chemicals escaping into water streams.”
If the chemicals get into the water, they produce an overabundance of nutrients, which promotes algae development and animal mortality due to a lack of oxygen in the water. Workers in tanneries are sometimes exposed to significant health hazards, such as lung cancer and leukemia.
ATP Atelier's Maj-La Pizzelli notes, "Leather items treated with natural vegetable tannins are biodegradable and may be simply disposed of at the end of their natural life." “We use Tuscan vachetta leather that has been vegetable tanned. On so many ways, this is an intentional decision for us.”
Vegetable tanning is an Italian artisan practice that has been passed down from generation to generation. “It's lovely, and it also contributes to a more sustainable fashion cycle,” Pizzelli says.
Not only does vegetable-tanned leather contain no hazardous substances (such as azo-dyes, nickel, PCP, or chromium VI), but many tanneries recover hides from the food sector to save waste, promoting a closed-loop system.
Keeping this in mind, while purchasing vegan leather avoids the use of animal products, its substitute may be plastic-based, which is damaging to the environment and takes years to decompose. Because real leather is a natural product, it is not the actual animal skin that is harmful to the environment. However, because the chemicals used in the tanning process are still hazardous, and the leather business contributes to deforestation, it is preferable to use vegetable-tanned leathers.