Blueberry-Banana and Praline French Toast Casserole [Vegan]
Kellogg to Divide Into Three Companies Focusing on Snacks, Cereal, and Plant-Based Foods Respectively
How To Make The Perfect Homemade Bread
New Law Will Protect Animals in Shelters Across New York State By Elevating Care Standards
Can Fish Count? According to This New Study, They Can!
New Study Finds Link Between Eating Fish and Skin Cancer
Kellogg to Divide Into Three Companies Focusing on Snacks, Cereal, and Plant-Based Foods Respectively
Pierce Brosnan and His Son Team Up to Bring Attention to Global Plastic Pollution
Woman Stops on Busy Interstate to Rescue Terrified Cat
Can You Eat Meat and Be Eco-Friendly?
5 Ways Restaurants Can Improve Their Impact on the Planet
How to Cut Your Air Pollution in Half
10 Simple Actions That Just Might Save Our World’s Oceans From Plastic
What You Need to Know About Spike in Utility Bills and How You Can Lower Them
Petition: Ban Vet Who Abused Animals Until They Were Missing Eyeballs
Petition: Happy the Elephant Deserves to Be Freed From Her ‘One-Acre Prison’
New Petitions to Sign This Week: Demand Congress Pass Affordable Housing Legislation, Reduce Air Pollution, Revoke Zoo’s License and More!
Ban Debarking Procedures, End Pony Rides in LA, Cut Air Pollution: 10 Petitions to Sign this Week to Help People, Animals, and the Planet!
Petition: Hold Bob Baffert Accountable For Drugging Racehorses
New Petitions to Sign This Week: Demand British Parliament Reject Plan to Relocate Refugees, Ban Pony Rides in LA, Demand Protection For Endangered Wolverines and More!
New Study Finds Link Between Eating Fish and Skin Cancer
Healing Chronic Pain and Inflammation With Plant-Based Foods
How to Get Vitamin C from Different Sources
Best Plant-Based Foods to Eat After Morning Workouts to Boost Energy and Recovery
Why You Should Start Eating With The Seasons
10 Games That Help Develop Emotional and Social Intelligence in Children
10 Empowering Black Documentaries in the Public Health, Animal Rights, and Green Space
10 Important Documentaries About The Impact and Reality of Gun Violence
The Jig is Up For The Oil and Gas Industry
10 Times Activists Were Silenced, Deplatformed or Killed
10 Resources for Teenagers With Depression
10 Things You Need to Know When Adopting a Senior or Special Needs Dog
Shocking Undercover Investigation Lays Bare the Horrifying Cruelty of Animal Trapping
Undercover Investigation Exposes Animal Cruelty at Bravo Packing Where Cows and Horses Are Slaughtered for Pet Food
10 Best Toys For Your Cat’s Mental and Physical Wellness
10 Best Toys For Your Dog’s Mental and Physical Wellness
10 Books That Will Help You Become A Better Activist For Animals
BLISSFUL: Vegan Desserts and Treats to Feel Good and Live Deliciously
BLESSED: Plant-Based Recipes For the Most Magical Christmas Ever
GREATEST: Ultimate Plant-Based Recipes From Breakfast to Dessert
Get your favorite articles delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up for daily news from OneGreenPlanet
Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please support us!
No products in the cart.
Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please support us!
$ billed upfront for one time.
There are some very good reasons to avoid using leather in your home or wardrobe, It’s bad for the animals, for the planet and for your health. In addition, there has been tremendous progress in sustainable and cruelty-free leather options in the market and you can now buy everything from vegan leather accessories and boots to alternatives made from canvas!
However, most shoes, boots, handbags, upholstery, wallets, belts, coats, jewelry, etc are made from leather, which means there is a lot of leather out there to be repurposed.
Here are some ideas for what you can do with any old leather items in your home, while making sure you avoid buying any new leather going forward!
Leather belts are extremely easy to repurpose as there is ever the need for durable straps. They could be repurposed as carry bags or camera straps. They could be converted into dog collars or bracelets. Cut into strips, they can be nailed to drawers as pulls or attached to cabinets as hinges. Big collections of leather belts could be used as the strapping for chair bottoms.
Jackets have enough material that, for even novices of the sewing needles, they can be repurposed into an assortment of things. Leather bags are a common destiny for repurposed leather jackets. Another option is a simple wallet, and another is notebook cover. An old, especially worn jacket could be cut into small strips and braided into jewelry.
Leather shoes and boots are amongst the most common incarnations of leather in the modern world. Using leather for these is so typical that not having leather in our shoes or boots takes a concerted effort. Old shoes and boots can be repurposed as kooky planters. If the soles have worn out on dress shoes, the broken in leather can be collected and sewn together as pillows, bags, and so on.
Upholstery, say from cars or couches or comfy chairs, is a huge amount of material. This could be used to make quilts, rugs, or clothing. It could be converted into upholstery for smaller items, such as kitchen chair bottoms and backs, ottomans or benches. And, of course, bags, wallets, jewelry and all of the other, smaller items listed above could be constructed of repurposed upholstery leather.
In general, leather wallets have an extremely long lifespan, more likely needing repair of zippers and such as opposed to the leather giving out. Really worn leather wallets could be cut into pieces and used for strong ties in the garden or workshop. They could become hinges or pulls for DIY furniture. They could become bookmarks. More so, “new” leather wallets are something to make from repurposed leather—footballs or gloves make interesting wallets—rather than a source of it.
Renown for its durability, if something constructed of leather has some blemishes, it’s probably worth going to a professional—cobbler or tailor—to see if an item can be repaired before dismantling it.
If it’s too late to repair, lots of clothing, including shoes and boots, can be recycled. Leather goods fall within this category. There are companies that specialized in recycled leather. Though most of these use the offcuts from new manufacturing, the use of older leather is certainly a thing and gaining more regularity.
No matter how we may personally feel about using and/or wearing leather, it’s hard to argue against making the most of what’s already here. We can promote new, cruelty-free versions of leather, but that doesn’t change the fact that the planet needs us to repurpose as much as we can. The more we repurpose, repair and recycle leather the less demand there will be for new leather. That’s probably a good thing.
For more Life, Animal, Vegan Food, Health, and Recipe content published daily, don’t forget to subscribe to the One Green Planet Newsletter !
Being publicly-funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high quality content. Please support us !
You must be logged in to post a comment.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.