In anticipation of Earth Day on April 22, supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India gathered in front of New Market, Esplanade, holding buckets that read, “Leather Is a Dirty Business” and dousing themselves in black sludge to symbolize the destruction of the environment brought about by the leather industry. Nearly one-fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans come from the animal agricultural sector, which includes the leather business. Additionally, the effluents from leather tanneries poison nearby rivers and streams, endangering human health as well as the health of all living, breathing creatures.

According to PETA India Campaigns Coordinator Utkarsh Garg, “The leather industry worsens the climate catastrophe through methane emissions and creates toxic sludge that pollutes our waterways. Additionally, the industry chops the throats of cows and buffaloes while the animals are still conscious. PETA India urges consumers to select products made of materials free of animal testing, such as vegan leather”.

The leather trade is catastrophic for the environment, other animals, and people. In India, trucks are frequently packed with so many cows, buffaloes, and other leather-producing animals that the animals’ bones crack. Those who survive this trauma are slashed in front of other animals by slaughterhouse personnel, who then often skin and dismember them while they’re still conscious. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified waste from the leather industry as a carcinogen due to the high concentration of chemicals present in the leather production process. Studies have indicated that workers in the leather sector are more likely to acquire lung, pancreas, skin, kidney, nasal, and other cancers, in addition to the respiratory and skin problems that have been associated with tannery employment.

Nearly all of the nation’s largest shoe and apparel stores have vegan leather and other animal-friendly products. Handbags, shoes, clothes, accessories, furniture, and home décor products manufactured of vegan materials instead of animal-derived ones including leather, silk, wool, fur, and feathers are authenticated by the “PETA-Approved Vegan” certification. The “PETA-Approved Vegan” emblem is used by over 1000 businesses globally to make it easy for socially conscious shoppers in India and other countries to quickly identify vegan products when they are out shopping.

For more information, visit PETAIndia.com

Priyanka Dutta