The document discusses several unsustainable practices across the leather shoe supply chain, from farms and raw material collection to manufacturing, packaging, distribution and consumption. It identifies excessive water use as the most harmful issue, noting that producing one pair of leather shoes requires around 2,113 gallons of water. To reduce water usage, the document recommends implementing water recycling systems, optimizing chemical use, monitoring water usage, upgrading technologies, proper wastewater treatment, employee training, and limiting water for cleaning.
4. Unsustainable practices for Farm
• Unsustainable use of water
• Unsustainable land conservation
• Unsustainable way of waste disposal.
• Greenhouse gas emissions.
• Labor exploitation
5. Unsustainable practices for Raw Material Collection
• Lack of transparency and ethical practices
• Waste generation
• Use of Hazardous chemical
• Excessive water use
• Unhealthy and Unhygienic workplace
6. Unsustainable practices for Tanning House
• Use of Toxic Chemicals
• Excessive water use
• Improper way of solid waste disposal
• Putting bad effect on environment
• Unsustainable Energy use
• Unhealthy and Unhygienic workplace
• Child labor
7. Unsustainable practices during Leather Preparation for
• High energy intensive
• Use of non-renewable materials
• Use of toxic chemicals
8. Unsustainable practices for Shoe Manufacturing
• High energy consumption
• Use of Hazardous chemical
• Unhealthy workplace
• Child labor
• Waste generation
• Lack of Recycling Initiatives
9. Unsustainable practices for Product Packaging
• Excessive packaging materials
• Non-Recyclable materials
• Non-Biodegradable packaging
• Excess branding and labels
• Plastic use
10. Unsustainable practices for Distribution
• Long transportation distance
• Inefficient warehousing
• Overstocking and overordering
• Carbon-di-oxide emission
• Lack of transparency in supply chain
11. Unsustainable practices for Retailers & Consumer
• Lack of ethical sourcing
• Misleading marketing
• Fast Fashion and Overconsumption
• Lack of durability
• Lack of Recycling Initiatives
• Post consumer waste
12. Prioritize most unsustainable practice
Figure: Materiality Graph for Unsustainable practices
The most harmful practice is
“excessive and unsustainable use
of water”
13. The most unsustainable practice is Excessive use of water
According to a news portal, it takes around 2,113 gallons of water to
make a pair of leather shoes. The animals used to make leather
shoes need to drink water and eat food that requires water to grow.
Preparing leather into tanneries requires a lot of water. This amount of
water go through various types of production process and toxic
chemicals and released into the environment. This can lead water
pollution and harm aquatic life.
15. • Implement water recycling systems to treat and reuse
water from various tanning processes
Water Recycling and
Reuse
• Optimize chemical usage to minimize waste generation.
Use chemicals more efficiently and consider less toxic
alternatives where possible.
Reduce chemical
use
• Regularly monitor water usage on the farm to identify
areas of high consumption and to optimize water use
and reduce waste
Water Monitoring
and Management
• This include upgrade machineries, optimizing the leather
treatment techniques & recycling water during the
tanning process
Water Efficient
Technologies
16. • Ensure that wastewater from tannery processes is properly
treated to meet environmental standards before discharge to
prevent water pollution.
Proper Wastewater
Treatment
• Educate tannery staff about the importance of water
conservation and provide training on water-saving
practices.
Employee
Awareness
• Reduce water use in cleaning barns, equipment, and
livestock by using high-pressure, low-volume cleaning
systems
Limit Water Use in
Cleaning and Washing
