Story

In February 2020 Ethical Consumer viewed the Pets At Home website and found that the company sold some leather items, however, it was not considered to form a substantial part of its business. No leather policy could be found. The company lost half a mark under Ethical Consumer’s Animal Rights category.

It also lost half a mark under the Pollution and Toxics category for the following reason. Leather, as the hide of a dead animal, naturally decomposes. To prevent this decomposition the leather industry uses a cocktail of harmful chemicals to preserve leather, including trivalent chromium sulphate, sodium sulphide, sodium sulfhydrate, arsenic and cyanide. Tannery effluent also contains large amounts of other pollutants, such as protein, hair, salt, lime sludge and acids. These can all pollute the land, air and water supply, making it a highly polluting industry.