Environmental Policy

As the guiding principle within all our work, designs and products Johny Todd Ltd. is committed to sustainability that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

We have an environmental policy because we believe in it - and that it’s vital, not just to our future business, but to the way we all personally live. 

Our whole approach could be summed up with - "buy better, buy less often, use for longer, repair more, pass it on".

Buy things of better quality which will actually cost you less in the long term. Buy things less often - do you need another bag? Because its better quality you’ll be able to use it for longer - again saving you more money. If it does break, have it repaired - we can repair all our products almost indefinitely. When you are done with it, pass it on to someone else, re-purpose it, or make it a beloved family heirloom (our leather products will probably outlive us).

We have long-term, deeply-held convictions around the issues of overconsumption, and both aim to reduce waste, plus ‘re-use’ materials whenever we can.  Concern for the environment is an integral and fundamental part of our commitment and our aim is to reduce the impact on the environment from all our operations.

We will:

- promote responsibility for the environment within the company, communicating and implementing this policy at all levels.

- reduce the use of energy, water and other resources by choosing like minded suppliers.

- minimise waste by reduction mostly, but also by efforts to re-use where possible and other recycling methods; 

- comply with all relevant environmental legislation/regulation; 

- ensure that our policies and services develop in a way that compliments this policy; 

- choose sustainability requirements ahead of financial gain whenever possible, such as recycled and/or recyclable packaging.

- provide appropriate training, advice and information for staff and encourage them to develop new ideas and initiatives that promote sustainability; 

On using Leather

In the creative industries today, it’s crucial to take a thoughtful and critique-based approach to the use, purchase and provenance of the materials used to make and sell things.  

The standards from just a few years previously are often no longer adequate to deal with unfolding global realities about how humanity addresses and reduces it’s consumption, therefore requiring an active willingness to look into alternative methods of production and materials.

Leather, and the use of leather, has an ancient heritage and widespread history.  Although its use is sometimes characterised as ‘heritage’ and noble, it’s use has not always been accompanied by a responsible and ethical record of production.  The leather supply chain is long and complex, with many issues and solutions which can sometimes be very different depending on where and how leather is actually produced.

Today’s consumers are re-examining the use of leather: some in a virulent way, imposing a moral and environmental responsibility on the production chain, to the point that some brands ban its use completely, others by weighing up the pros and cons of leather use when placed side by side with any alternatives.  For companies involved in the ‘disposable fashion’ sector finding an alternative for leather can be argued as a good progression on the issue of overconsumption, but the growing ecological awareness of fashion/accessory designers and producers does still need to be informed by a better understanding of the leather value chain - for example: there is no leather without breeders, slaughterhouses, meat consumers and finally tanneries to recycle the hides.

Are there any alternatives?

Historically, various alternatives to leather have periodically gained momentum, with the most recent interest manifesting as a re-brand of polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyurethane (PU) as ‘Vegan’ versions of leather - these are the main materials used to make “Vegan leather”..  

Although an arguably more ‘kind alternative’ when it comes to animal lives & welfare, the production of PVC and PU requires petrochemicals derived from fossil fuels, which in turn are responsible for increased global carbon emissions.  The use of these chemicals in making leather alternatives renders such materials ‘non-renewable’.  The chemicals required to make PVC and PU have well documented environmental and health issues - PVC is a known human carcinogen known to, cause diabetes, damage immune systems, disrupt hormones, and create birth defects.   Both PVC and PU have negatory effects that can be wide-ranging for workers, soil and water supplies, and the wider environment. It is for these reason that we, as a company, do not agree with the phrase, “more ethical” when referring to so called ‘vegan leather’.

Another alternative is MYLO, (used by a few well know fashion brands) which is made using fungus mycelium, but it cannot be branded as a ‘leather’ due to the term “leather” being reserved for animal hides containing collagen. MYLO avoids solvents like DMF (dimethylformamide) which is also commonly used in synthetic leather too, but the full lifecycle analysis of this product has not been available prior to it’s large scale commercial rollout, so its impossible to know how comparable it is. It does promise to be a viable leather alternative in a more ‘disposable’ fashion application, but its durability comparison, and therefor longevity, is unlikely to be comparable to leather.

Leather’s impact

Similarly, intensive animal rearing also has major environmental and ethical implications, including large scale deforestation, increased methane (which also causes global carbon levels to rise) and includes, in some cases, animal cruelty issues. 

Animal rearing which is predominantly for leather production is also subject to a greater level of scrutiny and consumer disapproval now than in previous times, and appears to be following a downward trajectory similar to fur production.

Leather tanned with Chromium salts, which accounts for most leather produced globally, is arguably more polluting than ‘vegetable’ tanned leather and similarly to PVC and PU is a known human carcinogen with other effects that can also be wide-ranging for workers, soil and water supplies. 

’Vegetable’ tanned leather is tanned using natural products, take longer to produce and is far easier to recycle than its chromium cousin.  

Our approach

Johny Todd Ltd recognises that many human activities create environmental havoc and that the effects of this are now well established.  

We have always maintained a real desire to “do less harm” and continue to take a flexible approach to what we make, the materials we use and the methods of production.  We rarely dispose of ‘scrap’ leather (unlike much of the leather using industry) and create very little waste by ensuring we create products which use even the smallest pieces, combined with other recycled materials too.

Our design and making ethos is to create beautiful objects and products that are made to last.  

We in no way support, endorse or adhere to the ‘disposable’ mentality seen in much of the fashion or manufacturing sectors.   

We believe in making things well to start with; in re-imagining, re-using and mending when needed; in preserving things where possible, and in creating products which, while costing more initially, will last far longer than any current alternative to leather.

Conclusion

In weighing up the various options and alternatives that are currently available, we believe that producing both leather and ‘vegan leather’ pose environmental dilemmas. In our opinion leather that is made as a byproduct of the meat industry, and is ‘vegetable’ tanned, presents the most environmentally friendly, durable, and long-lasting choice, especially if used over and over again. 

We actively use leather rather than PVC, PU and other alternatives to prevent waste and other less durable materials ending up in the system of over-consumption and waste generation.

For us the long life cycle of leather and the quality build of our products presents a workable way forward and a balance between the environmental issues of leather production, the generation of waste and the human impact on our planet for future generations.