Detroit leathergoods firm receives hides from Pangea
Automotive leather manufacturer Pangea has donated 600 finished hides to a Detroit-based leathergoods producer.
Pingree Detroit specialises in using leather reclaimed from the local automotive industry to use in handmade shoes, wallets, card holders, tote bags, coasters, sneakers and other items.
A worker-owned cooperative, Pingree Detroit launched ten years ago with the aim of providing employment for armed forces veterans who were struggling to find work elsewhere.
It said Pangea’s donation was the largest it had received this year so far and would provide enough material for its team to produce around 3,500 handmade products.
Pangea has called waste reduction a critical component of its environmental strategy. In 2024, its manufacturing sites diverted 1,670 tonnes of leather shavings from landfill to be repurposed into new products by industries in Mexico, Asia and Italy.
