ICT urges Mini to think again about leather
Secretary to the International Council of Tanners (ICT), Dr Kerry Senior, has written to the head of design at car brand Mini, Oliver Heilmer, to ask him to reconsider a decision to phase out the use of leather.
In an interview with automotive industry publication Autocar at the start of February, Mr Heilmer said Mini would not be using leather in its interiors in future. “We don’t believe it’s sustainable,” he said, adding that his preference was to use recycled fabric with lining made from 70% recycled fibres instead.
He went on to say that these recycled fabrics would still be able to satisfy his desire to offer customers an interior that is luxurious, small-footprint and with an aesthetic that comes “more from a home perspective than an automotive one”.
In his response, Dr Senior expressed “deep disappointment” at the decision, especially as Mr Heilmer said he had taken it on grounds of sustainability. He pointed out that Mini’s decision to reduce its use of leather “will have no impact on the consequences of livestock-rearing”.
He added that leather production prevents the disposal of an estimated 8 million tonnes of material each year and made the point that turning hides and skins into leather prevents the emission of greenhouse gas emissions that would result from their disposal. “As such,” he continued, “leather is a recycled product that valorises a renewable, biodegradable waste into a beautiful, functional material.”
Dr Senior described leather as “the original circular product” and said it was a better option for satisfying Mini’s ambition to use a sustainable, recycled material than fossil fuel-derived synthetic materials.
He also said that leather interiors hold a strong appeal for consumers, with research in the US finding that 69% of car buyers prefer leather upholstery in the interior and 54% of buyers of new Minis in the UK in 2020 choosing leather upholstery.
“I sincerely hope you will reconsider,” he told Mr Heimler. “Manufacturers of automotive leather have been at the forefront of the drive for sustainability in leather production, achieving huge improvements in the environmental profile of their products.”
Image: Head of design at Mini, Oliver Heimler, with the Mini Cooper SE and the Mini Cooper S 3-door models.
