Those 4.8 million discarded or destroyed hides could have been used to produce leather for approximately 86.4 million pairs of shoes, 96 million footballs or 1.6 million sofas,  according to LHCA.

LHCA president Stephen Sothmann said: “Converting hides from animals processed for food into real leather is not only the right thing to do for the environment, but it also yields some of the most creative, visually-stunning, stylish products that would cease to exist if they were simply thrown away.”

Not only do products that use real leather last longer, thereby reducing consumer waste, but they are also naturally biodegradable, and may decompose in less than 50 years. Synthetics derived from petrochemicals, however, could take as many as 500 years to break down.

Mr Sothmann added: “The fast versus slow fashion debate has reached a critical inflection point, as consumers, brands and retailers increasingly take stock of their purchasing decisions, and the broader societal impact of those choices.

“In the race to develop a greener supply chain and reduce waste, the fastest way to ensure defeat is to doubt leather’s durability and sustainability, which have been proven over millennia."