New Balance to phase out kangaroo leather
Prominent sportswear brand New Balance has recently revised its sourcing policies with the aim of phasing out the use of kangaroo skins and discontinuing the sale of footwear made from kangaroo products by December of next year. This decision was made following the announcement by Nike and Puma earlier this year. Nike has also stated that by the end of this year, they will halt the import and sale of kangaroo skins.
According to Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Centre for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action, this move is expected to reduce the financing of commercial kangaroo killings in Australia. The centre’s Kangaroos Are Not Shoes campaign, which was launched over three years ago, has encouraged four major international athletic shoe companies, including Diadora, to commit to ending their use of kangaroo hides. The centre is also pressuring other firms, such as Mizuno in Japan, to discontinue their use of kangaroo hides in their products.
