Leather
The Leather Material Category is composed of flexible materials made from the skin of an animal through tanning. This category also contains plant-based materials that are intended as Leather replacements. Other artificial leather products are found in the Synthetic Leather Material Category.
Leather materials can be customized at the following Production Stages:
- Country of Origin and Process
- Tanning
- Re-Tanning
- Drying
- Leather Finishing
- Chemistry Certifications
At minimum, the type of hide (or plant-based raw material, for plant-based leathers) needs to be known to select an appropriate Leather Example Material in the Higg MSI.
There are six different Leather Example Materials that can be selected and customized:
- Cow leather should be selected when hide for the leather is sourced from cows (bovine leather).
- Goat leather should be selected when hide for the leather is sourced from goats (caprine leather).
- Pig leather should be selected when hide for the leather is sourced from pigs.
- Kangaroo leather should be selected when hide for the leather is sourced from kangaroos.
- Plant based materials is only applicable when using a plant-based leather alternative that is listed as a material option in the Higg MSI. Currently, the only plant-based material in the Higg MSI is Piñatex. Therefore, this category should only be selected for Piñatex material.
- Reptile leather should be selected when hide for the leather is sourced from reptiles.