Textile and Apparel Industries

Pollution Displacement: The Unsustainable Shift of Leather Manufacturing

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Abstract

This study investigated the global shift of leather production from developed to developing countries and its environmental and ethical consequences. Using UN Comtrade data from 1990 to 2023, trade flows of raw hides, skins, and leather across more than 200 countries were analyzed to track changes in production and trade patterns. Color-coded global maps were used to visualize the movement of pollution-intensive manufacturing from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Italy to emerging centers in Asia and South America, including China, Vietnam, India, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Argentina. The findings indicated that this transition reflects regulatory and cost avoidance rather than sustainability. The study argues for stronger traceability measures, including blockchain-based documentation, real-time pollution monitoring, and regulatory reforms that assign clear accountability. Without systemic intervention, the leather industry continues portraying itself as environmentally responsible while externalizing its environmental impacts. 

Keywords: color-coded global maps, leather industry, unsustainable shift

How to Cite:

Nguyen, K. & Park, H., (2025) “Pollution Displacement: The Unsustainable Shift of Leather Manufacturing”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21865