"To provide people and the environment with the best without harming the ability of future generations to meet their needs"
Brundtland report 1987
Sustainability and nature's resources:
The materials used to make LEATHER by beth's products are primarily leather and brass. Natural raw materials.
There are no unimaginable quantities of these raw materials, therefore we commit ourselves to great responsibility in our supply chain. We prioritize conserving resources, respecting animal welfare, avoiding deforestation, eliminating the use of hazardous chemicals and reducing air and water pollution in all our stages, from design to production to delivery to our customers. Leather is itself a sustainable product, a surplus product from meat production, which for thousands of years has been used for clothing, shoes, equipment for livestock, bags and many other purposes. Well known by all.
At LEATHER by beth, we only use leather of the best quality. For each production, the best skins are selected, only then are they tanned. In this way, we get the best quality, at the same time that no hides lie unused. Of course, this makes the process more expensive, but we thought it was worth it. Quality and sustainability go for us, rather than costs. The concept "Less is more" is part of our design. You will not find unnecessary buckles, buttons or bodies, just as zippers are kept to a minimum. We rely heavily on the Danish design tradition. Simplicity is our whole expression.
LEATHER by beth makes both large items and smaller accessories in the same collection, so that the entire leather is used and as little as possible is wasted. It all makes good sense, we thought. All our products are free of harmful chemicals. The skins used in our production come from English & Scottish cattle. Here, animal welfare is at the same high level as in Denmark. For leather engraving, our suppliers use materials from the Dutch company Smith & Zone, which guarantees that all European standards and recommendations are complied with. Together with our suppliers, we are constantly researching innovative tanning methods to make our products as sustainable as possible. Thus, all skins used for dog collars & dog leads are vegetable tanned.
Our packaging serves two purposes: To protect our valuable goods on their way to the customer, as well as to provide a good experience when the customer opens their package. LEATHER by beth continues our commitment to sustainability by reducing the amount of materials used, prioritizing recycled and recyclable materials and avoiding the use of plastic. Our collars and leads come in a suede bag. Suede is a surplus product from leather production. At the same time, the bag is very easy to sew, which allows our manufacturer to have employees who, for various reasons, cannot make complicated things. Therefore, it makes good sense that we use the suede bag as a nice and delicious packaging. The bag can also be used for many other purposes thereafter. We have both seen it used as a pencil case, make-up purse etc. and we thought that was lovely.
Transport is the biggest culprit in our CO2 accounts, but is, like the use of packaging, a necessity for our business. We pay close attention to this part of the business and do everything we can to streamline our workflow. In general, we collect our orders both when they arrive here and when they leave here. And we are constantly working to find new solutions and improve this part of our business, so that our CO2 footprint is as small as possible. In Denmark, LEATHER by beth uses Post Nord as far as possible, as here they work seriously with sustainable solutions.
Social sustainability:
Or social justice as it is also called, is very important to LEATHER by beth. We have suppliers in Pakistan and India, countries known for poverty, great social inequality and poor conditions for women.
Our clear position is that the best way we can help our suppliers to help and provide justice for their employees is by doing business with them and constantly being in dialogue about the employees' conditions. And pay them a decent price for their goods, of course.
Right now, India is particularly hard hit by corona. Many people live below the poverty line and most live close together. Information to citizens is lacking and people are frightened. In practice, this has meant for us and our supplier that the factory's workers have gone home to their families, in the villages they come from, which is naturally understandable. Therefore, the factory was empty and our goods could no longer be produced. The closure therefore has a huge & negative impact on trade and life in the entire local community.
Our supplier, who undertakes a large social function & responsibility, has therefore chosen to employ a number of women from the local area. These women were trained in the difficult craft of leather weaving. They sit at home in their own home and make bags & covers by braiding them by hand. It is of great importance to the women that they can now support themselves and their families. And this applies to the entire local community. We thought it was a fantastic move and have therefore designed some products that support this advanced technique. And the result has been nothing short of fantastic. We are very proud of our wicker collection and the significance it has acquired.
Another example is our buckles and carabiners, they are made of brass and made by hand. A process that makes them different but also beautiful. And we are happy and proud to keep a man employed full-time and his family supported. It would be something completely different if we had chosen to have our buckles made "on a machine" in China, where it usually takes place.
Financial sustainability:
For LEATHER by beth, the economy is of great importance. We want to make products of the very best design, the best quality of raw materials and the most skilled processing. A quality that ensures our products not only have a beautiful exterior, but also a long life. At the same time, we want the people who work with our products, from start to finish, to be treated with respect and fairness. It also means that they get a decent wage for their work, no matter where they work.
LEATHER by beth continues our sustainability responsibility on the financial side, by taking into account the price of our products that it costs to produce them sustainably. We strive to have a healthy surplus economy so that we are constantly able to further develop our products and ensure good conditions for nature's resources and the people we come into contact with. We have no desire to enrich ourselves. What drives us is the desire that everyone we work with, both on the production side, on the dealer side, our business partner and not least our customers, have good and happy experiences with us.
This is our view of sustainability in all its simplicity.
Standard from the 5th of November 2023