Bullish on leather

Leo Dong -

The leather industry doesn't really contribute to greenhouse gas emissions because the high-margin product in the cow industry is actually the meat. Don't feel too bad the next time you buy some leather shoes, because you've probably saved the skin of a beef cattle from going to waste.[1]

The proof is here. Bulk salted cow hides are worth next to nothing, and can be purchased for about 25 to 50 cents each.[2] Value is added during the processing and tanning.[3] Considering that a beef steer will sell for at least $1,500 USD, only ~0.02% of the value of the cow is in its hide.

  1. Though eating beef is quite awful for the planet. ↩︎

  2. So long as you order 5000 or more. ↩︎

  3. Which is often damaging to the environment due to the chemicals used and how well these chemicals are handled. ↩︎