Driven by Leather Naturally, this is the fourth edition of this global campaign in defence of leather and its industry

This year’s World Leather Day is celebrated on Saturday 26 April 2025. This global initiative aims to raise public awareness of the positive attributes of leather.

First launched in 2022, World Leather Day is a global movement, promoted by Leather Naturally and supported by leather sector associations and bodies from all over the world, dedicated to celebrating leather as a material and promoting a deeper understanding of the leather industry.

The international body Leather Naturally acts as the global spokesperson for the leather industry in promoting the use of certified, responsibly manufactured leather, providing reliable information and inspiration for consumers, designers and brands.

This year’s motto, “Beyond The Surface”, aims to promote a deeper understanding of leather as a material and to break down the mistaken stereotypes that part of society holds about leather and its industry.

This year, Leather Naturally seeks to prompt reflection on leather as a material and to challenge prejudices and superficial judgements. The “Beyond The Surface” campaign focuses on three key pillars:

• Transparency: Leather production is transparent and compliant with all regulations, since the tanneries that process animal hides are audited regularly and use only strictly regulated chemicals. Tanneries also meet rigorous hygiene and environmental standards. As a result, the final leather products meet the requirements of brands and NGOs by complying with Restricted Substances Lists (RSLs).
• Sustainability: Modern leather production prioritises sustainability, and many tanneries are certified by organisations such as Leather Working Group, Sustainable Leather Foundation or Aqeic Leather Audit. These certifications guarantee compliance with strict environmental standards, including the responsible use of water and energy, waste management and chemical control. In addition, many tanneries and leather industry organisations carry out Life Cycle Assessments in order to evaluate and reduce the environmental impact of leather from raw material to finished product.
• Longevity: Leather has unique physical and chemical properties that make it a durable material. Leather’s exceptional durability allows it to be repaired, reused and repurposed, making it a material with a long service life. Its unique combination of strength, breathability and comfort sets it apart from synthetic alternatives. These qualities make leather a natural, hard-wearing and sustainable option, ideal for a circular society.

Hides are a by-product resulting from the consumption of meat, the main source of protein for more than 90% of the world’s population. The leather industry recovers and recycles this by-product so that it does not become waste and turns it into elegant, noble products that are useful to society.

Leather Cluster Barcelona supports the initiative and joins the celebration of World Leather Day, championing leather as a benchmark of the circular economy and an example of sustainable fashion.

On this World Leather Day, Leather Cluster Barcelona reaffirms its commitment to the sustainable use of natural resources, minimal environmental impact in production and the efficient management of the waste and by-products generated by the leather sector.

Leather Cluster Barcelona is a competitive cooperation environment for promoting cross-cutting, transformative strategic projects with the aim of driving forward the ecosystem of the Catalan leather sector within the framework of Shared Value policies. The cluster is an accredited body within the Catalonia Clusters programme and has the support of Acció.