ETHICS
ETHICS
Sustainability is at the heart of Earth Kin Tannery, it is partly the reason I set up the tannery initially. Not only is it super low - if not zero, impact on the environment, but it is also saving and making use of materials which would otherwise have been thrown away, so no animals have been killed for these products. Ethics, sustainability, and animal welfare are three of the most important values to me, and I strive to ensure they are always met at a high standard, on every level.
I only use completely natural, biodegradable, organic materials to tan the skins, and all of the Deer skins I use come from Deer which have been hunted and shot in the wild. Not only is this one of the most humane deaths a being could experience, but it is also absolutely necessary to cull and control the ever growing populations of Deer in the UK which are causing massive damage and detriment to the countryside, other wildlife, and to the Deer themselves.
The skins I use have come from a local hunter who hunts on the Ashdown forest in East Sussex, whom I trust wholeheartedly and has years of experience and skill. These skins would otherwise go in the bin, so this tannery is only ever using salvaged skins from hunters or roadkill. I often pick up animals which have been hit on the road, which can vary from Foxes, Badgers, Squirrels, Deer, Pheasants, Rabbits or even Polecats! Again I use these skins to tan and make into beautiful and functional high-quality products, rather than the animal be left in a bad way on the side of the road.
It is the art of salvaging and transforming Life and Death and the disconnection between humans and the natural world which cause both the need to cull Deer populations and roadkill. Our products couldn't be more ethical, sustainable and natural!
Where do my Tanning Ingredients Come From?
I use almost exclusively tree bark and tree bark only to tan the animal skins, and I only ever source this as a waste product too, meaning no tree has ever been cut down to tan these skins, I simply salvage bark from already cut-down trees.
I do this by picking up bark from saw mills which would otherwise be thrown away, or call on my trusty Tree-Surgeon friends who sometimes let me come and debark the wood they have cut.
This way I'm not contributing to deforestation in any way.
Lets Talk About Waste...
Waste is something really important to address, and something which is often sidelined in larger industries. My only waste is the natural, organic, biodegradable products I use to tan anyway, so they are completely environmentally friendly and non-toxic. The only waste I produce is hair and tissue from the skins and used bark and bark solution which is no longer strong enough to tan with, both which have come directly from the Earth and which go directly back. I like to use it as mulch for the garden! As you can see the tannin (which is essentially just tree bark tea) is so organic and safe you don't need to wear gloves, in fact, you could bathe in the stuff! I try my best also, to source the water I use to make tannin with from rainwater sources to reduce water consumption.
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