Smooth, silky soft surface, fine-grained. Distinctive, familiar scent. Colour tones, perfectly selected for an elegant overall image. Leather is the number one choice when it comes to the interior furnishing of a vehicle. Or perhaps not: Shouldn’t we move over to vegan leather alternatives for the purposes of animal welfare and environmental protection. This decision requires us to take a closer look: because not everything that claims to be sustainable and environmentally friendly ultimately lives up to its name. Bridge of Weir Leather, the leading leather manufacturer for the automobile industry, knows this better than anyone. It advocates for more transparency – and stands out with an exemplary eco-balance.
In times of global warming it’s good to minimise your own ecological footprint. So at first, it sounds like a good idea to forgo leather in your new (e-)vehicle and go for the vegan alternative. Instead of an animal product, you could opt for a material that comes fairly close to the natural leather look and is made of plant fibres, mushrooms and cacti. A good solution for the environment and your conscience, one might think. If it wasn’t for the fact, however, that these kinds of synthetic materials are only around 30 per cent organic-based. The rest: plastics, manufactured from petroleum and about as non-environmentally friendly as plastic bottles; some even contain poisonous chemicals. It’s just that no-one tells us this. And also the title 'recycled plastic' is more illusion than reality, because the recycling process often requires the manufacture of new, non-recyclable plastics. Bridge of Weir Leather has long been advocating more transparency. This family-run company based in Renfrewshire, Scotland, has been manufacturing the highest quality leather for automobiles since 1905 – even legends such as the Ford Model T, DMC DeLorean, Aston Martin V8 Vantage or McLaren F1 were fitted with Bridge of Weir Leather products. It is a natural material that could hardly be more sustainable: high-quality, hardwearing and durable leather is made from a waste product of the meat industry. Being part of the recycling economy, it is verifiably environmentally friendly – and the epitome of upcycling.
The leather used in vehicles has to be durable: the cold and heat of the seasons, seat heating and air-conditioning, weight load and movement wear of the occupants mean that the material is under heavy continuous use. Bridge of Weir Leather offers a sustainable product of the highest quality – upmarket and durable, adaptable and breathable in richly varied, customised and also personalised designs. The company is particularly proud of the fact that the most luxurious leather in the world is made with the lowest carbon emissions. Manufacturing takes place in Scotland, combining more than 100 years of experience in craftsmanship with design art and innovation spirit. Clients are provided with complete transparency – from the traceability of the rawhides and the verified energy balance to the entire lifecycle of the products. There’s a good reason why innovative e-vehicle brands such as Polestar are now also offering real leather interiors: they have recognised that there is no more sustainable alternative. And the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has confirmed that sustainable leather is a recyclable part of the circular economy. Because Bridge of Weir Leather reflects both sides of the argument: it fulfils the needs of the clients for a material that guarantees comfort, style and durability. And, without resorting to shallow marketing promises or greenwashing, it puts its trust in authentic, transparent sustainability practices. Which gives us consumers both an elegant car interior and a good conscience.
Bridge of Weir Leather
When in 1905 Arthur Muirhead founded the Scottish leather company, whose roots going back as far as 1756, he had a clear vision to manufacture the finest leather in the world. The family-run company, now into its 8th generation and part of the Scottish Leather Group, is still dedicated to the highest levels of comfort and timeless quality. Today Bridge of Weir Leather is a leading international manufacturer and exporter with clients in more than 30 countries. With its manufacturing ethos, the company is a leader in the industry, setting new standards for traceability, sustainability and care in the leather industry. Local teams and leather experts in Great Britain, Germany, USA and China support clients worldwide with their specialist knowledge.
