Leather UK has announced the “Leather for Life” Swing Tag Project, a labelling initiative for British made leather goods, reports ILM.

Supported by The Worshipful Company of Curriers, the initiative aims to provide consumers with reliable information about leather as they buy products.

This follows consumer research from the association, which found that 50% of respondents believed that leather is derived from animals bred solely for their hides, with only 24% of people knowing that leather is a by-product of the meat and dairy industries.

The swing tag label will be available to any leather designers, manufacturers and retailers in the UK and will use a QR code linking directly to a bespoke area of the Leather UK website with information on leather production, care and repair.

Dr Kerry Senior, Director of Leather UK, said: “We are incredibly excited to bring this project to life as an additional means of tackling the misinformation that surrounds leather, the material and the industry.

“There is so much that is good about leather; it is hard-wearing, long-lasting and incredibly versatile. There is also a huge amount of work being done to reduce its environmental impact. As the trade body that promotes every part of the UK leather supply chain, from the manufacturers investing in R&D to innovate industrial processes on the path to carbon zero, to the talented craftspeople and successful brands and retailers across the country, we see this as an important step in ensuring consumers have access to reliable facts about leather so that they can support this great British industry.”