BREAKING NEWS! Apple Bans Leather
BREAKING NEWS!
Apple announced on September 12, 2023 that they will no longer use leather in any of their products. Apple says that they abandoned leather due to its high carbon footprint. This is just one step in their process of achieving complete carbon neutrality by 2030. Apple will replace leather with a fabric they named, “FineWoven.” FineWoven is “an elegant and durable twill” made from 68% post-consumer recycled materials.
This is exciting news for vegans and environmentalists. But it’s more than just one company switching out textiles.
This is an historic moment in the vegan and sustainability movements.
Apple is an industry leader. Their ban on leather constitutes a transformation of a dominant institution.
In social justice movements, there are 4 distinct stages of progression: personal transformation, alternatives, mass mobilization, and finally - transforming dominant institutions.
“Personal transformation” refers to a shift on the individual level. For instance, an individual becoming vegan.
“Alternatives” refers to the free market innovating alternatives to the dominant system, such as vegan meats, vegan milks, vegan leathers, cruelty free safety testing, etc. Making the technology possible and available.
“Mass mobilization” refers to focused activist groups such as Anonymous for the Voiceless, PETA, Mercy for Animals, etc. However, with the advent of social media, this definition can be expanded to include any online coalitions taking action for the vegan cause.
And finally, the efforts of mass mobilization culminate in transforming dominant institutions. This takes the form of changing or ending practices through legislative, judicial, or economic means. Legislative and judicial action results in changing laws; for instance, outlawing the sale of meat that came from gestation crates, animal welfare protections, or hopefully, one day, abolishing animal exploitation altogether.
Economic transformation means that certain practices are voluntarily abandoned by industry because they’re no longer profitable or no longer popular with the public. In the modern world, consumers favor companies with lower carbon footprints. Being completely carbon neutral is the highest standard. Apple knows this, and voluntarily abandoned leather in their quest to achieve complete carbon neutrality by 2030.
Apple’s ban on leather signifies that vegan and climate activism is working.
Mass mobilization for climate action has reached the highest echelons of society - the largest company in the world!
Oftentimes as activists, it can feel frustrating that change happens so slow. We’re still a long way from a vegan future and a long way from mitigating climate change.
But Apple’s ban on leather is a huge step forward. It shows that public demand for sustainability is indeed transforming dominant institutions.
The largest company in the world has transformed their supply chain in order to satisfy the public’s demand for carbon neutrality.
IT’S WORKING!
We just have to keep pushing forward 🙂
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