Since ancient times, humans have treaded upon the skin of animals. This can be traced back to literally all major cultures and civilizations of the world.
Called as 'Leder' in old English and Proto-German, it meant 'tanned or otherwise dressed hide or skin of an animal'. In ancient Roman, Greek, Indian, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian civilizations as early as 3000 BC, the use of leather products for making shoes and gloves and drinking water bags is found.
Replacement for natural leather
The use of leather in the modern day has seen strong criticism on moral and environmental accounts. With 14% by volume and 70 times more potent than CO2, Methane (CH4) is effectively the highest contributor to climate change. Recent demands have come up for reducing leather consumption and replacing it with artificial leather made out of petroleum products and micro-organisms.
Artificial leather has been in high demand since its emergence as a replacement for natural leather. The demand for the same has increased exponentially in the past few decades. The graph below shows the hike in artificial leather demand.