Climate change hurting leather industry in Uşak
UŞAK
Climate change is taking its toll on the leather industry in the western province of Uşak, which is home to several leather processing companies.
Rising global temperatures due to climate change, however, have led to a decrease in demand for leather clothing worldwide, impacting businesses in the city.
In the Leather Organized Industrial Zone in Uşak, which spans 300 hectares, hides brought from all over the country are processed.
The amount of leather processed in Uşak, one of Turkey's leading leather processing centers, has dropped because of climate change.
Murat Çalışkan, who has been in the leather business in Uşak for 35 years, stated that interest in leather clothing has declined and sales have fallen in recent years.
Sales were driven by demand during spring and autumn, when temperatures are milder, he said.
“However, with climate changes, we no longer know when to expect each season, and this uncertainty is affecting our sales," Çalışkan explained.
Sales of leather jackets, pants, and coats have declined due to rising temperatures, he added.
Since they can no longer sell leather jackets and coats, they have started focusing on other leather products such as wallets, shoes, belts, bags and hats, according to Çalışkan.
“Because we no longer experience transitional seasons, our sales have dropped by 50-60 percent," he said.
Five years ago, 35 million small livestock hides were processed in facilities in Uşak, but this number dropped to 22 million last year, and they expect it to be around 20 million this year, according to Coşkun Göngör, board chair of the Leather Organized Zone.
