Ethics in Making Skin Handbag - Case Study Example

Ethical Report Name Institution Date Course Hermes Birkin Crocodile Skin Handbag Introduction Hermes Birkin Crocodile Skin Handbags are handheld bags that are made of leather processed from crocodile skin. The processing, however, involves several steps. Because of the moisture in the crocodiles’ skins, these skins undergo curing to remove this moisture before tanning. The skin then undergoes other processes to ensures that the finished product has taken a new look and is of high quality, retaining its natural properties. Once this has been done, several leather products are then made. The Hermes Birkin Crocodile skin handbag is one of these products (Mann & McMillan, 2009). Below is a picture of one of the bags: Authentic Hermès Cassis Porosus Crocodile 35cm Birkin Bag The Hermes Birkin Crocodile skin handbag, considered ‘exotic Birkin’ is considered the ultimate luxury in the handbag varieties. The one shown above is hand stitched by skilled craftsmen and is truly stunning in the jewel toned purple croc with palladium hardware. This bag is easily noticed from its characteristic patterns that it inherits from those of the underside of the crocodiles. The product is highly valued and will cost higher than other leather handbags. The users are usually the high class who enjoy its luxurious feel. Impact of the Product The production of handbags is a complex process in design and actual production. Before starting this stage, manufacturers must first ensure that the leather used has been prepared and processed into the tough but durable form. Processing leather is, however, associated with several negative effects to the environment and the society. Before the late 1800s, animal skins was processed in a much cheap and safe way, air dried, or salt dried, then tanned with vegetable tannins and in some cases, natural oils was used. The increase in demand has been associated with an increase in production volumes and the adoption of more environmental unfriendly methods. Today, these skins are turned into finished leather using much more dangerous chemical substances including formaldehyde, mineral salts, coal-tar derivatives, as well as various dyes, oils, and finishes. Leather is mostly tanned using chrome. This substance and all wastes containing it are considered hazardous. Tannery wastes also include huge quantities of several other environmental pollutants including protein, lime sludge, salt, hair, sulphides and acids. For every tonne of hide processed, chrome-tanning plants also wastes about 15, 000 gallons of water, while producing over 2, 000 pounds of solid wastes which are composed of flesh, hair and trimmings (Schubert, 1998). As Rao et al (2002) further point out, tanning leather also generates 800, 000 tonnes of chrome shavings annually in the US, large portions of this wastes ending up in landfills. Other solid wastes include hide dust, hide trimmings, hair from the liming, which may contain sulphides and lime and fleshing from raw hides/ skins, wet-blue shavings that contain CR2O3 and several other contaminants. These toxic wastes have had serious effects on societies surround processing plants. Apart from the huge loss of animals, there have been reported health problems for residents. There have been reported increased cases of leukemia, and arsenic, one of the common tanneries chemical has been associated with lung cancer in those workers who get exposed to it regularly. As the hazards related to processing leather continue to be acknowledged in the developed world, these countries have discontinued processing, moving operations overseas. The health those in the other parts of the world has now been threatened. Over 90% of exported leather in Bangladesh, for example, is produced in the slum areas where the wastewater from tanneries is not even treated. The contaminated water has found its way into the nearby river, causing local residents to fall sick from the exposure to harmful chemicals. The developing countries have also been targeted due to lack of elaborate environmental protection awareness and protection. Domestic as well as wild animal protection is also less strictly enforced in these nations. The result has been increased leather processing while local residents and animals continue to pay the price. In India, for example, total production estimates ranged between 600 and 1500 million square feet of leather by the year 1993 (Schjolden, 2000). Analysis of Unethical Issues People have developed different liking levels for leather products. Some people have seen leather and leather products to represent durable, biodegradable and desirable materials that could be used to make fashion products stand the test of time. For others, especially vegans and the vegetarians, the use of leather and its products is subject to philosophical questions that surround human consumption of meat - not to mention issues relating to animal welfare that have become pervasive in the meat industry and animal product manufacture process. For a long time in history, leather has been very important in securing basic human needs. But while the use of leather was socially acceptable and ethical in the past, the ever increasing fast fashion industry and the seemingly insatiable appetite of the society, the leather industry has continued to become increasingly diluted of socially and environmentally responsible practices. Animal skins got from cows, goats, sheep and other domestic animals have been used to produce leather goods, but this has gone well with society since these skins are considered a by product of the meat industry. However, other exotic leathers like crocodiles, snakes and lizards may not be considered as such and several groups have raised their concerns. Utilitarianism Theory But in the middle of all these, the current trends and needs of humanity leaves the industry with no choice but to produce more and more of the products. This is due to the durability of these products and the rising preferences from the buyers. The Hermes Birkin Crocodile skin handbag is known for its executive look and durability which makes its demand high. The decision to continue with the production of this product directly derives from the preference utilitarianism theory which as Simões (2013) says, considers the good to be that which is subjectively desired, wanted or preferred. Preference utilitarianism and the arguments associated with it were raised by RM Hare in his concepts for moral thinking. Hare believed that rational constraints alone cannot be enough to compel people to make any moral judgements. However, if people make moral judgements at all, then logic and facts compel them to make judgements that are consistent with observe preference version of act-utilitarianism (Carson, 1986). Preference utilitarianism relies on the conception of moral deliberation as a thought-experimentation, but with concomitant preference change. Simões (2013) further says that the action which fulfils people’s strongest preferences is the right action. Since this product is highly rated and valued by the majority of the working class women who can afford it, then it is a good thing (Simões, 2013). Again Hare argues that moral judgements should be universal and overriding, where we do to others like we would wish to be treated (Carson, 1986). By overriding moral judgments is meant that one considers the prescriptions that are expressed in the moral judgement accepted by the individual to be prescriptions that ought to be followed during conflicts with other sorts of prescriptions. Examples include conflicts between morality and considerations of etiquette, prudence, and the law. The use of crocodile skin for making these handbags greatly contradicts concepts of preference utilitarianism and the arguments for it. There are no moral deliberations and rational thinking in killing crocodiles and other animals for purposes of using their skins for making handbags. When making these decisions, people do not respect universality since the same skin processors and handbag manufacturers would not wish to be killed for the same reasons. Production and use of these handbags raises the question of whether the stakeholders respect the rights of these animals and whether the society holds any ethical values. There is debate, however, of whether or not these values extend to other animals. Again, it is only natural that negative rights extend to all living things except in the case where one’s life is threatened. Animals, domestic or wild, should be free from some certain actions by man. Killing animals for purposes of using their skin is a violation of their natural rights and a lack of ethical values in the society. Conclusion Leather products continue to be popular and more people continue to more use for them. The products have proved to be highly durable and attractive. The crocodilian leather products, for example, continue to be relatively luxurious, being at the higher reaches of the value proposition on like-for-like products within its price range. But the buyers may never understand the processes under which the product has passed to become what they buy. The finished handbag, just like other leather products, means that one or more animal has been brutally killed. While there are cases where skins are obtained from fallen animals, it is obvious that these represent only a small percentage of the total processed final goods. The Hermes Birkin Crocodile skin handbag, when finished, is a show of class and perfection, but the processes that lead to it may not be justifiable. Leather processing has been associated with extensive effects on the environment in terms of pollution of land and the water bodies to the spread of diseases. These processes may never be sustainable in future; as has been seen in the discussion above, some European countries are already shutting down their machines, shifting operations to the less developed countries. Such levels of luxurious handbags can be achieved through using other naturally occurring materials. The production of these leather bags could only be ethical if better treatment solutions for the raw skins are identified and used in place of the toxic substances. But this again may not achieve ethics if more crocodiles will be killed for making handbags; unless enough of them will die naturally to be able to sustaining production of these bags. But since this cannot happen, the first effort should be directed towards manufacturing of environmentally friendly treatment and proper disposal of the wastes. Once these products have been used and are to be disposed, better disposing methods should also be used. Recycling of the old bags into new products may be a great idea. List of Reference Simlesa V, 2002, Crocodile Products - NT Export and Import Requirements, Northern Territory Government, J72. Carson TL, 1986, Hare’s defence of utilitarianism, Philosophy Studies; 50, 97 – 115. Simões MC, 2013, Hare's preference utilitarianism: an overview and critique. Trans/Form/Ação vol.36 no.2 Schubert D, 1998, Assessment of the Environmental Release of Chemicals From the Leather Processing Industry, IC-07 Leather Processing Industry. Rao JR et al, 2002, Green Route for the Utilization of Chrome Shavings (Chromium-Containing Solid Waste) in Tanning Industry, Environmental Science & Technology 36. Schjolden A, 2000, Leather tanning in India: Environmental regulations and firms’ compliance, F•I•L Working Papers, No. 21. Caldwell J, 2011, World trade in crocodilian skins 2007-2009. Cambridge: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Mann BR, & McMillan MM, 2009, The chemistry of the leather industry, retrieved on 19th March 2014 from < http://nzic.org.nz/ChemProcesses/animal/5C.pdf> Read More

Other solid wastes include hide dust, hide trimmings, hair from the liming, which may contain sulphides and lime and fleshing from raw hides/ skins, wet-blue shavings that contain CR2O3 and several other contaminants. These toxic wastes have had serious effects on societies surround processing plants. Apart from the huge loss of animals, there have been reported health problems for residents. There have been reported increased cases of leukemia, and arsenic, one of the common tanneries chemical has been associated with lung cancer in those workers who get exposed to it regularly.

As the hazards related to processing leather continue to be acknowledged in the developed world, these countries have discontinued processing, moving operations overseas. The health those in the other parts of the world has now been threatened. Over 90% of exported leather in Bangladesh, for example, is produced in the slum areas where the wastewater from tanneries is not even treated. The contaminated water has found its way into the nearby river, causing local residents to fall sick from the exposure to harmful chemicals.

The developing countries have also been targeted due to lack of elaborate environmental protection awareness and protection. Domestic as well as wild animal protection is also less strictly enforced in these nations. The result has been increased leather processing while local residents and animals continue to pay the price. In India, for example, total production estimates ranged between 600 and 1500 million square feet of leather by the year 1993 (Schjolden, 2000). Analysis of Unethical Issues People have developed different liking levels for leather products.

Some people have seen leather and leather products to represent durable, biodegradable and desirable materials that could be used to make fashion products stand the test of time. For others, especially vegans and the vegetarians, the use of leather and its products is subject to philosophical questions that surround human consumption of meat - not to mention issues relating to animal welfare that have become pervasive in the meat industry and animal product manufacture process. For a long time in history, leather has been very important in securing basic human needs.

But while the use of leather was socially acceptable and ethical in the past, the ever increasing fast fashion industry and the seemingly insatiable appetite of the society, the leather industry has continued to become increasingly diluted of socially and environmentally responsible practices. Animal skins got from cows, goats, sheep and other domestic animals have been used to produce leather goods, but this has gone well with society since these skins are considered a by product of the meat industry.

However, other exotic leathers like crocodiles, snakes and lizards may not be considered as such and several groups have raised their concerns. Utilitarianism Theory But in the middle of all these, the current trends and needs of humanity leaves the industry with no choice but to produce more and more of the products. This is due to the durability of these products and the rising preferences from the buyers. The Hermes Birkin Crocodile skin handbag is known for its executive look and durability which makes its demand high.

The decision to continue with the production of this product directly derives from the preference utilitarianism theory which as Simões (2013) says, considers the good to be that which is subjectively desired, wanted or preferred. Preference utilitarianism and the arguments associated with it were raised by RM Hare in his concepts for moral thinking. Hare believed that rational constraints alone cannot be enough to compel people to make any moral judgements. However, if people make moral judgements at all, then logic and facts compel them to make judgements that are consistent with observe preference version of act-utilitarianism (Carson, 1986).

Preference utilitarianism relies on the conception of moral deliberation as a thought-experimentation, but with concomitant preference change.

Read More