‘Circular economy’: the tannery making leather from billy goats – Guardian
A growing micro-tannery sector in the UK is helping to create value for thousands of male goats that would otherwise be killed at birth
Jack Millington walks past two huge industrial-style wooden tanning drums, through a door into the well-insulated drying room. Here, at 35C, amid the whirring of the dehumidifier and one small electric heater, hides from billy goats are stretched out on racks to dry.
Strong yet silky soft to touch, the beauty of the hides lies in the details – from the natural texture of the grain to the spine marks visible down the centre of each pale brown goatskin.
“Every hide is different – these patterns are almost like a fingerprint and that’s exciting to see for the first time as they dry,” says Millington, 31.
Millington’s micro-tannery near Market Harborough in the Midlands is the final step in making full use of the thousands of male or “billy” goats that would otherwise be killed at birth.
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