Sonakshi Sinha advocates for replacing leather with vegan leather in PETA’s new campaign

Sonakshi Sinha has always been a strong advocate for animal rights. The actress recently became the star of a new campaign for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. This campaign encourages people to use vegan leather instead of pure leather. The actress held a bag dripping with blood and called attention to more than 1.4 billion cows, dogs, cats, sheep, goats, and other animals slaughtered for leather every year.

Commenting on her new campaign, Sonakshi Sinha said, “Cows and buffaloes are intelligent, emotional animals who mourn the loss of and separation from loved ones, so I choose vegan leather and other compassionate materials when I shop,” The actress also added, “Through this campaign with PETA India, I hope to inspire more people to keep fashion fun, not grisly, by wearing vegan.”

Leather production has a severe impact on both animal welfare, it bears environmental impacts as well. Millions of animals are taken into slaughterhouses where they are cut open in full view of another. The 2017 “Pulse of the Fashion Industry” report concluded how leather production wreaks havoc on the environment. The process of turning animal skin into leather requires massive amounts of toxic chemicals, the runoff from leather tanneries poisons local waterways. According to a report, 90 per cent  of tannery workers in Bangladesh’s Hazaribagh die before the age of 50.

The designers who do not use leather anymore include Gaurav Gupta, Masaba Gupta, Monica and Karishma, Aneeth Arora, Ranna Gill, Shyamal & Bhumika, Sonaakshi Raaj, Siddartha Tytler, Rina Dhaka, Vikram Phadnis, Rocky Star, Atsu Sekhose, Dev R Nil, and Akshat Bansal. Anita Dongre and Purvi Doshi haven’t been leather-free for a while.

Sonakshi Sinha has previously joined other stars advocating for the strengthening of animal protection laws, she has also starred in pro-adoption campaigns for PETA India. The actress also penned a letter on behalf of the group pushing for the transfer of an abused elephant near Jaipur.