Vintage Aero Jackets and Environmental Standards

[Roger Steele]

I'm considering buying a second-hand Aero jacket (black FQHH Highwayman) that was originally purchased brand new in 1993 and has been very well taken care of. Out of curiosity, would the leather on a vintage Aero from that era generally be compliant with today's European Union environmental and health standards? My understanding is that the EU today regulates the azo and formaldehyde content of leather. (The EU may also have regulated leather production in the early 90s, but I imagine the standards have become stricter.) Anyway, it's possible that Aero leather from the early 90s was ahead of its time and didn't use the harsh chemicals that lower-priced competitors may have used which had sparked the heightened regulations. Any insights would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Cornelius]

As with houses & cars, the greenest jacket is the one that already exists.

 

[Roger Steele]

Very well said, Cornelius. To clarify the issue, I'd separate (A) resource efficiency environmentalism (which buying a vintage leather jacket certainly advances for the reason you state as it's an act of recycling) from (B) environmental harm/safety to the wearer (which a vintage jacket could potentially pose, if its leather contain chemicals unhealthy to the wearer of the jacket that have since been banned or limited). Buying a vintage Aero from the 90s could satisfy (A), but not (B).

 

[Sloan1874]

If it's Horween leather, there's every chance that its green credentials will be pretty good. One of the reasons that tannery has outlived its Chicago competitors is that the owners preempted environmental regulations - reducing emissions, toxic waste over time - spreading the cost and therefore able to shoulder regulatory demands that sunk other ones.