By-Product Management in Sustainable Livestock Farming: Transformation of Leather Waste Through Art “Waste Vest Examples”

Leather, a strategic by-product of the livestock production process, is one of the most fundamental raw material sources for the agricultural-based industry. However, today the leather sector faces problems such as quality losses stemming from animal husbandry conditions and environmental pollution caused by tanning processes. This study examines the transformation of waste generated during the production phase in the leather industry into high value-added wearable art (vest) products within the framework of circular economy principles. The study first addresses the large and small livestock population in Turkey, housing conditions and their effects on the quality of leather raw materials after slaughter. The study highlights the damage caused by chemical methods applied in leather tanning to water resources and ecosystems and discusses the management of leather waste generated from the production line. Industrial waste leathers are considered as the primary design material in this study. This study, a mixed-methods action research approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. Within the scope of the study, 9 vests were designed from waste leather pieces using zero-waste techniques, transforming them into wearable products with high aesthetic and functional value. Colored waste nappa leather ranging from 1.5 mm to 2 mm in thickness was used in the production of the vests. To assess the design process and wearability of the produced vests, the "Design Evaluation Scale" was administered to 7 field experts and the evaluations were made based on weighting. Additionally, internal consistency of the vests and evaluation criteria was analyzed using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient, resulting in a score of 80.9%, which indicates a good overall success rate. The findings reveal that such upcycling models aim to minimize the volume of agricultural and industrial waste and create artistic and economic added value from discarded materials.