Why are so many sheepskins wasted?

It is estimated that only 1 in 200 sheepskins in America is used, while the vast majority are lost in the system. Here are a few insights I’ve found that help to explain why.

1. They are time sensitive
   For a sheepskin to be processed into a rug, it should be collected and preserved within 4 hours of the animal being killed to stop the decay. This can be done with salting or freezing, but this small window can easily be missed if it’s not the priority.
   
   
   

2. It’s a different industry
   Farming, meat processing, and tanning are related but very different industries, requiring different skills, and producing different outcomes. By law in America, farmers who sell their meat to the public have to have their meat processed by a USDA approved processor (therefore they aren’t usually doing it themselves). The farmers’ priority is to care for the land and animals, which is a 24/7 year round occupation. To be subject to the exact timing of the processors, stop daily routines to collect the skins, learn and develop the skills to tan, and then actually undertake the time-consuming task of making the sheepskin is simply not an option for most, even if there are considerable benefits to this valuable resource.
   Then there are the processors, and one of their highest values is for food safety and hygiene. The risks of having an often manure and mud filled unclean hide around high quality fresh meat is not one that anyone wants. Not to mention that preparing meat and tanning leather are completely separate processes. Unfortunately, without a separate outlet to pick up the hides, the cleanest option is to simply dispose of them.
   
   Many processors and farmers are very happy to see people come and use what they can not, and I highly recommend developing a relationship with local ones if you are interested in tanning.
   
   

3. It’s a lot of very physical work
   A sheepskin, drenched in water with an extra layer of fat and manure, from a wonderfully large organic animal, can sometimes weigh around 200 pounds. Usually, the ones I make weigh between 80-150 at the start of the process. Picking up several in a day, soaking them, hanging them up, and moving them around is not the easiest thing I’ve ever done. They say, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Well, this is the type of thing that some people find strengthening, and makes others feel and say “I am dead.”