Zombie Orpheus Entertainment
CREATOR
3 days ago
Project Update: Vote on Choice of "Vegan Leather" Alternative
Hi everyone -
We ran the numbers again, thanks to how many Deluxe Grandmasters you all have pledged for, and then we chatted with our manufacturer. Based on these numbers, we may be able to fulfill a backer request to provide the optional choice of a vegan leather alternative in our backer surveys.
Please let us know in the attached poll if, given a choice between the two options, you would choose leather or vegan leather when filling out the post-campaign pledge manager.
We are not taking leather covers away. Based on the ratio in the poll results, we will get a quote from our manufacturer to see if we can produce a variant vegan leather cover in addition to the existing leather cover. If we're able to fit this into our budget, the choice will be offered in the post-campaign backer survey. No additional action will be required now.
As we've shared elsewhere, our approach to manufacturing on this project has been intentional and environmentally conscious. We're using wood-free pulp from natural fibers for the pages, to help reduce deforestation. We're consolidating manufacturing to a single vendor to reduce our freight footprint. And we chose the highest quality full grain leather because it's biodegradable, rather than the forever plastics that vegan leather is made from, which can release more harmful chemicals into the environment both during manufacturing and when the material begins to break down. However, we also understand that, for some backers, the moral calculus around use of leather is non-negotiable, and we respect that. (Bonded leather, the cheapest "deluxe" option, mixes plastics with leather scraps, which is why we didn't consider it.) Ultimately, neither cover option is going to be 100% environmentally friendly, despite our efforts to mitigate our impact as much as possible.
Commenting and voting are open to followers as well as backers, so that everyone's voice can be heard.
We'll let you know the results and our decisions in a future update. If it doesn't raise the per-unit costs of the book too much—vegan leather is cheaper, but the volume-based discounts that make Grandmaster possible to manufacture would also go down—then we hope to have good news for people who don't want a leather-bound book on their shelves.
NOTE: Please be kind to each other in the comments. This can be an emotional issue, with valid arguments for and against either option. Our goal, if possible, is to provide MORE options. We expect that everyone will tolerate that other people's perspectives may differ regarding which choice is most ethical. The final decision is ours and we appreciate that this community isn't one that makes ultimatums or demands.
We ran the numbers again, thanks to how many Deluxe Grandmasters you all have pledged for, and then we chatted with our manufacturer. Based on these numbers, we may be able to fulfill a backer request to provide the optional choice of a vegan leather alternative in our backer surveys.
Please let us know in the attached poll if, given a choice between the two options, you would choose leather or vegan leather when filling out the post-campaign pledge manager.
We are not taking leather covers away. Based on the ratio in the poll results, we will get a quote from our manufacturer to see if we can produce a variant vegan leather cover in addition to the existing leather cover. If we're able to fit this into our budget, the choice will be offered in the post-campaign backer survey. No additional action will be required now.
As we've shared elsewhere, our approach to manufacturing on this project has been intentional and environmentally conscious. We're using wood-free pulp from natural fibers for the pages, to help reduce deforestation. We're consolidating manufacturing to a single vendor to reduce our freight footprint. And we chose the highest quality full grain leather because it's biodegradable, rather than the forever plastics that vegan leather is made from, which can release more harmful chemicals into the environment both during manufacturing and when the material begins to break down. However, we also understand that, for some backers, the moral calculus around use of leather is non-negotiable, and we respect that. (Bonded leather, the cheapest "deluxe" option, mixes plastics with leather scraps, which is why we didn't consider it.) Ultimately, neither cover option is going to be 100% environmentally friendly, despite our efforts to mitigate our impact as much as possible.
Commenting and voting are open to followers as well as backers, so that everyone's voice can be heard.
We'll let you know the results and our decisions in a future update. If it doesn't raise the per-unit costs of the book too much—vegan leather is cheaper, but the volume-based discounts that make Grandmaster possible to manufacture would also go down—then we hope to have good news for people who don't want a leather-bound book on their shelves.
NOTE: Please be kind to each other in the comments. This can be an emotional issue, with valid arguments for and against either option. Our goal, if possible, is to provide MORE options. We expect that everyone will tolerate that other people's perspectives may differ regarding which choice is most ethical. The final decision is ours and we appreciate that this community isn't one that makes ultimatums or demands.
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