The leather industry is conscious of ecological issues, and is innovating with new initiatives. There is a desire to make this sector even more committed and sustainable.
Let's discover some great initiatives that deserve to be highlighted.
Leather and sustainability
First of all, a quick reminder of what sustainable development is.
The official definition of sustainable development was drawn up in 1987 in the Bruntland Report. This report is the synthesis of the first World Commission on Environment and Development organised by the UN.
The definition comes from a quote by Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Norwegian Prime Minister: ‘A pattern of development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
But what does this mean in practical terms? It's a way of improving a society's performance to enable it to exist in the long term and make it more stable.
This definition takes into account
- The environment: preserving the planet's ecosystems and natural resources in order to limit our environmental impact, which is essential.
- Social equity: to reduce inequalities and maintain social cohesion, the whole of human society must have access to education, health, food and housing.
- Economic equity: reducing poverty by guaranteeing employment with decent pay and respecting human rights.
So the aim of sustainable development is to find an economic model that combines respect for natural limits and human rights with growth in markets and production.
As for leather, it has adapted to society in many different ways.
The key issues for leather are :
- The environment: sustainable development and leather are not mutually exclusive, in the sense that leather is a waste product from the food industry that is recycled.
By its very nature, leather is an eco-responsible material with a range of characteristics: elasticity, permeability and resistance. It is therefore a material that lasts over time.
- Social and economic equity: towards the middle of the 19th century, medium-sized and large companies emerged in the leather industry. Craftsmen saw their business disappear. It was in 1850 that Chrome tanning was introduced, making leather production accessible to all.
Various initiatives and innovations
With sustainable development, companies in the leather industry have become aware of the many ecological and ethical issues at stake.
By the very definition of leather, the players in the leather industry have always taken a sustainable approach, since they used to recycle waste from the food industry.
As society evolves, they are coming up with new initiatives and innovations.
1. The ALIS project by the CTC
The first of these is an innovation announced by Cédric Vigier from the CTC at the Sustainable Leather Forum last September.
After 10 years of research, the ALIS (Automatic Leather Identification System) project has been launched. ALIS is a reliable, simple and financially viable traceability system for the leather industry. It is a tool for securing the supply chain and responding to societal concerns such as transparency in the traceability of materials.
Here are the benefits of the project:
- Reliable knowledge of the origin of finished leather,
- Secure sources of supply thanks to partnerships such as INESCOP, a technology and innovation centre, PFI, which initiates and carries out ongoing research projects for industry, and Katri, a clothing testing and research institution.
- Access to information on animal welfare.
ALIS has 4 phases:
- Securing the transfer of traceability from meat to hides
- Secure transfer of traceability by marking at the heart of the hide
- Patented solution - automatic reading of markings from the tanned stage onwards
- Centralised management system for data on the quality and traceability of materials
The aim of these initiatives is to improve the quality of skins over the long term and to guarantee sourcing that respects animal welfare and the environment.
2. REACH regulations
Another legal initiative at European level is the REACH regulation.
Since 2007, REACH has aimed to protect the environment and human health from chemical substances. It regulates their use in European industries, including fashion.
This regulation allows us to register chemical products and assess their level of harmfulness for all products manufactured, imported and placed on the market.
There are 3 objectives behind these regulations:
To increase our knowledge of health and environmental risks
Establish a substitution policy for the most harmful products
Make companies responsible for assessing and managing the risks associated with these substances.
These regulations are constantly evolving, and last September, at the Sustainable Leather Forum, it was announced that new reforms are likely to come into force shortly.
These will aim to tighten restrictions on the chemicals used in tanning, such as chromium and glutaraldehyde.
3. Compostability
Compostability is also one of the new initiatives in the industry.
Certifications such as OK Compost guarantee that more than 90% of the material will disintegrate.
The materials in compost can be used to fertilise and improve soil structure.
This technique reduces waste and pollution.
4. Leather certification
Companies and brands today aspire to become more responsible and reduce their environmental impact. Leather certifications contribute to this and can in some cases reassure brands.
Among these is the accreditation of the Leather Working Group, which is often cited on this subject.
This ensures sustainable production and sourcing of leather. It also ensures the traceability of hides right through to the slaughterhouse.
We would add a nuance to these labels: these accreditations require an enormous amount of time and money for those involved in the leather industry. Smaller structures are at a disadvantage, as they are not in a position to support these audits.
At Adapta, we care about the environment, which is why we reuse materials that are lying in the stocks of luxury suppliers. We offer a 100% circular solution to facilitate your sourcing.
We guarantee the quality of the skins and their traceability.
The leather industry will see further developments and improvements. What initiatives would you like to highlight?
And if we go further, what innovations could we imagine?
Sources :
La filière cuir face à la difficile équation de la transition durable (fashionnetwork.com)
J’veux du cuir ! (2/2): les initiatives et solutions (detoxmycloset.com)
Innovations PE23: Cuirs durables et biodégradables - Première Vision (premierevision.com)
Leather traceability : CTC’s traceability system for leather industry (ctcgroupe.com)
Comprendre le développement Durable : définition, histoire, enjeux (youmatter.world)
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