2 News map News highlights from around the global leather industry.
4 Industry & Innovation New technology, new ideas from leather industry suppliers and service providers.
6 Leatherscene People from around the industry and famous lovers of leather who have made the headlines in recent weeks.
8 Backtrack Headlines from www.leatherbiz.com, the industry’s best and most complete news website. Leatherbiz is now in its 25th year. You can read about almost everything that has happened in the global leather industry this century on leatherbiz. No other news archive comes close.
Leather Leaders
10 Meaningful change President of ICHSLTA, Micaela Topper, argues that cross-industry collaboration is now taking place in ways that would have been unthinkable five years ago.
Technology
14 Benefits all round A project called ECOFAP combines additive manufacturing with waste reduction to create sustainable footwear.
16 Sustainability in safe hands At the XXXVIII IULTCS Congress in Lyon, technologists and chemists celebrated breakthroughs in using low-impact, bio-based materials to add value to hides and skins, and were urged to keep finding new ways to enhance the industry’s sustainability credentials.
20 Collagen call In the 2025 Heidemann Lecture, Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer insisted that tanners have to become better at making use of and generating value from collagen that is going to waste.
22 New alliances, new technology Simac-Tanning Tech 2025 highlighted the importance of joint-working in driving technology projects forward, but also showed that a healthy dose of competition is still a good thing.
26 Improved performance Benefits in safety, anti-soiling, versatility and rub-resistance are all on offer with Stahl’s new superfunctional polycarbodiimide crosslinker for use in leather topcoat finishes.
Leather and the Circular Economy
32 Thought Leadership: Ups and downs of EUDR Hopes rose of a second delay to the application of the European Union Deforestation Regulation but crashed in October when Brussels opted to press ahead.
36 Thought Leadership: Data drive Non-profit organisation the Institute for Data Integrity has been launched because transparent data, and analysis of that data, are now a necessity for the global leather industry.
38 Thought Leadership: COP can wait A united voice from suppliers of different natural fibres stands a strong chance of being heard at important events like the United Nations COP conferences on climate change.
42 Circular Stories: Waste works wonders A worker-owned cooperative in Detroit will put a donation of hides from Pangea to the best possible use.
44 Circular Stories: Perfect imperfection Handmade shoe brand Then Korea sees naturalness, variety and great beauty in the ‘imperfections’ of leather.
Beast to Beauty
46 No contest Bio-focused footwear brand Solk has found that no material on the market can match leather for performance and prestige.
48 Essential reading IBC Advertisers’ index
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Cover image: Left and right. Shoes by Korean designer Soojin Kim celebrate the distinctiveness of leather. Even the shoes in a single pair have a different appearance from each other. CREDIT: THEN KOREA
The World of News
UK Plans to relocate Walsall Leather Museum have drawn strong opposition from local campaigners and heritage groups following confirmation that councillors approved a proposal to move the institution from its current site. Walsall Council signed off the relocation as part of wider cost-saving measures. Campaigners say the move could amount to the effective closure of the museum and the end of Walsall’s long links to leather.
SPAIN Spain’s national industry association for footwear component suppliers, AEC, said it expected around 4,500 visitors to attend the fifty-fourth edition of its Futurmoda exhibition, in Elche in October. It said more than 230 exhibitors would showcase leathers and other materials for footwear manufacturers to use in their autumn-winter 2026-2027 collections.
ZIMBABWE Zimbabwe’s leather industry is taking steps to modernise footwear design through new training for designers at the Leather Institute of Zimbabwe (LIZ). A new, ten-day programme aims to improve precision, speed up product development and strengthen collaboration between design teams and manufacturers.The training supports wider strategy goals for export-focused industrial growth.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA Automotive leather manufacturer Boxmark has announced that it will invest approximately € 6.5 million in its Lukavac facility in Bosnia and Herzegovina next year. The company plans to increase production capacity and hire 400 new workers from January 2026. It currently employs 860 people in Lukavac and produces around 650 sets of car upholstery leather per day.
GERMANY Automotive leather producer Bader is expanding digitalisation through a new collaboration at a facility in the German city of Göppingen called the Innovation and Future Campus (HIVE). It will use the technology there to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance leather manufacturing. Bader said its focus will be on improving production efficiency, increasing quality, and simplifying and accelerating processes.
TURKEY Turkey’s minister of trade has said it will ban consumers there from bringing into the country leathergoods and footwear purchases online from Chinese e-commerce platforms. The ban will apply to products that sellers have shipped to private addresses by post or parcel delivery company. Towards the end of October, the ministry said it had carried out tests on more than 180 imported items and found that more than 80% of them failed to meet safety standards.
KENYA Italy’s national tanning and footwear technology manufacturers association Assomac has signed a new agreement with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM). Assomac president, Mauro Bergozza, said the Italian organisation was “opening up a series of collaborations” with partners in Africa. “But this is not just at the level of supplying technology,” he insisted. “It is also about an exchange of ideas and values.”
JORDAN An event called the JordanUzbekistan Leather and Garment Industries Forum took place in Amman in September, with the aim of strengthening trade and investment ties. Jordan’s leather and garment sector generates over $2.5 billion in annual exports, employs 90,000 people, and recorded 8% growth in the first half of 2025. Representatives of both countries said the forum could pave the way for longterm collaboration.
ARGENTINA Figures from Argentina show cattle slaughter of almost 10.2 million head in the first nine months of 2025. This is a fall of 0.6% compared to the same period in 2024. Over the course of this decade so far, September has consistently been the month in which Argentina’s cattle slaughter has gone above the 10 million head threshold, although the figure was lower in 2021.
BRAZIL Statistics from Brazil show that employment in the leather manufacturing industry there has increased in the course of 2025 so far. Official figures for the period to the end of August showed that tanners in Brazil were employing 32,135 people. This is 3.7% up on the figure at the end of 2024. Industry body CICB said Rio Grande do Sul had the biggest number of leather manufacturing jobs, with 8,481, up by 6.4% compared to the start of the year. The figure for the state of São Paulo was the secondbiggest, with 6,609, an increase of 7.3%.
The World of News
CANADA Official figures from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada show that the country’s cattle slaughter in the first nine months of 2025 was just over 2.1 million head. The figure for the corresponding period last year was well over 2.2 million. This means the January-September total in 2025 is down by 5% year on year. Almost 80% of Canada’s cattle slaughter is in western provinces, mostly in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
PAKISTAN WWF Pakistan has released the Guidelines for Transparency and Traceability of the Leather Value Chain in Pakistan, authored by Deborah Taylor, managing director of the Sustainable Leather Foundation. The guidelines state that traceability underpins transparency and form part of an EU-backed effort to enhance sustainable growth and working conditions in Pakistan’s leather and textile industries.
BANGLADESH Bangladesh’s leather sector achieved export revenues of $228.7 million for the first two months of the current financial year, July and August 2025. This is growth of 13.7% compared to the same months a year earlier. Exports of finished leather brought in $19.75 million, up by more than 20% year on year, while shipments of leathergoods brought in more than $70 million, growth of 27%. There was also growth for exports of leather footwear, which rose by almost 7% to reach $138.7 million.
VIETNAM ISA Next-Gen Materials has opened a new showroom in central Ho Chi Minh City. The facility showcases leather from the ISA TanTec business unit alongside sustainable materials from ISA COSM. Its location, close to key customers’ offices, is intended to provide easier access and reduce time lost in traffic. The showroom complements ISA’s existing facilities at Saigon TanTec and TransAsia TanTec in Vietnam.
AUSTRALIA Promotions body Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) has given a mid-year figure of 74.2 million head for the country’s sheep flock. It said this represented a fall of 6.2% year on year. “Australia’s sheep industry is navigating a challenging period,” MLA said. It explained that this decline comes on the back of “two years of below-average seasonal conditions” in key producing regions. MLA said this had driven elevated lamb slaughter.
NEW ZEALAND The government of New Zealand has revised down its targets for biogenic methane emissions reductions by 2050. It said it had considered advice from the Climate Change Commission, alongside findings from an independent review of methane science and targets. Its approach acknowledges that biogenic methane, a short-lived greenhouse gas, has different warming impacts than long-lived greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide.
Industry & Innovation
GSC expands global operations
Leather chemicals group GSC hosted a launch event for an expansion at its headquarters near Vicenza on September 26. Chief executive, Adriano Serafini, welcomed customers and other guests from Asia, the Americas, Africa and many parts of Europe to the event. He said it was an important day for GSC, one that marked “a change of direction” for the company.
He said the company wanted to offer “the instruments the market needs”, adding that expansion at its headquarters would help it put service at the core of its operations.
Model tannery hopes for Assomac
The president of Assomac, Italy’s national association for tanning technology developers, Mauro Bergozza, has revealed that member companies are preparing to join forces to set up a new model tannery in Arzignano.
Working with local tanners and suppliers of leather chemicals, Assomac members will have the opportunity to join up the entire production chain for making leather, “from one machine to the next”.
He said that, in this way, the technology providers will be able to gather “all possible data” on leather production. “We will then be able to hand that data over for the tanners to carry out their own analysis of the process,” Mr Bergozza said. “This will help them to be as cost-efficient as possible and to keep making improvements in aspects such as energy use, but while still carefully controlling product quality.”
Mr Bergozza said “a technological leap forward” had happened in tanning machinery since the covid-19 pandemic. He argued that, when it became difficult and, at times, impossible for people to communicate face-to-face with one another, it became important for them to be able to share information through technology.
As a result of this, there is now a high level of technology in the machines that Assomac members are developing, he concluded.
German growth ‘surprises’ HDS
Germany’s national footwear and leathergoods association, HDS, has reported sales of € 1.6 billion for the industry in the first six months of 2025, an increase of 1.3% year on year.
Deputy managing director, Torben Schütz, said the increase had been unexpected. At a press conference at the Micam exhibition in Milan in September, Mr Schütz said: “It was surprising, if you talk to our companies.”
He explained that footwear companies had exported 190 million pairs in the first half of the year, an increase in volume of 3.7%, adding that “functional footwear”,
Different kind of vehicle
Leather sourced from the collections that automotive company Aston Martin sources for its luxury cars will soon be in use in a different kind of vehicle, a baby-stroller called the Egg3.
The two UK-based brands joined forces to develop a collection of three different strollers, which use Aston Martin car interior leather on the handle.
Egg3’s parent company, BabyStyle, put the prams on show at the Kind+Jugend exhibition in Cologne in September. It has now confirmed that the high-end strollers will go on sale in December.
It said using leather from Aston Martin’s own automotive supply chain was part of a whole range of “meticulously crafted detail” in the products.
The strollers will be available in three colours: racing lime green, dark grey and light grey. The last of these will have leather in a tone that Aston Martin calls ‘bitter chocolate’ on the handle. The other two will have black leather.
including safety shoes and products for the military, had been in particular demand.
However, across the board, he said the situation for Germany’s manufacturers of footwear and leathergoods was difficult.
“There is a structural crisis,” he said. “Ours is an energy-intensive industry and energy costs, as well as labour costs are very high. At the same time, consumers are spending less than before. This makes things difficult for retailers, especially as they have to compete with online platforms based in Asia. Times are good for us when times are good for retailers. Our industry is successful when retailers are successful.”
HDS has calculated that production costs have increased for manufacturers by 25% in the last ten years. Over the same timeframe, though, the price consumers have to pay has gone up by only 10%.
“The problem is explaining to consumers the value of our products,” Torben Schütz said
JLR production restarts
Automotive group Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced that manufacturing had resumed at some of its production sites from October 6. The company had suspended operations in August following a cyber-attack, which forced it to close its factories and take its IT networks offline.
This paralysed the work of its suppliers too and some of the companies in its
supply chain have had to lay off workers.
At the end of September, the UK government agreed to underwrite loans worth up to £1.5 billion to help suppliers of components and materials survive the crisis. JLR has warned that it could still take weeks or even months for production to return to normal.
Oritain expands traceability services to leather
NewZealand-based provider of traceability technology Oritain has extended its services to cover the leather sector, aiming to support fashion, luxury and automotive brands in meeting rising demands for transparency, sustainability and regulatory compliance.
The company says its methodology, already applied in apparel, food and agriculture, can now verify the geographic origin of leather from producing countries in Europe, Africa and South America.
Oritain said this capability would help companies comply with new regulations such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which requires a Digital Product Passport.
Chief executive, Alyn Franklin, said Oritain’s verification services provide brands and tanneries with the insights needed to meet regulatory obligations and strengthen trust with customers.
Industry & Innovation
Containers cut emissions
Leather chemicals manufacturer Cromogenia Units has introduced intermediate bulk containers (IBCs) made with 30% recycled HDPE at its Barcelona and Tarragona plants. Cutting CO2 emissions by 6.8 kilos per unit, a successful pilot in 2025 will allow wider use, with 1,000 to 3,000 IBCs expected annually.
The company also used 8,836 refurbished IBCs in 2024, avoiding more than 1,176 tonnes of CO2. These actions form part of Cromogenia’s plan to reduce total emissions by 30% by 2030.
“Our move towards recycled and refurbished containers is a key step in advancing the circular economy,” said CEO Alex Cabestany.
New chapter for Radermecker
Belgian leather manufacturer Radermecker has begun working with the Ecotan range of technologies from Silvateam. The company said it had been “perpetuating the art of vegetable tanning” for 150 years now, but that signing up to use Ecotan meant it was “opening a new chapter”.
Ecotan technologies involve the use of only natural products in the making of leather, allowing specialist partners to take the material back at the end of a finished product’s useful life for use in fertiliser production.
The Belgian company said the move reflected values it shares with Silvateam, such as favouring renewable tanning agents, acting with “a strong environmental consciousness” and giving a second life to production waste.
“We believe leather can shape tomorrow,” Radermecker said. “It is a noble material rooted in tradition and a driver of sustainable innovation.”
LWG opens consultation on standard
TheLeather Working Group (LWG) has launched a public consultation on the chain of custody and due diligence requirements of its Leather Production Standard. The consultation opened on October 1 and will close on November 30.
Stakeholders across the leather supply chain are invited to review the draft documents and provide feedback using the online forms included. Comments can be made on individual clauses or submitted as general observations.
The new Leather Production Standard and the accompanying Chain of Custody Standard will replace sections of LWG Protocol 7 and are scheduled to come into effect in 2026. LWG said the standards aim to improve traceability, transparency, and responsible sourcing across the industry.
An extra 20 million
pairs
Hong Kong-based footwear group Stella International has reported revenues of just over $1.1 billion (US) for the first nine months of this year.
Over this period, Stella’s factories produced 41.4 million pairs of shoes, boots and sandals. The figures represent an increase of 1.6% in value and of 5.1% in volume year on year.
However, Stella also reported a decline in the average price per pair it was able to secure for its footwear, down by 3.1% to reach $27.70.
Stella is currently constructing new production facilities in Indonesia and in the Philippines. It said it had faced challenges in both locations but had recently made “solid progress” in resolving these. It expects production to begin at these new sites in the second half of 2026.
Group chairman, Lawrence Chen, said the group plans to scale up its production capacity by an additional 20 million pairs per year.
Colour choices
TFL has released its spring-summer 2027 colour trends catalogue, covering leather for garments, footwear, accessories, and upholstery.
The trends are divided into two sections: ‘Wearing’ for fashion items and ‘Living’ for interior designs. In ‘Wearing’, bold contrasts and natural inspirations dominate. Negative reptile prints return in greens and lemon yellow; suede adopts sandy neutrals with bright, fruit-inspired accents
‘Living’ highlights interior colour choices, from vibrant camellia pinks for dynamic settings to taupe and earthy browns for a classic look.
Biodiversity matters
Certification body Oeko-Tex has worked with environmental organisation Global Nature Fund to update its STeP certification with criteria concerning biodiversity.
Updates include a greater emphasis on ecosystems, natural habitats and biodiversity. Stakeholder manager at OekoTex, Carolin Franitza, said: “Healthy ecosystems are a vital foundation for environmentally responsible and sustainable textile and leather production. They are essential for long-term economic stability and success.”
Expansion ahead
AI-powered leather quality assessment specialist Mindhive Global has completed a Series A funding round, led by agritech venture capital firm Cultivate Ventures, with participation from existing shareholders. The investment will support
the company’s expansion in Brazil, Europe and Asia. Mindhive Global already has a partnership with JBS Couros. In total, it has operations in nine countries.
Mindhive launched its FinishSelec system at SIMAC Tanning Tech 2025, with Scottish Leather Group confirmed as the first customer.
SLF delivers L&HCA training to Indonesian tanners
The Sustainable Leather Foundation (SLF) delivered a two-day Inception Workshop in Malang, Indonesia, under the Leather & Hide Council of America (L&HCA) Regional Agricultural Promotion Programme and in association with AKPI (Indonesian Tanners Association).
SLF has been contracted by L&HCA to provide training and certification under the programme that seeks to grow US hides and leather exports to Africa, South and Southeast Asia and Latin America.
Representatives from 25 Indonesian tanneries participated in the programme. Key topics included sustainability, regulation and an overview of the US hide market.
Atom-thin additive
BeDimensional, a spin-off from the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, has introduced B-LEAF, an atom-thin hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) crystal, for the leather industry.
The additive is reported to improve mechanical strength and thermal regulation in leather products.
The technology was demonstrated at Lineapelle 2025 in a jacket by Italian tannery Maryam, using leathers treated with chemical auxiliaries from Riverchimica integrated with B-LEAF.
Micro-tanneries conference to launch
Cotmarsh Tannery, the UK’s first microscale vegetable tannery, has announced the launch of the first Micro Tanners Conference, taking place on June 15–17, 2026, at Great Cotmarsh Farm in Wiltshire.
The three-day event will bring together artisan and craft tanners, micro tanneries and others interested in vegetable tanning. There will be talks, panel discussions and a tour of Cotmarsh Tannery CIC.
The focus will be on reviving the heritage craft of vegetable tanning, developing commercial viability for small-scale operations and strengthening traceability.
Confirmed speakers include Dr Kerry Senior, Jack Millington, Karl Flowers, James Allen, Jane Robertson, Alice Robinson, Nina Conrad, Claire Beaumont, Jessie Watson Brown, Hanna Nore and Andrew Rumming, with more to be announced.
Leather scene
Founder of Gruppo Mastrotto dies
One of the founders of leather manufacturer Gruppo Mastrotto, Bruno Mastrotto, died in early October at his home in Arzignano. He was 84.
Founded in 1958 with his father Arciso and brother Santo, Gruppo Mastrotto has grown into a major player in the global leather industry. The company operates 15 factories worldwide, employs around 5,000 people, and exports to over 110 countries, supplying leather for automotive, fashion, interior design, nautical and aviation sectors.
Alongside his business work, Bruno Mastrotto and his wife Silvana supported healthcare initiatives in Vicenza and the Veneto region through the Silvana and Bruno Mastrotto Foundation.
He is survived by his and their daughters Chiara, Giovanna and Rossella
Former CICB president dies
The Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB) has announced the passing of Wolfgang Goerlich, former chairman of the board and executive president of CICB, and former president of the International Council of Tanners (ICT).
Mr Goerlich held several leadership roles in the leather sector. He was elected president of ICT in 2010, while serving as president of CICB.
CICB noted his contribution to the Brazilian tanning industry and to the wider leather value chain.
Retirement for Luis Zugno
After more than two decades with speciality chemicals company Buckman, respected leather technologist Dr Luis Zugno has announced his retirement.
Over the course of his career, he served as president and now executive secretary of the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies (IULTCS), and as chair of Leather Naturally.
He also co-authored a book on leather science, presented at numerous international conferences, and helped develop new products and applications for tanneries around the world. He said his connection to the industry will continue; he plans to keep sharing knowledge and exploring innovation in leather.
Brand focus back in the chair at LWG
Multi-stakeholder body the Leather Working Group (LWG) has announced David Wright as the new chair of its board. Mr Wright, currently vice-president for advanced technological developments at accessories group Tapestry, has worked in the leather industry for 35 years. He has been involved in the LWG, which
Another change of CEO at Gucci
The new chief executive of luxury group Kering, Luca de Meo, has wasted no time in shaking up he group’s biggest brand, Gucci.
It announced on September 17 that Francesca Bellettini would become the new chief executive of Gucci. She was formerly the deputy chief executive of the Kering group, a role that will now be eliminated.
Mr de Meo, who took up his new role at Kering at the start of September after three decades in leadership roles in the automotive sector, said he wanted to build “a leaner and clearer organisation”. He added that he wanted “the best talent” to drive Kering brands forward.
“Gucci, as our group’s flagship brand, deserves the sharpest focus,” he added, “and Francesca, one of the most seasoned and respected professionals in our industry, will bring the leadership and flawless execution needed to restore the brand to its rightful place.”
This move means the exit of Stefano Cantino from the top job at Gucci less than a year after his appointment. Mr Cantino took up the role at the start of 2025, taking over from Jean-François Palus. Mr Palus himself led Gucci for only 15 months, taking over in 2023 when Marco Bizzarri left.
This means Francesca Bellettini will become Gucci’s fourth chief executive in two years. This turmoil at the top has coincided with a serious fall in revenues at the brand. In its most recent results, Kering attributed €4.4 billion of its total revenues for the first nine months of 2025 to Gucci. This represented a decline of 24% for the brand.
works to improve the environmental impact of the leather supply chain, since its inception in 2005.
Its board has stakeholders from different parts of the global leather value chain, comprising representatives of four leather manufacturers, four finished product brands and one supplier.
After his election as the new chair, David Wright told World Leather that he was looking forward to the role. He said: “It’s been some time since the representative of a brand has been the chair, but I was there at the beginning of LWG and I know what it is working hard to achieve. I am looking forward to helping the group move forward.”
Giorgio
Armani dies at 91
Theworld of fashion mourned the death of Giorgio Armani after he died at his home in Milan on September 4.
The brand that bears his name confirmed that, even at 91, Mr Armani had worked until his final days, “dedicating himself to the company, its collections, and many ongoing and future projects”.
He said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal last year that he regarded this disciplined work ethic as the secret of his success. He founded the business in 1975 and remained its sole shareholder at the time of his death. The business reported revenues of $2.6 billion in 2023.
Train trip
General
manager of Italy’s national tanning industry body UNIC, and chief executive of the Lineapelle exhibition, Fulvia Bacchi, has been named by Forbes as one of the 100 best chief executives in Italy for 2025.
The grand final of this year’s competition will take place at a formal awards ceremony and summit in Milan in December, but Ms Bacchi was one of the speakers at a preview event in October.
Forbes has chosen ‘Train For The Future’ as the theme for the competition’s closing summit.
Mipel president goes to Mercosur President
of leathergoods manufacturer
Bric’s, Roberto Briccola, took part in a business delegation to Latin America in October. He said at the Mipel exhibition in Milan in September that he was looking forward to the trip, which was to take in a number of countries in the region.
This will be part of a series of visits that business groups from the European Union are making to South America. This is in the context of a partnership agreement that the two trade blocs have reached.
The trading pillar of the agreement has
still to be ratified but Reuters has reported that it could lead to eliminating tariffs on 91% of EU exports to Mercosur, and 92% of Mercosur exports to the EU, phased in over time.
Mr Briccola, who is president of the Mipel event, said Mercosur, with around 270 million inhabitants, could be an important growth opportunity for European manufacturers. “If the tariffs really were to come down, it could be very interesting for us,” he said.
Hard work
The secretary general of COTANCE, Gustavo GonzálezQuijano has paid tribute to members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who have “worked very hard” to point out the flaws in the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
His comments came following an announcement from the EU Commissioner for the environment, Jessika Roswall , on September 23 about her short-lived proposal for a new one-year delay for the regulation. [Please see the full article in this issue about this autumn’s ups and downs on EUDR.]
Speaking at Lineapelle in Milan, Mr González-Quijano paid particular tribute to MEPs Christine Schneider and Peter Liese for the dedication and clarity with which they have sought to point out the flaws in the regulation as it stands.
Hermès names new men’s creative director
UK designer Grace Wales Bonner is to become the new creative director for men’s ready-to-wear at luxury brand Hermès. Her appointment follows the company’s recent announcement that artistic director of men’s collections, Véronique Nichanian, is to step down early next year.
Grace Wales Bonner graduated from Central Saint Martin’s in London in 2014. She was named as the 2016 winner of the LVMH Prize, winning €300,000 and a year-long mentorship at LVMH.
The following year, she worked on projects with renowned shoe designer Manolo Blahnik, who said of her: “I can sniff it out when someone has something new about them. I have a marvellous young person working with me now called Grace Wales Bonner. She is fantastic.”
Ms Wales Bonner went on to prepare joint collections with Adidas Originals and to develop her own brand.
Prize asset
DeMontfort University design student Jamie Unlu O’Grady has been named overall winner of the 2025 Real Leather, Stay Different. (RLSD) competition. His winning entry was a modular footwear concept called SubTraction.
Judges praised the design for its originality, ecological focus and commercial promise. Mr O’Grady said the award would help him take his idea to market: “My dream is to turn it into a real product that changes how people buy, wear and sustain their shoes,” he said.
Leather & Hide Council of America president, Kerry Brozyna, said the RLSD programme “equips young designers to challenge fast fashion and redefine responsible design using sustainable, natural fibres”.
Out of the question
The artistic director of Hermès, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, has said machines will never replace the artisan craftspeople who work at the leathergoods company.
In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, the newspaper said Mr Dumas, a sixth-generation member of the family that founded Hermès, “looked offended” when asked if the company was using artificial intelligence (AI).
“It’s all about the human touch,” the artistic director said. “Yes, you can programme a machine. But the machine does not have feelings. It does not have consciousness. It is not aware of what it is doing.”
Leather scene
Backtrack
World Leather’s publishing cycle and limitations on space make it impossible for us to run more than a carefully selected sample of news from across the industry. However, we publish hundreds more stories on leatherbiz.com. The site is updated every day with news from every continent and every part of the industry, making leatherbiz.com one of the most comprehensive archives of news anywhere on the web for the global leather industry.
We list below just a few of the headlines that have appeared on the site in recent weeks and can still be accessed.
28 October 2025
COTANCE joins calls for ‘stop-the-clock’ mechanism on EUDR
French leather to feature at MIF Expo with immersive ‘Made in Leather’ stand
27 October 2025
Updated Leather Manifesto for COP30
Brazilian leather joins Presidential Mission to Indonesia and Malaysia
Ferragamo to push craftsmanship in a return to its roots
24 October 2025
China: Figures for bags and garments are down
Ugg leads Deckers’ Q2 growth surge US tariffs expected to hit India’s leather exports
23 October 2025
UNIC highlights the main changes in new EUDR proposal
Finalists of RLSD ‘instinctively understand’ sustainable design
Performance still “far below the market” for Kering
22 October 2025
Brussels proposes limited EUDR delay and lighter rules for small operators
Integrated artisanal model delivers again for Hermès
Small fall in export value for French hides and skins
21 October 2025
Brazil’s shoe sector rallies but leather products falter
EUDR rears its head at Chicago event
20 October 2025
A departure at Hermès
Fragrance deal will allow Kering to focus on its core business
Next steps for ‘biocircular’ footwear brand
17 October 2025
Bridge of Weir marks 120 years with fullservice US leather interiors
16 October 2025
USMEF calls for easier access to the UK market for US beef
Footwear figures show a sharp fall in leather shoe imports into China
15 October 2025
Falls across the board for China’s hide, skins and leather imports
PrimeAsia supports workers with summer camp initiative
Detroit leathergoods firm receives hides from Pangea
Stahl reopens coatings facility in India
14 October 2025
Tough year continues for LVMH
13 October 2025
COTANCE joins calls for swift ratification of EU-Mercosur agreement
Reassurances follow US ‘extra 100%’ tariffs on China
10 October 2025
US and Italy export figures are a concern for Brazilian tanners
EU parliament backs ban on meat terms for plant-based products
09 October 2025
AICC prepares for southern conference Dip in LWG coverage for VF
08 October 2025
Emissions from fossil fuels have been ‘significantly underestimated’ Fears for Turkey’s footwear manufacturers
Vietnam’s footwear exports hit by US tariffs
National Gallery sells off leather benches over safety concerns
07 October 2025
Purple reign at Bentley Motors
06 October 2025
‘Solid figures’ from Lineapelle despite climate
Anniversary Amazona in Loewe’s new collection
03 October 2025
Falls for bags and leather garments in China
Leather tops consumer upholstery preferences
MILE leather museum inaugurated in Arzignano
02 October 2025
Artisan leathergoods production strategy bears more fruit for Hermès
01 October 2025
Leather innovations show path to sustainable future
Footwear export volumes from China stay steady, but value falls
JBS underlines leather circularity in sustainability report
Rome event hears the case for leather
30 September 2025
Mostly negative numbers for China’s tanning sector in H1
Prada Group ups ZDHC commitment
29 September 2025
Resilience and international projects are Simac-Tanning Tech highlights
British Pasture Leather announces leathergoods collaborations
Scottish Leather Group publishes 2025
ESG report
26 September 2025
Leather abounds at Burberry
25 September 2025
Special anniversary celebrations at Tanning Tech
Milan shows draw to a close LWG looks ahead after two decades
24 September 2025
UNIC welcomes EUDR pause and presents IT platform
Erretre among honourees at Simac Tanning Tech
Brazilian footwear hubs have high expectations
Assopellettieri forms alliance with MITA in Scandicci
23 September 2025
UNIC president tips Tanning Tech
audience off about new EUDR delay
EUDR: European Commission to propose a further 12-month delay
Lineapelle September 2025 opens its doors
Simac-Tanning Tech under way in Milan
22 September 2025
Argentina slaughter stats flat with last year’s Australia’s beef export success triggers tariff hike in South Korea
Long-term price drop challenges Brazil’s exports
Leather Leaders: Micaela Topper
Silver lining
The president of the International Council of Hides, Skins, and Leather Traders Association (ICHSLTA) shares her views on hides going to waste, regulatory requirements and the need for campaigns to tackle misinformation.
How many cattle hides are comin g into the leather value chain each year at the moment? How does ICHSLTA keep track of the figures?
At the moment, we don’t have an exact figure for the number of hides coming into the supply chain. ICHSLTA doesn’t track it, apart from each country knowing how many hides it produces. It is something I know COTANCE and the International Council of Tanners have raised with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) at meetings in Rome recently; there are next steps being taken through this channel to improve data collection on hide resource efficiency. Rough estimates are possible on a country-by-country basis but that it is not an exact science.. It would be interesting to know the numbers. It would definitely be useful information because often, as an industry, we will say that it’s regrettable that hides have to go to landfill. It would be good to verify the claims we make about hides going to landfill and the environmental impact of that.
Based on ICHSLTA’s analysis of the current global hide and skin market, is the situation regarding hide waste becoming better or worse?
It’s hard to say if it is better or worse. This is a bit of a double-edged sword in my opinion. Without doubt, the industry is facing an overall reduction in demand for leather, especially in fashion and automotive. I have been having quite a few discussions about this in recent weeks. Could this be part of the normal cyclical trend we see over time? Or is it part of a more fundamental shift that has led to people dressing more casually and wearing less leather than before? On the flip side, with hide prices being so low, it has led to innovation in other areas for using the by-products, in collagen or fertiliser for agriculture or biofuel for example. This may not be amazing news for the leather industry specifically, but these are also clever ways of using the whole animal. Another complicating factor, it seems to me, is that there is obviously an increased compliance responsibility or burden or cost, however you want to say it, for traceability and sustainability. This could be a really good thing because
it could help return leather to its rightful place as an integral part of the circular economy. But it could also push developers, brands and designers away from leather because strict and detailed compliance requirements could become a bit too hard to meet. This could push them towards synthetics instead.
ICHSLTA president, Micaela Topper.
CREDIT: ICHSLTA
Hopes remain for progress on EUDR. No one wants illegal deforestation, but measures to tackle it must be reasonable.
CREDIT: WTP
In April, industry figures told us they were largely untroubled by the tariff announcements that were coming out because hides are a commodity that will continue to sell, if the price is right. Six months on, what is your feeling about the tariff situation and how it is affecting important ICHSLTA member countries, including Brazil and India?
Any benefits to specific markets or actors tends to be shortterm owing to knock-on effects in other products or regions. The tariff disputes have destabilised the whole market, but especially the market for some key ICHSLTA member countries; there is a very obvious impact on certain countries. They might have to look for new markets, in leather or finished goods. What I think is that destabilisation is not good for anyone. You might gain in one area but lose in another. It’s not a great situation for anyone. Uncertainty is never good; it makes decision-making difficult.
We have worked out that, if you put them in the right hands, it is possible to increase the value of a hide by more than 5000%. Why are hides still going to waste?
Demand for protein, for meat, is very strong because we need to feed everyone. For this reason, there is a huge number of hides being produced and the leather industry cannot absorb them all because of the reduction in demand. There are various reasons for this, I think. There is vocal and loud misinformation about leather. People campaigning probably think they are doing the right thing, but, of course, no cows anywhere are being slaughtered for their hides. The campaign groups have a complete misunderstanding of leather’s credentials in sustainability. I’m sure they don’t really think the leather industry is still as it was many years ago, but this is the image they portray because that suits their narrative. At the same time, it’s also true that, historically, the leather industry itself has traditionally done a particularly bad job of promoting itself. Underlying all of that, it always comes down to cost. There are lots of cost pressures on manufacturers and a number of them are definitely subbing out leather in favour of synthetic alternatives to chase the margins. That’s why hides are still going to waste.
“Compliance could help return leather to its rightful place as an integral part of the circular economy.”
There have been suggestions for many years that one of the keys to maximising the value of hides and leather should be and could be building closer, mutually beneficial partnerships with the livestock and meat sectors. You said on being elected as ICHSLTA president that you would make constructive dialogue with these stakeholders one of your priorities. What are the reasons for putting this at the top of your agenda? What benefits have come or will come from fostering collaboration?
Tanners and leathergoods manufacturers have had to face so many pressures in recent years and have been under so much stress. The silver lining is the realisation that many of the hurdles will be insurmountable if you try to face them on your own, no matter how big a company or how big a country you are. There is a fundamental shift in the mindset. There is cross-country collaboration, and ICHSLTA is a perfect platform for that. There is also cross-industry collaboration. We saw an excellent example in 2024, when environmental impact assessment tool the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) started attributing much lower impacts to leather, thanks to lifecycle assessment data from the Leather Working Group and from Leather Naturally. And with regard to dialogue with the meat sector, we’ve had great support here in Australia, from the meat industry and from the government, as we work to put things in place for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The support was at a level that you wouldn’t have thought possible five or ten years ago. Working together is the way to achieve any meaningful and lasting change.
We thought, years ago, that if big players in the meat industry could be persuaded to fund a Woolmark-type campaign for hides and leather, everyone would benefit, including them (the meat companies; and to the tune of billions of dollars), because if hides were selling at good prices instead of going to waste, they would earn money from them instead of paying to dispose of them. What do you think major meat companies would say if the leather industry approached them and asked them if they would like to make $5 billion?
It’s funny because I’ve just been looking at a new Woolmark campaign against synthetics. It’s brilliant. Woolmark is such a clever organisation; wool producers pay a levy and fashion brands are fully engaged with it. Wool has a great story to tell, but so does leather. It’s not only the meat companies that would benefit. Brands would too. There are brands whose entire business is predicated on leathergoods. It’s a bit of a Catch 22 because tanners will likely say their margins are so tight and they are under so much pressure and spending so much time on compliance that it would make it difficult for them to spend any money on promotion. Now is the critical time that money needs to be spent on educating people and promoting leather. Other industries have done it; they have structured their funding approaches and had success. We have to have those campaigns because we are fighting misinformation that is very well funded and very loud. We have to match them.
Kangaroo skins are a separate subject, but it would be interesting to know if you have a view on a political figure such as Emma Comer in Queensland lending vocal support to the idea that we can and should make highperformance materials from this renewable resource. Is this a help?
What you notice is that the attacks on kangaroo leather are usually from groups that are outside Australia. These organisations are loud and well funded. It looks as though they don’t understand or don’t want to understand how the industry itself works. In Australia, although, the government
Meat companies and brands should help the leather industry become stronger. There are brands whose entire business is predicated on leathergoods.
CREDIT: LINEAPELLE
has a robust management programme in place for controlling the kangaroo population. The government defending its own management programme is logical, but it also sends a strong message. Kangaroo skins and leather are a by-product of the government management programme and the meat industry. But even without a regulated, commercial leather industry to make use of the skins, the government would still have to cull kangaroos. I don’t think the activists understand that. Australia has a wild game industry council, AWGIC, which has started a good education programme on LinkedIn to explain the detail behind the government programme. And there are advocates at the highest level of government, at federal ministerial level, who publicly support the programme. Without a commercial industry operating within the structure of the management programme, biodiversity objectives, sustainable population management and animal welfare outcomes would all be compromised.
A year ago, from an Australian perspective, you were very diplomatic when you shared some thoughts about the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and how Europe came to be in this situation. How has your opinion about this evolved since becoming ICHSLTA president?
It’s so political. I read all the updates, and the situation is still very unclear, especially after the back-flip in late October on the proposed delay that we were all expecting. The intention behind EUDR is one that everyone agrees with. No one wants their children to inherit a planet that is on the path to destruction. It was the way EUDR was formulated and the way in which leather was included that a lot of people disagree with. It’s hard to know what is driving the decisions, but I hope we arrive at something reasonable, something that doesn’t destroy entire industries and end up with a situation that is counter-productive. If you ended up with buyers choosing to use fossil-based synthetics instead of natural materials or shifting production to areas of the world that have limited regulatory oversight, you would be in a worse situation.
Silver lining
A symphony of NATURAL LEATHER SOLUTIONS
Since 1920, NTE Mimosa has used wattle mimosa to create a comprehensive range of sustainable, environmentally-friendly tanning products for the world’s finest leather.
Leather scraps from cutting and assembly are transformed into fine particles for 3D printing, turning waste into soles and heels under the ECOFAP project.
Circular economy in the footwear sector: The ECOFAP project
Paula Maestro - Engineering researcher, AIMPLAS, Spain
The footwear industry generates large volumes of leather waste, much of which ends up in landfill or incineration. The ECOFAP project is exploring how this material can be transformed into 3D printing filaments for soles and heels, offering a way to cut waste, reduce reliance on virgin materials, and lower the sector’s carbon footprint.
The footwear industry is globally significant, with annual production exceeding 20 billion pairs, of which Asia is responsible for more than 85%. In Spain, the sector also holds considerable importance: around 100 million pairs of shoes are produced annually, with Alicante as the main hub, and exports exceeding 3 billion euros, mainly to the European Union and the United States. Although Spain does not compete in volume with Asian producers, it is recognised for quality, design, and innovation, consolidating its position in the mid- and high-end segments. At both global and national levels, the challenge lies in advancing towards sustainability, digitalisation, and the circular economy, in response to increasingly demanding consumers in terms of environmental responsibility and personalisation.
One of the main environmental challenges is waste generation, particularly during cutting and assembly. Leather is one of the primary discarded by-products and poses difficulties due to its disposal. Despite its favourable physical, chemical, and aesthetic properties, leather scraps often end up in landfills or are incinerated because of the
difficulty of reintegrating them into production using conventional methods.
In this context, the transition to circular economy models is increasingly necessary. Two complementary approaches emerge: research into reintroducing waste into the production cycle to reduce the use of virgin materials and add value to waste, and the use of innovative technologies such as 3D printing to create functional components or accessories, which reduces waste and allows its reintegration as processable materials. Combining these approaches enables leather scraps to be transformed into particles that can be integrated into polymer matrices to generate new composite materials through additive manufacturing. This is the general objective of the ECOFAP project.
The project focuses on the valorisation of tanned leather waste from the footwear sector for the development of new materials for fuse deposition modelling or FDM additive manufacturing, specifically for the production of soles and heels. The project is therefore centred on the circular economy, recovering and reusing waste from the sector to
CREDIT: AIMPLAS
develop new products, thereby reducing the environmental impact and carbon footprint.
The project aims to evaluate the use of leather powder as an additive in thermoplastics intended for additive manufacturing technologies, with the goal of developing materials for soles and heels. The difference compared to existing patents and developments lies in ECOFAP’s approach, which addresses eco-additive manufacturing from within the footwear sector itself, using the waste generated during production as raw material.
Project objectives
As noted, the general objective of ECOFAP is to valorise tanned leather waste and is framed within the circular economy, recovering and reusing waste in the development of new products to reduce environmental impact and carbon footprint.
It seeks to develop a new 3D printing material based on recycled genuine leather — not so-called faux leathers and other substitutes claiming to be leather — suitable for components in fashion, textiles, and footwear. The objectives and challenges include:
• Development of a compound blend with recycled and shredded leather, capable of extrusion for 3D printing filament
• Characterisation of blends and definition of properties according to the intended components
• Creation of printing profiles for the developed filaments
• Optimisation of the filaments based on performance results
• Validation of printed components through standard laboratory tests on footwear, textile, and fashion elements. This project differs from previous developments in its ecoadditive manufacturing approach, which directly addresses the environmental issues of the footwear industry. Unlike projects focused mainly on design or function, ECOFAP seeks to valorise leather waste from cutting and assembly, incorporating it into polymer matrices for 3D printing. This represents a new development at the international level, linking waste management with materials innovation.
From a commercial and technical perspective, the project offers potential benefits such as the production of ergonomically adapted soles and heels, cost reduction during development through rapid prototyping, and optimisation of structures with lightweight, efficient designs that reduce material consumption. In terms of sustainability, the project contributes to a lower carbon footprint by diverting waste from landfill or incineration and reducing reliance on virgin polymers.
The main areas of application include luxury footwear, which demands exclusive and limited collections; the sports and orthopaedic sector, where customised soles and insoles can improve comfort and performance; and the development of sustainable footwear using recycled materials, in line with the project’s objectives.
Consortium structure
The ECOFAP project is structured around collaboration between companies and technology centres, each contributing specific expertise. Evatalking, with experience in polymers, plastics, and
rubber, is responsible for preparing and treating tanned leather waste, in collaboration with Pikolinos. Evatalking also supports the development and validation of compounds, scaling up materials designed by AIMPLAS, which contributes expertise in advanced and recycled materials for additive manufacturing.
Once the compounds are obtained, the Centro Tecnológico del Calzado de La Rioja (CTCR), working with Evatalking, undertakes filament extrusion and processability testing. CTCR provides knowledge in smart manufacturing, sustainability, digital transformation, and advanced materials.
In the final phase, 3D printing of prototype components will be carried out, followed by characterisation and evaluation of functionality, strength, and sustainability. This will be completed jointly by the consortium.
Technology transfer is an important element of ECOFAP. The materials developed can be applied directly within Pikolinos’ production processes, closing the circular loop. Evatalking España will also have a portfolio of sustainable materials for commercialisation.
Conclusions
Additive manufacturing in the footwear sector represents an opportunity for product customisation, accelerated prototyping, and reduced development costs. This trend is expanding as the industry seeks more agile and sustainable processes.
The ECOFAP project proposes integrating the circular economy through the reuse of leather waste in footwear manufacturing, incorporating it into 3D printing materials. This reduces environmental impact while enabling the development of functional and sustainable materials not currently available on the market.
The developed materials offer applications in luxury footwear, sports and orthopaedics, and sustainable footwear collections. Optimised structures can also reduce material consumption, increasing production efficiency compared to conventional methods.
Overall, ECOFAP combines additive manufacturing with waste valorisation, representing both a technological advance and a shift towards more sustainable practices in the footwear sector.
References
• Manoharan, V., Chou, S.M., Forrester, S., Chai, G.B., Kong, P.W. “Application of additive manufacturing techniques in sports footwear” Sports technology and prototyping; 4; 249-252; 2013.
• Vidakis, N., Petousis, M., Maniadi, A., Koudoumas, E., Vairis, A., Kechagias, J. "Sustainable Additive Manufacturing: Mechanical Response of AcrylonitrileButadiene-Styrene over Multiple Recycling Processes"; Sustainability 2020; 12(9),3568; 2020.
• Rodríguez Hernández, J. "Utilización de polímeros reciclados como materia prima en fabricación aditiva"; Revista de plásticos modernos: Ciencia y tecnología de polímeros; 0034-8708, Vol. 120, Nº. 758, 2020.
• Salles, A.S. "The specification and evaluation of personalised footwear for additive manufacturing"; Loughborough University; 2011.
XXXVIII IULTCS Congress 2025
The XXXVIII Congress of the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies took place in September. Some of the interesting developments are presented here. The prestigious IULTCS Heidemann Lecture delivered by Dr. Dietrich Tegtmeyer is covered in the following article.
The thirty-eighth IULTCS Congress, held in September, featured over 50 oral presentations and around 70 poster presentations, with a strong contingent from China contributing to many of them. The programme reflected the theme “Beyond leather tradition, innovation and sustainability,” covering topics such as traceability, beamhouse operations, chemical compliance, finishing, waste and water management, life cycle assessment, and regulatory developments. There was also a growing focus on the valorisation of tannery wastes and by-products, highlighting strategies to reduce environmental impact while maintaining leather’s inherent value.
In his opening address, IULTCS president Dr Juan Carles Castell spoke of the unique properties of leather: a biobased, carbon-retaining material derived from meat industry by-products that requires dedicated scientific analysis and specialised processing, unlike synthetic materials. Following on, he issued multiple calls for action. He first addressed industry stakeholders – including tanners, chemical and machinery suppliers, manufacturers of leather goods, and hide and skin traders – urging active engagement in technological exchange and innovation. A second call was directed at regulators, NGOs, influencers, and consumer associations, stressing the importance of recognising leather’s distinct environmental profile and sustainability potential. Dr Castell also challenged delegates and contributors to combine scientific rigour with enthusiasm in their presentations. Using collagen as a metaphor, he likened leather research to a musical composition, where knowledge, commitment, and creativity combine to reflect the material’s technical, cultural, and aesthetic significance.
With these calls, the Lyon Congress reaffirmed IULTCS’s role in connecting the leather community, promoting innovation, and addressing contemporary challenges in sustainability, the circular economy, and green chemistry, while celebrating the enduring value of leather worldwide.
Traceability solution maps almost all French hide production
Paul D’Arras, from the French Leather and Footwear Research and Testing Organisation CTC Groupe, presented progress on hide traceability, describing how laser technology has become the only reliable industrial solution. He explained that the original aim of traceability, two decades ago, was to improve quality by mapping and diagnosing defects at the wet blue stage, then linking these to farms, slaughterhouses, storage or transport. Corrective actions could only be effective if the process was repeated continuously, which required a robust identification system. Over time, new drivers such as deforestation, biodiversity, animal welfare, pollution and waste made traceability even more important.
CTC have tested multiple technologies including DNA analysis, trace elements, RFID and dot-matrix printing, but found that only laser marking offered industrial durability. Its system engraves a unique ID into the hide with a CO₂ laser. The code survives tanning, while AI-driven image recognition provides automated reading at wet blue sorting and in crust. When finishing obscures the mark, RFID tags are used to maintain identification.
Mr D’Arras noted that the ID acts only as a key to databases, with each stakeholder retaining ownership of its data. Effective traceability, he stressed, depends as much on collaboration as on technology. In the Q&A, whilst almost all French hide production is now mapped using the system, operational in slaughterhouses, workshops and tanneries for seven to eight years, he addressed challenges for decentralised farming systems, suggesting low-cost paper tags linked to centralised laser marking as an interim solution. On split leather, he confirmed that two separate marks are required. While blockchain offers potential for database management, reluctance to share data remains the biggest obstacle.
A presentation on enzymatic unhairing in Ethiopia was delivered by Dr G C Jayakumar from CSIR-CLRI. The project, under the Green Tannery Initiative, as part of the UK-funded SMEP programme, presented pilot-scale trials of sulfide-free enzymatic unhairing. The trials demonstrated a sustainable alternative to conventional lime-sulfide processes, which are associated with toxic emissions, hair burning, and high effluent pollution.
Three commercial proteolytic enzymes (CEA, CEB, CEC) were screened and optimised for Ethiopian hides and skins. Drum methods were applied for cattle hides, while sheep and goatskins were treated using both drum and paste techniques. Trials claimed complete hair removal, enabling recovery of hair and fleshing waste for high-value byproducts, including fertilisers, keratin extraction, and other industrial uses.
Environmental benefits were stated as significant: sulfide was completely eliminated, chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduced by 73%, and total suspended solids (TSS) was cut by over 60% compared with conventional methods. The leather quality was said to have remained high, with tensile strength and tear resistance meeting or exceeding international standards, demonstrating that sustainability need not compromise performance.
Practical demonstrations with 19 production managers from 11 tanneries confirmed the technical feasibility of enzymatic unhairing. Key factors for consistent results included alignment with local tannery workflows, temperature control, and optimisation of enzyme concentration. The trials also demonstrated opportunities for waste valorisation and circular economy benefits, highlighting enzymatic unhairing as a sustainable, scalable alternative to chemical methods with clear environmental, economic, and operational advantages.
Innovative use of hair by-products boosts leather circularity
Anke Mondschein from the FILK research institute presented a pioneering project exploring the industrial-scale use of hair by-products from hair-save unhairing processes. The project was conducted in collaboration with leather chemicals manufacturer TFL and tannery partner Heller Leder, demonstrating how keratin from otherwise underutilised hairs can be transformed into a retanning and filling agent, enhancing the circularity of leather production.
The project addressed two major sustainability challenges. First, micro- and nano-plastic pollution, now pervasive across ecosystems, dictates the need to reduce fossil-based additives in leather manufacture. Second, leather production generates substantial by-products, such as fleshings, splits, and hair, which are often directed to energy recovery rather than material use. By converting hair into a functional hydrolysed and grafted product, the project not only aims to divert waste but also substitutes fossilbased retanning agents.
Technical trials showed a successful scale-up of the hydrolysis and grafting (a chemical modification/ functionalisation process) to 400 kg using a containerbased plant, minimising transportation and energy costs.
COLOURS BY LANGRO
Molecular analyses confirmed effective grafting, while leather testing revealed comparable tensile strength, tear resistance, and stitch propagation loads to commercial polymer references. Although elongation was slightly lower in one recipe, overall performance remained promising. Carbon footprint analysis initially suggested a higher impact for the grafted hair product, but, however, over 90% of this was attributed to cattle farming. When considering only the industrial process, the grafted product demonstrated a lower footprint than conventional materials.
Practical issues were also addressed: residual sulfides can be removed via hydrogen peroxide treatment, and finished leather exhibits no odour issues. Dr Mondschein emphasised that the method is best suited to hair-save processes, as hairburn approaches generate costly wastewater.
Overall, the work represents a step forward in sustainable leather production, showing how underused by-products can be valorised at scale, reducing fossil chemical inputs and environmental impact while maintaining product quality.
Ivo Reetz, of Pulcra Chemicals, presented new research into zeolite-based tanning systems, carried out in collaboration with the Universitat de Lleida. The study assessed biodegradability, compostability, and life-cycle impacts, with results suggesting that zeolite systems offer a credible chrome-free alternative. Zeolites have been used in leather making since the 1970s, but early versions were limited by poor penetration and were mostly applied to small skins or in combination with chrome. Over the past decade, new formulations, with bio-based additives, have improved both penetration and uniformity while also increasing softness. Unlike chrome, zeolites do not chemically tan collagen; instead, they stabilise it through partial incorporation into their aluminosilicate structure. This physical mechanism explains their favourable end-of-life behaviour.
Biodegradability tests (ISO 20136) showed zeolite leathers achieving over 90% degradation relative to untanned collagen, compared with just 6% for chrome. Compostability trials (ISO 20200) found most zeolite leathers disintegrated within 10–14 days, whereas chrome crusts required up to 37 days. Exceptions included zeolite leather retanned with mimosa and chrome leather retanned with phenolic syntans, which resisted breakdown. A life cycle assessment confirmed zeolite’s advantage, showing a significantly lower global warming potential than both chrome sulphate and conventional zeolite. Mr Reetz concluded that zeolites combine stability in use with strong end-of-life credentials, supporting their potential role in sustainable leather making.
IULTCS Merit Award
At the gala dinner, Dr. Patricia Casey received the 2025 IULTCS Merit Award for Excellence in the Leather Industry, a biennial award recognising individuals whose work has had an extraordinary impact on the sector.
Presenting the award, Dr. Luis Zugno, IULTCS executive secretary, highlighted Dr. Casey’s career, which began with a Ph.D. from the University of Buenos Aires in 1976 and included leadership roles at a major Argentinian automotive leather supplier and the Argentinian Association of Leather Chemists
and Technicians. She has also contributed numerous scientific and technical papers at international conferences.
This year marks her fiftieth year in the profession, a milestone she reflected on with both pride and humour.
“Sometimes, when I find myself in a tannery, talking to a drum operator or someone working in the effluent treatment plant, I ask myself: what am I still doing here? The truth is, it is hard to step away from a profession that I love so deeply – one that has given me so much: the chance to travel the world, experience other cultures, and collaborate with top-level companies, particularly in the highly demanding automotive sector,” she said.
Dr. Casey admitted she was “truly surprised” to receive the award. Reflecting on her career, she added: “In an industry where, years ago, the presence of women was rare, I always felt respected and valued – simply treated as another professional. For that, I am especially thankful.”
Closing the congress, IULTCS president Dr Juan Carles Castell addressed participants, saying, “In the end, solutions must be based on natural materials, be value-based, and have minimal environmental impact. Your knowledge and your passion ensure the sustainability of the leather industry.”
He also welcomed the incoming president, Dr Geoff Holmes, who will begin his term on January 1, 2026
Delegates were reminded that the next IULTCS Congress will take place in 2027 in León, Mexico, hosted by the Mexican Association of Leather Technologists and Chemists (AQTCL), providing another opportunity to explore innovation, sustainability, and the future of leather.
At the gala dinner, Dr Patricia Casey received the 2025 IULTCS Merit Award for Excellence in the Leather Industry, recognising her impact on the sector and her contributions in leadership and research.
CREDIT: WTP
Ph. Gianni Maitan
Are tanners pouring money down the
drain?
Knowingly or not, it seems that tanners across the world have long been overlooking an asset inherent in their very starting material. Within every hide and skin lies a substance of remarkable potential. While the industry has rightly concentrated on cleaner production methods, environmentally considerate chemistry, better finishing, and efficient wastewater management, many have neglected to make full use of one key component – or more accurately, have focused too narrowly on a single aspect of it – that could enhance both the profitability of a well-run tannery and the public perception of leather: collagen.
It is not every day that a lecture manages to combine process and profit quite so neatly. This September, the IULTCS invited Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer, to deliver the prestigious Heidemann Lecture at its 38th International Congress, held in Lyon.
The conference theme, “Beyond leather tradition, innovation and sustainability,” offered ample room for interpretation, and Dr Tegtmeyer was quick to seize upon the Beyond element. Most in the industry are familiar with the commercial link to gelatine and the use of other by-products in areas such as fertilisers, but as he pointed out, that represents only part of the story. The real issue, he suggested, lies in the collagen that is wasted or underutilised.
As Dr Tegtmeyer observed, “For me, the scope of a tannery is not a leather manufacturer. It’s a collagen manufacturer, a tanner. And that is what has to be upcycled in the minds of the tanner.”
Around 200 delegates attended the conference, but World Leather believes that Dr Tegtmeyer’s lecture deserves a much wider audience.
Collagen, once considered a “boring material” for scientific research, has emerged as a critical biomolecule in both
biology and industry. Dr Tegtmeyer explained its sheer abundance: “If we estimate how much collagen is in our planet, we are not talking about millions of tonnes, not about billions of tonnes, we are talking about 50 trillion tonnes of collagen we have in our planet.” Collagen’s hierarchy, from triple helix to fibrils and fibre bundles, is staggering. Dr Tegtmeyer used a compelling analogy: if the inner triple helix were the diameter of a human hair, the resulting fibre bundle could be as large as the trunk of a 250-year-old oak tree. This natural architecture is difficult to replicate synthetically, underscoring collagen’s value as a material. Water also plays a critical role: bound water stabilises the triple helix and contributes to the leather’s physical properties. Removing it can cause irreversible deformation, a fundamental consideration for leather processing.
This abundance is rooted in collagen’s primary role in mesenchymal connective tissue. It Is a major structural component of skin, skeleton, muscles, and tendons, providing the fibre material strength that holds organisms together. Beyond these biological roles, collagen has found applications in medicine, cosmetics, food, and technical materials. Chemically, collagen is a scleroprotein, a fibrous
CREDIT: SHUTTERSTOCK
“For me, the scope of a tannery is not a leather manufacturer. It’s a collagen manufacturer, a tanner. And that is what has to be upcycled in the minds of the tanner.”
Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer
protein forming a triple helix of three peptide chains, with specific amino acids such as glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline. These chains assemble into microfibrils and ultimately into the robust fibres that give collagen its extraordinary tensile strength. Hydroxyproline, unique to collagen, determines its thermal stability, a phenomenon first quantified by Gustavson who showed that the shrinkage temperature of fish skin correlates with hydroxyproline content.
Global collagen use and economic value
The commercial consumption of collagen is estimated at 4,000 kilotons annually. Leather remains the primary outlet, accounting for approximately 1,500 kilotons. This translates to a global production footprint equivalent to around 130,000 football fields each year, with the collagen in leather valued between €5 and €20 per kilogram. Beyond leather, the agroindustry consumes over 2,000 kilotons of collagen in fertilisers and animal feed, although at roughly one-tenth of the leather’s economic value. Other applications include soluble collagen for medicine, cosmetics, and food (around 580 kilotons annually, with a potential value of up to €100 per kilogram), gelatine production, and niche technical materials like 3D printing filaments, where prices can reach €500 per kilogram.
Despite this wide range of uses, Dr Tegtmeyer said that a significant proportion of collagen in the leather supply chain remains underutilised. He described the typical mass balance of a tannery: processing ten tonnes of raw hides involves adding approximately 4.5 tonnes of chemicals and 1.5 tonnes of water, yet the final product, finished leather and splits, accounts for only around 1.5 to 2.5 tonnes. The remaining 6–7 tonnes, comprising fleshings, trimmings, shavings, and other by-products, contain collagen that often goes to waste.
Transforming leather by-products into value
The potential to upcycle leather by-products is substantial. Hydrolysed shavings, for example, can be used as fertilisers or bio-stimulants to enhance plant growth. Similarly, fleshings contain fat that can be converted into kerosene or biofuel, while the remaining protein can enter the animal feed chain or serve as raw material for gelatine production. Dr Tegtmeyer illustrated the energy potential: a medium-sized tannery producing 3,100 hides per day generates around 34 tonnes of fleshings daily, which could produce 2.4 tonnes of kerosene, enough energy to power 10% of the tannery’s operations or, equivalently, 33 days of operation could fuel an Airbus flight from Frankfurt to Washington. On a global scale, utilising these by-products could
CREDIT: WTP
generate an estimated €700 million annually, representing 1-2% of the total leather industry value. Urging the sector to embrace a zero-waste mindset, he noted, “For me, the scope of a tannery is not a leather manufacturer. It’s a collagen manufacturer, a tanner. And that is what has to be upcycled in the minds of the tanner.”
Adapting to future requirements
As the leather industry faces evolving sustainability and regulatory demands, Dr Tegtmeyer stressed the importance of forward-looking strategies. He provided lessons from other industries, referencing the decline of Nokia: “We didn’t do anything wrong, but somehow we lost”. In leather, the risk is stagnation; tanners must innovate and adapt. He stressed that the industry should broaden its perspective from traditional leather production to the wider potential of collagen as a versatile material with applications across medicine, food, cosmetics, and high-tech materials. Full utilisation of by-products, from fleshings to shavings, must become standard practice, and while technology exists, organisational and logistical challenges remain, particularly in regions where tanneries are distant from processing facilities. Exploring new markets for collagen-based materials can enhance both the sector’s value and public image, with examples including 3D printing of collagen for medical applications and biodegradable agricultural films.
Reflecting on the opportunities ahead, he said that these innovations are not theoretical: “As you can see, this is not a model. This is real. So, things like this are also possible, and that's why I said let's broaden our scope from leather to collagen.”
Dr Dietrich Tegtmeyer. Consultant for TFL and the leather industry who previously held leadership roles at TFL Group, LANXESS, and Bayer in business development, innovation, and marketing for leather.
AI and alliances take centre stage at Simac Tanning Tech
Organisers of the 51st edition of Simac Tanning Tech, held at Fiera Milano Rho, reported attendance of just over 7,000 visitors, compared with around 9,000 in 2024. Nearly half of this year’s visitors came from outside Italy, while a quarter of exhibitors represented international companies. The organisers said this underlines the fair’s continuing role as a meeting point for business and technical exchange across the global leather supply chain. Italian machinery exports in the first half of 2025 fell by 12.8%, a decline attributed to wider global uncertainty. Nevertheless, industry representatives said companies remain committed to investment in innovation and technology development. This year’s fair also featured initiatives aimed at supporting African markets, particularly Kenya, where government agencies and a business delegation joined discussions on strengthening regional supply chains and encouraging long-term partnerships.
The organisers presented Simac Tanning Tech as more than a commercial platform, describing it as a forum for sustainable innovation, technical dialogue and international cooperation. Whether such ambitions translate into tangible progress across the sector remains to be seen, but the event continues to reflect the central role of Italy’s machinery and technology suppliers in the global leather and footwear industries.
Following the celebratory 50th edition in 2024, the return to Milan for the 51st edition carried a sense of the unknown. It was already clear that the usual familiar halls would not be available for any of the late October shows, meaning
Lineapelle and Tanning Tech would take place in different pavilions. Perhaps some excitement could be found in the slightly shorter walk from the metro.
The disruption was largely due to the Winter Olympics scheduled for February 2026. Milan, as a host city, will repurpose parts of the Fiera Rho exhibition centre, with two pavilions set to host speed skating competitions, certain matches of the men’s ice hockey tournament, and all matches of the women’s tournament. This was also why previous Micam and Mipel shows, which serve as somewhat peripheral events for the tanning and leather manufacturing industries, were unable to coincide with the opening of
CREDIT: SIMAC TANNING TECH
Lineapelle and Tanning Tech, instead taking place around ten days earlier.
Inside, one exhibition hall in Milan can feel much like another. Entering the lower-order halls, there was little to distinguish them at first. Yet, based on past experience, it was clear that space optimisation had been prioritised, with wider aisles than usual, revealing the bare concrete floor along either side of the standard carpet. The machinery halls, in particular, were noticeably smaller and curtained off on two sides, creating an effect akin to a Hitchcock zoom.
Usually so expansive, the halls now felt restrained, a somewhat sad contrast to their former scale. It is probably fair to say that this reaction was shared by many exhibitors, and their mood on the opening day reflected as much. Footfall was lower than in previous years, perhaps a consequence of Micam and Mipel no longer running in parallel. In recent editions, having the four events held within a similar time frame had made logistical sense, as exhibitors and visitors could simply add a day or two after the footwear or leathergoods fairs rather than planning separate trips. Perhaps this year’s lower attendance will prompt organisers to realign the calendars in future.
With the event running over three days – and the final day traditionally quieter – expectations for day one were modest, and hopes were pinned on day two bringing a stronger showing. In fairness, most exhibitors who commented afterwards did find the second day considerably better. As has often been the case at recent trade fairs, chemical manufacturers and suppliers reported the most positive experiences, though machinery companies did not feel overlooked. Periods of market slowdown can often be the right time to step back and reassess, and for many of the machinery firms present, discussions centred on improving efficiency, reducing environmental footprint, and exploring collaborative projects.
If there was one clear winner across the show floor, it was data. The industry’s growing awareness of the power of artificial intelligence was evident, with several examples showing how data-driven systems can enhance objectivity,
WTP
consistency, and repeatability in leather processing. With traceability now extending from farm to finished product, the integration of AI and smart data management is becoming increasingly central to how tanneries and suppliers plan for the future.
Anniversary celebrations
Several companies marked milestone anniversaries during the exhibition. Bergi celebrated 60 years since its founding, with CEO Mauro Bergozza hosting a reception for customers and partners, while GER Elettronica similarly observed its 50th anniversary under founder Bruno Burato’s invitation. At an exhibitors’ reception, closing the first day of the show, organisers Assomac presented awards to companies that have been exhibiting at the fair for 50 years. Among the recipients was specialist tannery technology provider Erretre, with chief executive Antonio Galioto and Giulio Galioto accepting the award from Assomac president Mauro Bergozza. Assomac general manager Agostino Apolito, who introduced the presentation, remarked, “Here’s to the next 50.” Meanwhile, blade manufacturer Heusch of Aachen, Germany, quietly marked its 175th anniversary this year, tracing its origins to 1850 when Severin Heusch founded the company and developed one of the first machine-driven shear blades for textile and leather processing.
The 20th anniversary celebration of the Leather Working Group (LWG) provided an opportunity for industry leaders to reflect on two decades of collaboration, progress, and impact. Thomas Gregor, chair of the LWG executive committee, opened the evening by recalling the bold idea that started it all. Around 20 years ago, a small group came together to unite families, brands, and suppliers with the aim of making automotive leather more sustainable and creating a tool that could improve the industry worldwide. Today, that vision has grown into a framework encompassing some
AI-powered Dectura Workflow links scanning, grading and digital cutting for consistent, efficient leather processing.
CREDIT:
Celebrating 20 years of LWG – two decades of collaboration, progress, and impact in sustainable leather.
CREDIT: WTP
2,200 factories, tanneries, manufacturers, and processors, accounting for roughly a third of global leather production. Mr Gregor paid tribute to the many volunteers, committees, and technical groups whose dedication has been central to the LWG’s success.
Jon Clarke of Prime Asia, one of the original initiators, echoed these sentiments and highlighted the essential role of volunteers. He reflected on the early days when few could have imagined the reach and impact of the group. Mr Clarke emphasised the importance of collaboration across tanners, brands, and industries, and called for continued volunteer engagement, innovation, and the use of technology to support smarter decision-making, while upholding the credibility and integrity that have defined the organisation.
Michael Costello of Stahl added a personal perspective, recounting his first LWG meeting in Hong Kong in 2016. He described the LWG as a positive example of an industry coming together to identify challenges and developing solutions for the greater good. While acknowledging that there is always room for improvement, he stressed that the LWG has strengthened leather’s position in the marketplace and that the focus must be on building a sustainable and relevant future, rather than clinging to nostalgia.
Collaboration
As has been reported from previous editions of the show, collaboration in the industry is clearly visible. On the surface, this has often been a practical means of sharing exhibition costs, with like-minded companies pooling stand space. More recently, however, partnerships have extended to technical and operational collaboration, with companies seeking synergies to address shared challenges.
One example is the Italtannery project, which brings together Bergi, Bertech, Erretre, Fratelli Carlessi, GER Elettronica, i-Tech Italia and Hüni in a pre-competitive collaboration. The project aims to coordinate research and development on tanning processes and sustainability while allowing each participant to maintain individual commercial interests.
At this year’s show, functional integration partnerships were also on display. Bauce, specialists in samming machines, worked alongside Dr. Schenk and Hidexe NHQ to combine inspection, fault diagnosis and cutting/nesting capabilities. The collaboration draws on Dr. Schenk’s optical inspection technology and Hidexe’s understanding of leather production requirements to produce autonomous digital inspection systems covering wet blue and wet white hides through to finished leather. The systems are designed to support quality control and process monitoring.
In a similar approach, Zünd, Mind and Mindhive Global presented the Dectura Workflow, an integrated system using artificial intelligence, machine vision and digital cutting to automate leather inspection and grading. The workflow combines Mindhive’s FinishSelect system, which detects and classifies defects, with Mind’s MindCUT software and Zünd’s digital cutters, linking scanning and cutting into a single process. Chief technology officer Dion Bettjeman explained that defects are digitised and interpreted using each company’s Natural Leather Feature Guide (NFG) to provide consistent quality assessment. Chief executive officer João Bernardo of Mind described the system as the latest stage in a 20-year partnership with Zünd. The workflow is intended to provide objective evaluation, support traceability, reduce waste and improve process efficiency.
Both examples illustrate a continuing trend at Simac Tanning Tech highlighting collaborative technology development and integration, aimed at addressing operational and quality challenges across the leather supply chain. Collaboration is clearly gaining ground in the industry, but as one observer noted, working closely with a competitor can raise questions about reputations and standing. Partnerships can bring practical and technical benefits, yet a healthy dose of competition is what keeps companies sharp and drives innovation.
Assomac president Mauro Bergozza (centre backrow) with African delegates at Simac, fostering partnerships and regional leather industry growth.
CREDIT: SIMAC TANNING TECH
Nick Winters Hides & Skins division is a leading supplier of quality European Hides & Skins with a rigorous selection process since 1992.
With operations in France, Ireland, Italy and the UK, we service the most demanding tanneries worldwide.
We are part of the Bigard group, one of the largest meat companies in Europe, processing 26,000 cattle, 120,000 pigs, 20,000 lambs and 4,500 veals weekly.
We also own the largest wetblue tannery in France. CET can process up to 500 tonnes of raw hides per week.
At FILK Leather Days in May, Stahl presented a new superfunctional polycarbodiimide crosslinker for use in leather topcoat finishes. The presentation highlighted its improved crosslinking performance, extended pot life, and advantageous safety profile compared with conventional polycarbodiimides, polyaziridines, and polyisocyanates, with data from tests on sports shoe, furniture, and automotive leathers.
Anew ‘superfunctional’ polycarbodiimide-type crosslinker for topcoat finishes complements an existing range of polycarbodiimides, from aqueous versions to various ‘multifunctional’ products.
Polycarbodiimide crosslinkers selectively react with carboxylic acid (–COOH) groups in the resin’s polymer chains, forming a classic 3D polymer-crosslinker network. The superfunctional polycarbodiimide (SP), however, also contains additional covalently-bound groups, beyond carbodiimide ones, which react with the resin’s carboxylic groups.
Results show that the SP outperforms multifunctional and ‘normal’ polycarbodiimides and performs as well as or better than polyaziridine crosslinkers. Unlike the latter, which carry several GHS health hazard symbols, the superfunctional version only requires the modest <!> warning symbol. It also offers a pot life of several hours, markedly longer than that of multifunctional polycarbodiimides or isocyanate crosslinkers.
Crosslinking is widely used to improve finish performance, enhancing abrasion resistance, chemical resistance, and toughness. These improvements result from forming a continuous three-dimensional (3D) network, created either by the crosslinker alone or through its reaction with the polymeric binder.
Depending on their reactive groups, molecular weight, and ability to penetrate living cells, crosslinkers can be harmful, irritant, sensitising, or toxic to humans and the environment. Polycarbodiimides contain carbodiimide reactive groups, sometimes combined with other functional groups, yet many polycarbodiimide products are not classified as hazardous. This contrasts with polyisocyanate crosslinkers, which carry health hazard labels, and aziridine crosslinkers, which feature multiple symbols: health hazard, serious health hazard, corrosive, and hazardous to the environment. It is therefore preferable to use crosslinkers with fewer or no health risks. The new ‘superfunctional’ polycarbodiimide carries only the GHS07 health hazard warning symbol.
In this paper, polycarbodiimides are defined as oligomers or polymers containing on average two or more carbodiimide groups, rather than polymers derived from carbodiimide monomers. Crosslinking and network formation can reduce elongation and increase hardness, so care must be taken to maintain sufficient flexibility in the finished leather. High crosslinking levels may suit hard coatings on rigid substrates, but lower levels are better for soft coatings on flexible materials such as leather, rubber, TPO, textiles, and paper.
The chemistry of polycarbodiimide crosslinking mainly
carboxylic acid residue
Figure 1: Reaction of carboxylic acid residue from a resin with a polycarbodiimide crosslinker
Introducing
involves the reaction of carboxylic acid residues (–COOH) in acrylic latexes or polyurethane dispersions with carbodiimide (–N=C=N–) groups of the crosslinker, as shown in Figure 1 Since polycarbodiimide contains several –N=C=N– groups, one polycarbodiimide chain can react with carboxylic acid residues on different polymer chains, linking them to form a three-dimensional network. The reaction of carboxylic acid with carbodiimide can proceed quickly under ambient or mild thermal curing conditions. Curing of a polymeric resin with polycarbodiimide can therefore be carried out at elevated temperatures within a few minutes, depending on layer thickness, or at room temperature over a longer period, for example, several days, depending on the specific combination of resin and crosslinker.
A special type of polycarbodiimide crosslinker is the socalled ‘multifunctional’ type, which possesses additional covalently bound functional groups, other than carbodiimide groups, that contribute to crosslinking through reactions between the crosslinker polymers themselves, in addition to the reaction of carbodiimide groups with the resin’s carboxylic groups. The result is a denser, crosslinked 3D network that provides a higher degree of performance, such as greater chemical and abrasion resistance and a firmer finish. Multifunctional polycarbodiimides are water-sensitive, so they are supplied either in a solvent phase or without a carrier phase. Due to this reactivity, their pot life in aqueous application mixtures is limited to several hours.
A new type of polycarbodiimide crosslinker, referred to as the ‘superfunctional’ type, has been introduced. It also possesses additional covalently bound functional groups, other than carbodiimide groups. The difference from the existing multifunctional types is that these additional groups react with the resin’s carboxylic groups, whereas in multifunctional types they react between the crosslinker polymers. The SP provides several advantages, as demonstrated by results from topcoat finish testing on various types of leather.
Materials and Methods
Several crosslinkers were used in the evaluations:
• XR-55-400 SYNCROS: a ‘superfunctional’ polycarbodiimide (60% solids);
• an aqueous polycarbodiimide (40% solids);
• a ‘multifunctional’ polycarbodiimide (100% solids);
• a ‘multifunctional’ polycarbodiimide (50% solids);
• a polyisocyanate crosslinker (80% solids)
• a polyaziridine crosslinker (100% solids).
We have used several evaluation methods. The flow-out during application of the mixture on leather, including the crosslinker at the specified dosage, was evaluated visually and graded from – (poor) via 0 (neutral) to +++ (very good). Flow-out refers to how evenly the application mixture spreads over the leather, with a more homogeneous and smooth appearance considered best. Gloss at angles of 60° and 85° was measured using a gloss meter. The DL value (see table 3) represents the difference in darkness of the black leather, comparing the crosslinked top-
coated leather to the original or underlying colour of the base coat. A minus indicates a darker colour, and a larger negative value indicates a greater degree of darkening. Generally, greater darkness is preferred.
Dry rubs, ethanol rubs, and wet rubs were carried out on dry leather after the topcoat finish had cured. In the rub test procedure, a piece of felt soaked in the relevant liquid is applied using a weighted hammer (1 kg) to the coated leather. Rubs are counted as double rubs (one rub forwards and one rub backwards constitutes one double rub).
For dry rubs, wet rubs, and (anti-)soiling tests, surface damage or discolouration is visually graded according to ISO 11640, on a scale from 1 (very damaged) to 5 (no damage) after the specified number of rubs. For ethanol rubs, testing continued until a visible colouration appeared on the rubbing felt, with the number of rubs indicating performance. In some evaluations, results are refined with the addition of # (or ###) to indicate damage and + (or ++) to indicate increased gloss.
WQF (table 3) refers to the wet rub test performed on wet leather, where 1000 rubs were applied.
Flexibility retention (‘flexes’) was measured according to ISO 5402-1 using a Bally Flexometer, in which the leather is repeatedly flexed at a certain angle. The leather can be either dry (flexes dry) or wet (flexes wet). Surface damage is visually graded on a scale from 1 (very damaged) to 5 (no damage) after the specified number of flexes. The required level of flexibility depends on the specific leather. The test can be continued until a certain level of damage appears or stopped after a set number of flexes to assess the resulting damage. Achieving a high score after many flexes is preferred. Typically, tests were performed twice, with leather specimens cut perpendicular to each other: one parallel to the spine and the other at 90°. The results of both are shown in the table, separated by a spaced slash (/).
Cold flexes were measured by placing the Bally Flexometer in a conditioned chamber or freezer at -18°C. This test is much more severe than at ambient temperature, so the number of flexes performed is lower.
Adhesion of the crosslinked topcoat on both dry and wet leather was evaluated according to ISO 11644, with higher adhesion being better.
The anti-soiling test with EMPA 128 used EMPA 128 cloth (cotton jeans, indigo/sulphur black) soiled with carbon black and olive oil. The cloth was rubbed on the leather under a 12 kPa load for 2000 cycles using a Martindale testing machine. No cleaning was applied, and less colouration is considered better. The anti-soiling test with EMPA 104 used EMPA 104 cloth (polyester/cotton, 65/35) soiled with carbon black and olive oil. The cloth was rubbed on the leather under a 12 kPa load for 1000 cycles using a Martindale testing machine. The leather was then stored for 72 hours at 100°C, cleaned by hand, and rated. The coffee staining test involved placing hot coffee on the leather. After 24 hours at room temperature, the stain was cleaned with water and soap before assessing discolouration.
Safety aspects
The polyaziridine crosslinker has a high concentration of aziridine groups, while its molecular weight is relatively low.
Probably as a result of this, the polyaziridine crosslinker carries several classification symbols: corrosive (GHS05), dangerous for the environment (GHS09), health hazard (GHS07), and serious health hazard (GHS08). In contrast, and advantageously, both the aqueous polycarbodiimide and the ‘multifunctional’ polycarbodiimide carry no GHS warning symbols. The polyisocyanate crosslinker and the new ‘superfunctional’ polycarbodiimide XR-55-400 carry only the health hazard (GHS07) warning symbol. This means that, compared with the polyaziridine crosslinker, the five other crosslinkers are much safer and easier to work with.
Results of superfunctional polycarbodiide XR-55-400 Evaluation in sports shoe topcoat
An evaluation was carried out on a typical topcoat formulation intended for sports shoe leather. Three types of crosslinker were tested: a polyaziridine, a multifunctional polycarbodiimide, and a new superfunctional polycarbodiimide. Both polycarbodiimides were tested at two dosage levels. The dosage of the polyaziridine was much lower (1%), which is typical for this type of crosslinker since it has 100% active content and a high concentration of aziridine functional groups
Dosages of 7% and 10% were used for the multifunctional polycarbodiimide, while lower dosages of 5% and 7% were used for the SP. The lower dosage was selected partly to account for the higher solids content of the SP, and also to demonstrate its higher crosslinking activity per amount of active component.
Various process and performance properties of the resulting leathers were evaluated. The results are summarised in Table 1
Flow-out was good (+) with the polyaziridine crosslinker and neutral with the multifunctional polycarbodiimide, but best (++) with the superfunctional polycarbodiimide. All three crosslinkers achieved the highest scores in tests for dry rubs, wet rubs, dry flexes, and wet flexes. This was also true for the lowest dosage level of the SP.
Evaluation in furniture topcoat
An evaluation was carried out on a typical topcoat formulation intended for furniture leather. The same three types of crosslinker, at the same dosage levels as in the sports shoe leather evaluation above, were tested. Various process and performance properties of the resulting leathers were assessed. The results are summarised in Table 2
In this evaluation, flow-out was very good for both polycarbodiimide crosslinkers and slightly better than with the polyaziridine crosslinker. The greatest benefit of using the SP was seen in the wet rub and wet flex tests, where its performance was as good as or almost as good as that of the polyaziridine crosslinker, and much better than that achieved with the multifunctional polycarbodiimide.
Dry flex performance improved slightly compared with the multifunctional polycarbodiimide, although the polyaziridine gave the best results. Dry rub scores achieved with the SP were similar to those obtained with the other two crosslinker types.
Evaluation in automotive topcoat
An evaluation was carried out on a typical topcoat formulation intended for automotive leather. The same three types of crosslinker used in the shoe leather and furniture leather evaluations were tested, along with additional references: an aqueous polycarbodiimide, a 100%-solids multifunctional polycarbodiimide, and a polyisocyanate crosslinker. The dosage level of the SP was markedly lower than that used for the other polycarbodiimide and isocyanate crosslinkers, at only 3% or 5%. Various process and performance properties of the resulting leathers were assessed, and the results are summarised in Table 3
Gloss, particularly at an angle of 85°, is important in automotive leather. The 85° gloss values achieved with the SP were advantageously lower than those obtained with the other crosslinkers or without a crosslinker.
The SP also showed superior ethanol rub resistance compared with the other polycarbodiimide and isocyanate crosslinkers, with only the polyaziridine crosslinker achieving
Table 1: Evaluation in sports shoe topcoat
Table 2: Evaluation in furniture topcoat
a higher number of rubs before equivalent discolouration of the rubbing felt was observed. Ethanol rub resistance is increasingly important, as many end users now clean car interiors with ethanol-based products.
Another benefit of the SP was seen in the flexing tests. These were continued up to 500,000 flexes, with scores also recorded at 100,000 and 200,000 intervals. Apart from the leather crosslinked with the polyisocyanate, only the leather crosslinked with the superfunctional polycarbodiimide achieved one undamaged specimen (score 5) after 500,000 flexes. Scores for wet rubs, sweat rubs, and cold flexes were the maximum (5) for all crosslinkers, whereas performance was much poorer when no crosslinker was used.
The adhesion values obtained with the SP were high compared with the others, particularly for wet leather adhesion.
Anti-soiling
An important property, particularly for automotive leather, is resistance to soiling, or how well the finished leather resists becoming dirty. This is especially relevant for light-coloured leathers. Soiling tests evaluate this property,
typically using substances likely to be spilled by end users, such as coffee, ketchup, mustard, dye from jeans, and ‘generic’ dirt. Penetration is more likely when the leather surface is very smooth and closed, which usually results in a glossy appearance. However, glossy automotive leather is not desired, so the surface is made dull, giving low gloss. Dull leather has an irregular surface, which scatters light in all directions, reducing gloss, but also makes the surface more prone to dirt pick-up and penetration. The coffee soiling test is particularly challenging, as coffee penetrates leather more easily than many other substances.
The superfunctional polycarbodiimide was tested in anti-soiling trials against the multifunctional polycarbodiimide. A specific complete finish for automotive leather, already performing well in such tests, was used, with an additional dulling component added to further reduce gloss. The results are summarised in Table 4
With the standard complete finish, the SP performed similarly to the multifunctional polycarbodiimide, with
Table 4: Evaluation of soiling properties in automotive leather
Table 5: Evaluation of coffee test properties in automotive leather
Table 3: Evaluation in automotive topcoat
the only improvement being lower 60° gloss. When the finish was extra dulled, the SP showed notably better performance in all soiling tests: dirt soiling (EMPA 128 and 104), dye ingress, and the coffee test all achieved higher scores on the 1–5 scale.
Another automotive leather finish was also tested, using a specific formulation already known for good anti-soiling properties, specifically for the coffee test. In this comparative evaluation, the SP was again compared with a multifunctional polycarbodiimide. As in the previous soiling tests, both a standard finish and a finish with an extra dulling component were applied. The photographic results are illustrated in Table 5. The comparison clearly shows that the coffee stain was markedly less intense when the superfunctional polycarbodiimide was used as the crosslinker in the extra-dulled finish.
Pot life
The pot life of a finish application mixture containing a crosslinker is an important parameter, as a short pot life is difficult to work with and can lead to more waste due to incomplete use of the mixture. In the case of polycarbodiimides combined with aqueous resins, it should be noted that polycarbodiimides react with carboxylic acid groups (–COOH). However, amines are usually employed to neutralise these carboxylic acid groups, effectively blocking the reaction between the carbodiimide groups and the resin’s carboxylic acid groups. During drying, the amine evaporates, liberating the carboxylic acid groups, lowering the pH, and activating them for reaction with the carbodiimide groups. At the same time, carbodiimide groups can also react with water. Polycarbodiimide crosslinkers are stable in their supplied form, including the aqueous versions, but they begin to hydrolyse once added to the resin. The hydrolysis rate depends on the type of polycarbodiimide and the pH and composition of the finish mixture.
The pot life of polyisocyanate crosslinkers is limited to a few hours because the isocyanate groups react with water as soon as the crosslinker is added to the aqueous mixture. From a user perspective, this is evident as an increase in viscosity
and, eventually, foam formation due to carbon dioxide generated by the isocyanate–water reaction.
Superfunctional polycarbodiimides offer a convenient pot life of many hours, as established by monitoring the viscosity of the application mixture. While viscosity indicates processability, performance of the finish is more important. To assess performance over time, gloss of the finished leather was measured. A modified application mixture was used, with an increased amount of gloss component to amplify differences and a higher crosslinker content to emphasise relative outcomes. Mixtures were applied to leather both when fresh and after ageing for the indicated number of hours. Gloss at 60° was measured for both fresh and aged applications on black leather. The results are shown in Graph 1
The absolute 60° gloss values were lowest when using this specific isocyanate crosslinker, which is designed to reduce gloss. The 60° gloss remained relatively constant for both fresh mixtures and mixtures aged for 1, 2, or 4 hours when using the SP crosslinker. In contrast, 60° gloss increased over time with the aqueous or multifunctional polycarbodiimide, while it changed little with the isocyanate or polyaziridine crosslinkers.
Conclusions
The SP crosslinker (XR-55-400) delivers good crosslinking performance when used in a topcoat finish on leather. This was demonstrated through testing against various other crosslinkers in finishes typical for sports shoe, furniture, and automotive leathers. The crosslinking performance of the SP exceeded that of multifunctional and ‘normal’ polycarbodiimides and was similar to or better than that of a polyaziridine crosslinker. However, the high-performing polyaziridine crosslinker carries multiple GHS warning symbols for health hazards, whereas the superfunctional polycarbodiimide carries only the modest GHS07 warning symbol.
The SP offers a convenient pot life of several hours, shorter than that of aqueous polycarbodiimides, similar to polyaziridine crosslinkers, and significantly longer than that of multifunctional polycarbodiimides or isocyanate crosslinkers. Its addition has limited impact on the gloss level of the finished leather.
The new superfunctional polycarbodiimide crosslinker demonstrates improved performance characteristics compared with existing crosslinkers and may be considered for use in leather finishing applications
Graph 1: Evaluation in glossier automotive topcoat
Leather and the circular economy
Credit: WTP/Flaticon
EUDR ups and downs
There are only weeks to go now before the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) will come into application. This has been a (northern hemisphere) autumn in which the mood in the global leather sector around the new legislation has changed as frequently as the colour on the leaves of the trees.
The latest proposal from the European Commission about how to make EUDR work in the real world, published on October 21, claimed to bring a small dose of relief, but it also brought a large dollop of frustration. It is a 28-page document. It falls far short of answering all the leather industry’s questions about EUDR. Even this late in the day, it raises some new ones.
But to go back to the end of the (European) summer holidays. In the calendar, this is the start of a new parliamentary year, a new academic year and, often, something of a new beginning for business too. Leadership teams and their workforces have had time off with their families, a chance to travel, relax and renew their energy levels.
Towards the end of August this year, the US and the EU made a joint statement on a new framework for trade. Although only 19 points long and covering all aspects of EUUS trade, the statement made direct reference to the new deforestation regulation. It said: “The EU commits to work to address the concerns of US producers and exporters regarding EUDR, with a view to avoiding undue impact on US-EU trade.”
Hopes in the leather industry in September of at least a temporary reprieve on EUDR were dashed in October. The European Commission has published a document insisting that the regulation will come into application at the end of December 2025.
Welcome news, initially
This was welcome news. At the time, EUDR was scheduled to come into application on December 30 this year for larger companies and on June 30, 2026, for everyone else. Work to prepare for these dates has been intense. Companies in the EU have had to plan how they will submit detailed information about cattle hides and leather to show that their materials have no link to deforestation. This involves amassing supply chain data from all parts of the world to feed into a new information system that the European Commission has developed.
A few weeks before this, the current president of Italy’s
Use of leather aids the battle against marine pollution, also part of the SDGs
The leather industry opens up pathways into the circular economy for companies of all sizes, including many thousands of small and medium enterprises
Leather content fulfils finished product manufacturers’ desire to use recycled material
Finished products made from leather will meet criteria for green tax relief and for green procurement exercises
Leather manufacturing supports green employment commitments
national tanning industry association UNIC, Fabrizio Nuti, warned that the burden of carrying out all of this work could have “a devastating effect” on the leather industry. He said with frustration that EUDR had been absorbing almost all of his energy since 2021.
The world waited to see what difference the August joint statement would make. One month later, we thought we had the answer. The EU commissioner for the environment, Jessika Roswall, told journalists in Brussels that a new one-year delay for EUDR was in the works. EUDR had already suffered a 12-month postponement. The original date for it to start to apply was December 30, 2024 for larger companies and June 30, 2025 for smaller players. The Commission announced the first postponement on October 2 last year.
How the EU works
The justification Jessika Roswall gave for this proposed second press of the pause button was that concerns remained about the way the new information system for gathering EUDRcompliance data from companies might cope. She quickly made it clear that it would be necessary for the Commission to have discussions with the European Parliament and with representatives of the national governments of the 27 states before formally announcing a new delay. This is the way the EU works. These bodies are “the co-legislators” of the EU.
Plenty of commentators thought Ms Roswall may have been speaking prematurely. Others thought the information system explanation was implausible and that pressure from the US was the more likely reason for the new delay.
Leather’s main representative body in the EU, COTANCE, has shared a video of the remarks Ms Roswall made that day. She was on her way to a meeting about agriculture and fishing, but paused outside that gathering to talk to journalists. It was during those exchanges that she said she was going to ask the co-legislators for a further delay on the application of EUDR.
In her comments, Ms Roswall said: “Despite our efforts, we cannot get there [to the application of EUDR] without disruption to our businesses and supply chains. I hope the co-legislators will help us get the IT system we need.”
As is clear from this, she insisted it was about the IT system, denying that her
request was linked to the US-EU trade discussions. She said: “With a lot of information coming from businesses in a short space of time, there is a danger of overloading the system and a risk that it will not work.”
Good news fades fast
News of the proposed second delay came through during one of the leather industry’s most important gatherings of the year, Lineapelle and Simac-Tanning Tech in Milan. In fact, UNIC president, Fabrizio Nuti, wasted no time in spreading the news. At a formal opening event for the exhibitions, a senior Italian member of the European Parliament, Francesco Torselli, was a special guest. Addressing leather manufacturers and their partners, Mr Torselli said: “I want to offer you a message of hope. Even regulations that have seemed to be untouchable are being delayed and amended.”
As soon as Mr Torselli had finished his address, Fabrizio Nuti responded, saying: “Even as you were speaking, Francesco, I received a message to say the European Commission will propose a new delay on the implementation of EUDR.” Mr Nuti said he was pleased to be able to give people in the leather sector “some good news”. The glow faded quickly. All went quiet about the proposed delay until the October 21 announcement.
When the October proposal appeared, Mr Nuti called it “a profound
disappointment”, adding that it was the latest in a long list of disappointments to emerge from Brussels In its reaction, COTANCE complained about the European Commission backing away from a commitment to carry out a scope-related impact assessment of EUDR. This was due in June 2025, COTANCE says, but will now be covered by a general review in June 2030. “This is unacceptable,” COTANCE contends, adding that the European Commission is ignoring evidence from an impact assessment that the leather industry commissioned itself. In the absence of a Brussels-led assessment, the leather industry commissioned the Sant’Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa to conduct a study in 2024. “There is no direct link between leather and deforestation,” COTANCE concludes, quoting the main finding of the study.
Small concessions
The October announcement makes it clear that there is no delay for larger companies, those with more than 50 employees and an annual turnover of more than €12 million. There is, however, an extra six months for small and micro operators. They will have until December 30, 2026 to prepare. According to the EU’s formal definition, a micro-enterprise is one that has fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover of no more than €700,000. A small enterprise has fewer than 50
The September attempt by European commissioner for the environment, Jessika Roswall, to postpone EUDR for a second time appears to have been in vain.
Credit: European Commission
employees and an annual turnover of €12 million or less.
Another part of the proposal is that it should be easier and faster for micro and small operators to provide information about their compliance with EUDR. They will do this through a “one-time simplified declaration”. This will apply to suppliers of raw material as well as to downstream operators who use the raw material. They will still have plenty of work to do. They will have to supply information about their activities, including the geolocation or the postal address of all plots of land where “the relevant commodities” are produced. Once they have completed this, the micro and small operators will receive “a declaration identifier”, which they will be able to pass on with the materials or products they bring to market.
For companies that are too large to benefit from these concessions, EUDR will come into application on the scheduled date, December 30, 2025. These operators will have to establish and maintain a comprehensive due diligence system. They will have to collect information about the raw materials they source, including the identity of upstream suppliers and the geolocation of farms. They will use the information they collect to carry out a risk assessment to satisfy themselves that a product or commodity is deforestation-free. Then, before offering their own products, either on the EU market or for export, these companies will have to submit a due diligence statement (DDS) to the system the EU has built for EUDR.
However, the proposal says the authorities should only begin to carry out checks and other measures related to enforcement of the regulation from June 30, 2026, giving six months’ grace before scrutiny begins.
Leather-specific system
At Lineapelle, amid the mild euphoria of September’s short-lived respite, UNIC pressed ahead with its presentation of a new system to help companies in the leather value chain cope with the demands of EUDR. UNIC warmly welcomed the news of Jessika Roswall’s proposed second postponement. “To have extra time to get ready would be good,” UNIC told World Leather at Lineapelle, “but we are presenting the new tool because EUDR is still coming.” This proved prophetic. The system, Hides Eco Track, is a
cloud-based decision-support platform for EUDR compliance, specifically for the leather sector, including companies outside Italy. “All European producers of bovine leather will be able to use it,” says UNIC deputy director, Luca Boltri.
Rather than starting from scratch, UNIC worked with its counterpart for Italy’s wood and forestry sector, ConLegno. For obvious reasons, ConLegno has also had to work hard to prepare for the application of EUDR. It shared with UNIC its experience of developing a system to meet the deforestation regulation’s demands. ConLegno’s key person for due diligence, Chiara Cassandro, says there are plenty of parallels, although she also points out a key difference. “Cows move around; trees do not,” she says.
Another important partner in the development of Hides Eco Track was technology provider Terrasystem, a spinoff from the University of Tuscia in Viterbo. Terrasystem previously worked on traceability and compliance systems for sectors including hazelnuts. The hazelnut supply chain is crucial for highprofile consumer product companies, including Nestlé and Ferrero. They have come under scrutiny because of criticisms surrounding farm labour practices and other upstream issues. Aided by this work, Hides Eco Track has been in development since April 2025. Project manager, Claudio Belli, says testing began in October in preparation
for going live in December.
“Other platforms are likely to come forward,” Luca Boltri says, “offering help with EUDR compliance for a variety of products, but this one is leather-specific. If, tomorrow, it turns out not to be necessary, I will be happy. But we have made the investment in this system so that, in the worst case, we will have something ready.” His point is that the industry still doesn’t know exactly what will happen with EUDR. The latest proposal still requires the approval of the co-legislators. It is fair to say that COTANCE and UNIC are far from the only organisations to have found the October document disappointing. What it means for EU-US trade discussions is another important point of discussion.
On October 28, COTANCE and 23 other bodies representing industries affected by EUDR issued an open statement urging the Commission to pause and reconsider before moving forward. They called for it to introduce a ‘stop-the-clock’ mechanism so that policymakers can make “a proper assessment” of EUDR’s impact before the regulation comes into application.
Mr Boltri insists that UNIC is still following developments “every day”. He adds that the organisation’s commitment to keeping its stakeholders as well informed as possible is undimmed. It is, however, no easy task, as the ups and downs of the autumn make clear.
Brazil’s environmental protection agency, Ibama, tackling illegal deforestation in the state of Pará.
Credit: Felipe Werneck/Ibama
makes it
Renewable sources
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Non-profit organisation the Institute for Data Integrity is being launched because transparent data, and analysis of that data, are now a necessity for the global leather industry.
Credible pathways
Industry body Leather and Hide Council of America (L&HCA) has launched a new platform that it says will serve as an independent, science-based source of data for use in lifecycle assessment (LCA) exercises.
The platform will be called the Institute for Data Integrity (IDI). It will be dedicated to helping companies in the global leather supply chain collect and analyse data (from livestock production, tanning and beyond) for use in LCA studies. It will aim to establish a “global reference for leather LCAs”, and accelerate what it calls “credible decarbonisation pathways”. IDI will be registered in the US as a non-profit organisation, but will serve the industry globally, attempting to close “critical data gaps” that it says exist in current assessment methodologies for leather and other natural materials.
“The leather sector, and natural products generally, need a trusted source for LCA data that is scientifically rigorous and transparent,” says L&HCA vice-president, Kevin Latner, about the new institute. “IDI will enable robust comparisons with alternative materials, support compliance with methodologies such as the EU product environmental footprint, and provide brands with the tools they need to make informed decisions.”
Ideas board
Secretary of the International Council of Tanners, Dr Kerry Senior, and the executive director of the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, Dr Samantha Werth, will be among the directors of IDI. Dr Greg Thoma of Colorado State University will also sit on the board. Dr Thoma says the new platform will be committed to offering “practical, science-first tools”. He adds that IDI’s work will align with ISO standards. It will also publish open methodologies, which will allow the non-profit to “drive environmental data transparency in the materials sector”.
Greg Thoma is the director of agricultural modelling and lifecycle assessment at Colorado State. He was the lead author of a study that L&HCA commissioned two years ago into the carbon footprint of making leather from US cow
The Institute for Data Integrity aims to provide a trusted source for LCA data for the leather sector. Credit: Lineapelle
“It is clear that the arguments in favour of natural materials, including leather, get stronger all the time”
DR KERRY SENIOR
hides. He has worked on projects with the US Department of Agriculture for more than a decade.
For her part, Samantha Werth combines her role at the US Roundtable for Sustainable Beef with being the senior director for sustainability at nonprofit organisation the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. She completed her PhD in animal biology at the University of California, Davis, in 2021. She worked there with prominent animal science and air-quality expert Professor Frank Mitloehner.
A specialist in environmental and raw materials issues, Kerry Senior became secretary of the International Council of Tanners in 2020. Since 2013, he has been the director of industry body Leather UK. Earlier in his career he worked at BLC Leather Technology Centre.
Out there
What Kevin Latner has told World Leather is that the idea behind IDI is to “set the direction for lifecycle assessments, create a place for data and set an entry point for scientists, LCA specialists or companies to upload their data for comparison”. He says this will involve transparent data, transparent methodologies and protection for the data that comes into the new platform that IDI will build.
Mr Latner continues: “We need a baseline, and to be able to say what our baseline is. People involved in this launch recently met one of the automotive groups that have said they no longer want to use leather. What came out of that discussion was that the automotive company was using data from 2010.”
Yes, you can say the automotive company should be using better data, but the L&HCA vice-president has some sympathy. If you look on the internet or ask an artificial intelligence tool, he says you will find that there is no better data at the moment. “If the data exists, it is hidden behind paywalls and it may not have been independently verified or be compliant with ISO standards,” he points out. “We are going to put the data out there.”
Forward planning
IDI has said brands, consumer groups and anti-greenwashing regulations make “transparent, defensible data and analysis” a requirement. It will spend the rest of 2025 finalising the make-up of an advisory committee, establishing a methodology framework, and building a basic version of its platform.
It will aim to launch the platform in 2026 and incorporate some pilot datasets before expanding coverage to the global leather industry. It will release benchmarking tools and consumerfacing dashboards in 2027 and 2028. Brands, industry associations, researchers and philanthropic partners can all join as “founding funders and data collaborators”.
The importance of good data
The launch of IDI has come just as a different institute, Cologne-based thinktank the nova-Institute, claims to have exposed “a major underestimation” of methane emissions from oil and gas. A specialist in defossilisation and renewable carbon, the nova-Institute recently carried out analysis of updates to what it calls “leading lifecycle inventory (LCI) databases”. These databases are key sources of the information on which LCA studies are often based.
Its findings could have major implications for comparing the carbon
footprints of fossil-based materials with those of natural materials, including leather. According to novaInstitute’s analysis, global methane emissions from oil production are likely to be 15 times higher than the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers (IOGP) has claimed until now. For natural gas, the institute says, emissions are up to 3.8 times higher in key producing countries than the IOGP has estimated.
It says downstream products such as polyethylene, polypropylene and polyethylene terephthalate, which are all types of plastic in widespread use in consumer products, should now carry carbon footprints that are between 20% and 30% higher than previous LCA figures have suggested. Some finished product brands use these plastics in their products and present the materials as good alternatives to leather, often claiming environmental benefits as the main reason behind their choice.
Commenting on these findings, IDI board member Dr Kerry Senior says the implications for comparisons between leather and synthetic alternatives “through the narrow lens of LCA” remain to be seen. But he adds: “It is obvious that action is needed on all methane emissions. However, it is clear that the arguments in favour of natural materials, including leather, get stronger all the time.”
An oil platform off the coast of China. New analysis by the nova-Institute suggests the fossil fuel industry’s emissions estimates have been seriously underestimated.
Source: ConocoPhillips
Sheep in Victoria, Australia. If limitations in current LCA methodologies inadvertently steer brands away from natural fibres towards fossil fuel-based alternatives, organisations representing natural fibres must work together to drive change.
Credit: The Woolmark Company
Natural attraction
TThe 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP30, is upon us. It starts on November 10 and runs until November 21, with the Brazilian city of Belém as the venue. COP stands for Conference of the Parties. The ‘parties’ are the 198 states and organisations that have signed up to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Belém gathering will be the thirtieth time they have met to discuss policies and ideas that can mitigate the effects of climate change.
The leather industry has consistently sought to be part of this effort. When COP26 took place in Glasgow in 2021, the industry published the first ‘Leather Manifesto’. This document celebrates the circular-economy credentials of leather, especially its durability, repairability and lasting beauty, which foments long use of the finished products that are made from leather. Good examples of this include handbags that frequently pass from one generation to the next.
Leather-sector organisations from all parts of the world put their names to the original manifesto and did so again when the industry relaunched it for COP29, which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2024. Now, a total of 20 organisations have signed a newly updated version for Belém.
In the 2025 version, signatories have explained: “As we see every year with the COP negotiations, resolving differences of opinion on how best to protect the planet and people is a huge challenge. A significant factor is the often opposing views of the negotiating parties and their presentation of evidence to support their views. Sustainability debates are skewed by narratives and numbers that obscure reality.”
Leather industry representatives are working increasingly closely with their counterparts in sectors such as wool, silk, cotton and cashmere. A united voice from suppliers of different natural fibres stands a better chance of being heard at important events like the United Nations COP conferences on climate change.
The text adds that “this obfuscation” has also blighted perceptions of leather. “Leather, durable, repairable, and deeply woven into our cultural identity, is one of humanity’s oldest materials,” it continues. “For millennia it has clothed, sheltered, and protected us.” But in today’s sustainability discourse, the text says, leather is largely misunderstood, sometimes vilified, often mis-measured, and rarely recognised for what it truly is: a renewable, circular byproduct of livestock farming. Relaunching the document just before the start of the Belém gathering is an attempt to correct this imbalance and to position leather as a positive, renewable biomaterial within a circular economy.
“We will have to go as ‘natural materials’ to be big enough to attract COP delegates’ attention.”
DR KERRY SENIOR
Left to right, secretary general of COTANCE, Gustavo González-Quijano, and secretary of the ICT, Dr Kerry Senior, with the director-general of the FAO, Dr Qu Dongyu, at the sustainable livestock transformation event in Rome.
Source: ConocoPhillips
More impact
The intention for 2025 was to do even more at COP30 in Brazil. With the host nation being one of the biggest leatherproducing countries in the world, there was hope among the main proponents of the manifesto that Belém would provide a platform for making the case for leather in an even more impactful way.
After attending the 2024 event in Baku, the secretary of the International Council of Tanners (ICT), Dr Kerry Senior, said the leather industry should work hard to make its presence felt at this year’s gathering in Brazil. “We need to be there to make the case for natural, long-lasting, climatepositive materials,” he said.
A veteran of several COPs now, Dr Senior has long argued that the big opportunity these events offer is unparalleled access to policy-makers and to journalists who, day in, day out, cover climate change. He has described these encounters as a chance to reach “really relevant people with the truth about leather and to answer their questions face to face”. He has campaigned for partner organisations across the global leather industry to help fund a united presence at COP to make sure plenty of knowledgeable industry experts are on hand to answer as many of those questions as possible.
Slow progress
This vision will not become reality at COP30. Kerry Senior applied for official representative status for ICT at the event well over a year in advance. It took until summer 2025 for the UNFCCC secretariat to reply. By that time, organisers of the Belém event were under considerable pressure to have everything ready on time.
Even by mid-October, with only a few weeks to go before the start, there was still plenty of work to do on accommodation (including at the ‘Leaders’ Village’, where visiting heads of state will stay, plus so-called ‘floating hotels’ to make up for a lack of rooms for ordinary delegates in the city and the surrounding area), transportation (including at Belém airport), and other projects.
The United Nations liked the idea of holding a COP event
in Belém because the city’s nickname is ‘The Gateway to the Amazon’. This busy port is actually on the Pará River, but the Pará is part of the greater Amazon River system. The federal Brazilian government, the government of the state of Pará and the city authorities have consistently assured the world that they will have everything in place when COP30 kicks off.
Next time
These pressures were enough for the secretariat to say in the summer that it was unable to process any outstanding applications for official representative status. “We can tick all the boxes,” Dr Senior insists, “but the secretariat has had to move slowly for Belém and we are not going to be there. Instead, we will focus on having everything ready for next time.”
There is still discussion about where the next COP will be after Belém, but the latest indications are that Turkey and Australia are both in the running and could even share the honour of hosting the event. Fittingly, then, if the hosting is shared, what ICT wants is to be part of a shared delegation with other industry bodies that promote natural fibres. This will mean representing leather, wool, cotton, silk, cashmere and others together.
Big enough
“We will have something really impressive to talk about,” the ICT secretary says, “but we will have to go as ‘natural materials’ to be big enough to attract delegates’ attention. We will have ministers, civil servants and non-government organisations all in that space together. They will be there to talk about emissions and climate change. We will be able to arrange meetings with them. National associations will be able to talk to their countries’ ministers. We will be able to do all of this at scale.”
He adds that, at COP, people go into conversations with one conviction at the forefront of their minds: that global action is necessary. “The discussions are all with a view to formulating policy,” he concludes. “That’s why this is a unique opportunity. Even if it won’t happen for us this year, we know it is an opportunity that will come back.”
Rome encounters
A collective approach involving other natural materials seems to have become a consistent theme in the autumn of 2025. Dr Senior was part of a leather industry delegation that attended a series of events that the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), also part of the United Nations, organised in Rome at the end of September and start of October. The FAO’s theme was sustainable livestock transformation. There were high-level encounters with the FAO leadership team, as well as with some of the other organisations that face the challenge of convincing brands that natural materials are best. Secretary-general of European leather industry representative body COTANCE, Gustavo González-Quijano, spoke at the Rome event. He talked to the audience about traceability in the leather supply chain and about leather’s links to sustainable livestock management.
Where all roads lead
As if to give an early signal of the joint efforts that lie ahead at future United Nations events, Dr Paul Swan of the International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO) also spoke in Rome. The IWTO is the global authority for standards in the wool industry. He presented wool as having “a long wear-life” and as one of the materials most likely to be reused and recycled. But he pointed out that wool is also rated poorly in “high-profile environmental ratings platforms for textiles”. He puts this down to weaknesses in the carbon accounting assumptions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), yet another United Nations body. These assumptions, Dr Swan argues, do not accurately reflect “biological reality”. They fail to distinguish between fossil carbon and biogenic carbon. Our consumption of fossil fuels puts into the atmosphere carbon that had been stored for millions of years. With biogenic carbon, living organisms, including sheep, absorb carbon from the plants they eat and return a high proportion of it to nature for it to be reabsorbed. He contends that this makes an enormous difference to carbon emissions calculations for wool and the IWTO is
currently carrying out field studies in New Zealand, South Africa, the UK and Australia to prove its point.
If you see parallels here with cattle and leather, Dr Swan does too. “The same rules, the same accounting issues affect leather,” he says. “They affect any product that is based on a photosynthetic system.”
IWTO secretary general, Dalena White, points out that clothing and textile production doubled in the first 15 years of this century, but that 60% of the fibres brands choose and manufacturers use now are fossil-fuel based. Ms White is also co-spokesperson for Make The Label Count, a coalition of more than 70 organisations representing natural fibre industries globally. IWTO and the International Council of Tanners are both members of this coalition.
Make The Label Count is campaigning for fair, sciencebased legislation that recognises the environmental benefits of natural fibres in the circular economy. “Natural fibre production involves capturing carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis,” Dalena White explains. “This is a critical environmental function and current methodologies fail to recognise it.” Limitations in current LCA methodologies inadvertently steer brands away from natural fibres towards fossil fuel-based alternatives, Make The Label Count contends.
This brings us back to COP. It is the IPCC that provides the scientific basis for many of the climate-change policy discussions that take place at the COP meetings. What the IPCC says is the accepted wisdom, but also a contributing factor to the “obfuscation” that the newest version of the Leather Manifesto alludes to. What happened in Rome this autumn of 2025 must have given COTANCE, the IWTO, the ICT and others a foretaste of how they can change this if they unite and speak with one voice at future COP events. All roads used to lead to Rome. Now, perhaps, they lead to COP.
The Gateway to the Amazon. COP30 will take place in Belém, Brazil. Credit: Shutterstock/Paralaxis
QUAKER COLOR A STEP AHEAD IN AUTOMOTIVE FINISHING
Supplying innovative finishes to the automotive industry for over six decades
Quaker Color is a division of McAdoo & Allen, with roots in the leather industry for over a century
For ten years, worker-owned cooperative Pingree Detroit has been sourcing surplus leather and making it into handmade shoes and accessories.
Unwanted hides will go far
Automotive leather manufacturer Pangea has donated 600 pieces of leather to a Detroit-based leathergoods producer. Pingree Detroit specialises in using leather reclaimed from the local automotive industry to use in handmade shoes, wallets, card holders, tote bags, coasters, sneakers and other items. A worker-owned cooperative, Pingree Detroit launched ten years ago with the goal of providing employment for armed forces veterans as one of its main aims.
Pangea’s donation consists mostly of finished and semifinished full-size bovine hides, with some sides too. They were mostly tanned and finished in the company’s facilities in Mexico. Pangea has told World Leather that the material is of good quality but had failed to pass customer approval during the design phase, often because of falling short on a single item on the specification. “That didn’t mean they needed to be scrapped,” the company says. “We held on to them to be able to accumulate this substantial donation.”
The leather manufacturer has called waste reduction a critical component of its environmental strategy. For example, in 2024, its manufacturing site in León in Mexico diverted almost 14 tonnes of leather shavings from going to waste, for use instead in the production of fertiliser. Its donation of 600 pieces of leather to Pingree Detroit is another example. “It gives us great pride to know these hides will be used for other goods, instead of ending up in a landfill,” Pangea adds. Pingree Detroit confirms that Pangea’s donation is the largest it has received so far this year and will provide enough material for its team to produce around 3,500 handmade products.
Worker-owned
The people who will make these 3,500 handmade products start off as employees of Pingree Detroit. No experience is necessary for people to start working there but, after a year at the company, they have the option to take a share in its ownership. This involves taking part in a 10-module leathergoods training course, led by their more experienced colleagues. This takes eight weeks. When they complete the course, their peers vote to approve them as new co-owners of the company.
Employee-owned Pingree Detroit prides itself on providing its people, some of whom have struggled to find work elsewhere, with all the training and skills they need to be successful producers of shoes and accessories.
All Credits: Pangea/Pingree Detroit
Co-founder and chief executive, Jarret Schlaff, says this setup benefits the business. “We teach people every part of the craft,” he explains. “Team members learn how to research and design products, grade and skive leather, prepare it for sewing, make patterns, cut, sew and finish pieces with edge paint and other techniques. We also offer a 12-week shoemaking programme that can extend to 18 weeks for those who want to specialise.” Leadership development training is also part of the teaching. These courses are free and the company pays people for every hour they spend training.
As a result, team members “think like owners” and develop an understanding of all aspects of the operation, he explains. “They have a voice in the big-picture decisions that shape our cooperative’s future,” he says. “Ownership is not just a title. It’s a shared responsibility and a shared reward.” This includes a financial reward; 77% of profits at Pingree Detroit are distributed to the pool of worker-owners.
It celebrates its commitment to forces veterans, but Mr Schlaff makes it clear that anyone can join the workforce.
“We just focus on attracting and retaining leaders who have a mission-first attitude and a commitment to service above self,” he explains. “Veterans are some of the best leaders there are; we do our best to surround ourselves with those who live a life of service.” Each product comes with a tag with a picture and quote from the person who made it to let customers know something about the provenance of their purchases.
“We keep the focus on the craftsmanship, creativity and teamwork of the people who make what we do possible, and not on the challenges they have faced,” the co-founder explains. “Everyone comes here with a story, but what unites us is a shared purpose and pride in what we are building together.” There is what he calls “wrap-around support” to help people thrive, which includes transportation assistance. On the factory floor, there are mindful breaks every 90 minutes, and a rotating wellbeing manager helps to make sure everyone is cared for.
He adds: “By meeting people where they are, trusting one another and focusing on growth, we create an environment in which every team member can bring their best self, continuously improve and heal.” He describes the overall aim as making sure everyone who joins the company “has the skills, confidence and support to grow and carry Detroit’s tradition of craftsmanship forward”.
Waste makes no sense
Mr Schlaff’s own background is in sustainability roles, with no direct link to the leather industry or the wider fashion sector. While still an undergraduate, he worked for a time in pollution prevention for the state of Michigan on a project aimed at helping automotive manufacturers there reduce the volume of waste they produced. This included addressing the practice of throwing away unused materials.
“That was where I first saw just how much world-class leather was being sent to landfill,” he tells us. This made no sense to him. He had been questioning the practice of throwing materials away for a long time. While still in school in the 1990s, he organised the first recycling programme that schools in the Detroit suburb of Waterford had ever put in place. Even then, sending drinks cans and plastic to landfill made no sense to him, so he did something about it. Likewise, when he saw how much leather was being discarded by Detroit manufacturers because of minor imperfections or because it was surplus to car interior requirements, he
decided to take action.
“Automotive leather is some of the best material on the planet,” Mr Schlaff says. “It is built to handle years of heat, cold and wear, and seems only to get better with age. Once I saw the scale of what was being wasted, I remember hoping to do something about it one day.”
Sustainability and craftsmanship
This resulted, five years later, in the launch of Pingree Detroit. The chief executive had spent time researching the possibility of bringing footwear production back to the Motor City. The company’s name, a tribute to the footwear company that one of the city’s most famous mayors, Hazen Pingree, set up in the nineteenth century, reflects this. “Leather was the natural fit,” Mr Schlaff says. “By reclaiming this incredible material from the auto industry and turning it into new goods, we were able to keep waste out of landfills, create local jobs, and prove that sustainability and craftsmanship belong together.”
All of the leather the company uses comes from automotive, aviation or rail sources. It describes automotive companies, including Ford, GM and Stellantis, as its partners. It sources surplus leather directly from design centres where these partners test materials for shade, texture, warmth and colour before final approval. It also works with specialist interior materials suppliers and has strong connections to Lear, Adient, Eagle Ottawa, Perrone and Magna, as well as to Pangea, as this recent example shows.
Pingree Detroit says it views any “small imperfections” as part of the story of any piece of leather. “They give each of our products character and remind us that nothing should be wasted,” Jarret Schlaff says. Reclaimed seatbelts, airbags and headliner materials from the same industry partners also go into the company’s shoes and accessories. In all, it has repurposed more than 20 tonnes of material so far. “We are just getting started,” the chief executive insists.
Pingree Detroit is named after a famous footwear entrepreneur who was also a popular mayor of the Motor City.
Handmade differences
In the autumn of 2020, the world still struggling to figure out ways to live and work during the covid-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, Seoul-based footwear designer Soojin Kim decided that the time was right, after travelling and studying overseas, for her to return to her native South Korea to launch her own handmade shoe brand, Then Korea.
She chose this time to launch because she felt the world was in sore need of shoes, boots and sandals inspired by serenity, the beauty of nature, naturalness, comfort and health. She picked the name because ‘Then’ looks back, in this case fondly, to styles and production practices of the past. The word also looks forward to things that will definitely happen again in the future.
Before the end of that first covid year, Then Korea’s shoes were selling on South Korean online shopping platforms 29CM and Hago. By 2021, the shoes were on offer in bricks-
A start-up Seoul-based footwear brand is attracting attention in Europe as a result of its ability to offer huge versatility while staying true to traditional, artisan skills and the use of high-quality leather.
and-mortar shops, including in the Jeju Dream Tower island resort. Fashion and trade show participation followed, including a trip to Paris in September 2024, when the organisers of Seoul Fashion Week arranged a tie-up in the French capital with the Première Classe event.
Labour of love
This year, Then Korea went on to have a presence at APLF in Hong Kong in March and was included among the 12 Emerging Designers to feature at Micam in September. Orders from Europe and the US have been among the fruits of all these efforts so far, and the brand will have products on sale in a multi-label Korean fashion boutique in the Paris district of Le Marais until February 2026.
Then Korea believes that beauty lies in the distinctive touches that only handmade shoes can offer.
Credit: Then Korea
Each pair of shoes Then Korea produces represents a labour of love, Ms Kim says. She describes them as being skillfully crafted by talented artisans, but infused with a modern twist. She believes beauty lies in the imperfections and distinctive touches that only handmade shoes can offer, making each pair something of a work of art.
Off-centre
Styles include high boots, ankle boots, shoes in familiar loafer shapes, others that have distinctive square or pointed toes, heels of up to seven centimetres and eye-catching, offcentre lacing. These include the London loafer, which, in keeping with its name, is now on sale in London, at Shoreditch concept boutique 75RC. Ms Kim has used the same name and the same angled lacing idea for a whole range of styles, including the London flat shoe and the London sling-back. “I think always putting laces in the centre is boring,” she explains. “We need laces for convenience’s sake, but I wanted to do something new, something different with them.”
This was her own idea, but she insists that it presented no technical difficulty for the artisan footwear producers she works with. They took the challenge in their stride. These are artisan shoemakers who mostly work in the Seongsudong area of the Korean capital. Soojin Kim worked there, too, before her spell overseas. On her return, she says she found Seongsu-dong greatly changed. It is now a trendy area, full of warehouse cafés, galleries and boutiques. Many of the vibrant shoe factories that had been operating there before covid-19 had closed down and the artisans had moved to be able to continue working. Then Korea sought out craftspeople who were able to keep going in Seongsudong and now works with three ateliers there, each specialising in different products. Ms Kim does not refer to them as suppliers, or even as partners. She calls them her co-workers.
The long and the short of it
The leather she sources to create her collections also comes from South Korea, but includes a wide range of articles, including calfskin and lambskin, as well as conventional bovine leather. Her penchant for calfskin was on prominent view in Milan. The sleek, elegant Moia boot was popular with visitors to the Emerging Designers section of Micam. It offers two boots in one. The wearer can first pull on a soft calfskin leg cover to form the stock of a longer boot and, afterwards, attach a round-toed ankle boot in the same calfskin. Or, depending on her mood or preference, the wearer can opt for the ankle boots without the cover.
In a similar vein, the brand’s Heidi Button boots also attracted much attention. These function as a long boot, with a soft stock (for a “relaxed fit” on the leg) reaching to just below the knee. The same product transforms easily into an ankle boot; in this case, press-studs make the stock simple to attach and detach. “It’s a two-way style for variety,” Ms Kim explains. “It was my own idea. And I now have a version with two different covers so that you can choose from three different lengths. I think I thought of this because I need to have variety myself.”
Variety show
At the official Micam runway show, Then Korea’s Ronnie loafer for men, with a (mostly) smooth calfskin upper, was a stand-out. The non-smooth element of these shoes is the use of hair-on calfskin on the vamp. These are made-toorder only and not a stock product. For obvious reasons, there is plenty of variety in the hair-on look.
The ones that stole the show in Milan had vamps with the white-and-brown pied look of a Montbéliarde or similar breed of calf. For equally obvious reason, not even the left and right shoes in any pair have exactly the same look, all of which delights Ms Kim. “I like the variety,” she tells World Leather, “and customers like it too.”
A hair-on calfskin detail on the vamp of the Ronnie loafer ensures, not just that no two pairs are the same, but that even the left and rights shoes in a single pair have contrasting markings.
Credit: Micam.
Emerging designer. Founder of handmade shoe brand Then Korea, Soojin Kim, at Micam this September with her London sling-backs.
Credit: Micam.
Beast to Beauty
D Complex journey to biocircularity
avid Solk is frustrated with the footwear industry. Now in his fifth decade in the shoemaking business –starting at his father’s factory in England, through to co-founding an outsource company in Vietnam – he says the big brands have created a model where increasing margins have left the sector “a bit broken”. With a focus on a five or six-times markup from the manufacturer, the lead times are too long, there is too much inventory, too much waste and too many markdowns, he says. “A huge barrier to change is that brands don’t make anything themselves. The industry has lost that.”
Feeling disillusioned, David and Irmi Kreuzer wanted to use their experience to show how things could be done better. Their journey together began in 1992 while both were working at adidas, where David led product development teams in Asia and helped establish operations in China and Vietnam. After nearly a decade there, he and Irmi took a leap. In 2003, they founded Shoefabrik, a production company that became a partner for more than 20 brands including Helly Hansen, On Running and Zara, offering services from concept to final production. Inspired by Patagonia’s pioneering approach in the mid-2000s, their team worked with clients to integrate more sustainable materials and processes into footwear manufacturing. But when the financial crisis of 2008 hit, priorities shifted and momentum stalled. Irmi says: “For us, it reached a point where we felt we had two choices: take a leap to help change the industry or consider stepping away from it entirely.”
Debut product, the Fade 101, is available in ivory and sand. The Fade 201 has a larger colour range, adding black, dusty rose, claret, tan, chocolate and navy. ALL
After decades of looking after Asian manufacturing for big brands, David Solk and Irmi Kreuzer ploughed their resources and experience into creating a shoe in which every element can decompose. Initially focusing on new biobased materials for the upper, their research taught them none could match leather for performance and credentials.
This leap has landed on biocircularity – a way of approaching the shoe that takes into consideration all aspects from design to end of life. Owning their own facility in Ho Chi Minh, while headquartered in Switzerland, meant they had the ability to work flexibly, with extra research and development and without the usual business constraints, explains David. They financed the project themselves, so they would not need to answer to backers or shareholders. “We wanted to create a beautiful, desirable product but one that would be ultimately harmless. And that was the hardest thing. Everything needs to be compost-capable.”
The aim was to complete the project in two years, but creating almost every element of the shoe from a biodegradable material was more difficult than they had anticipated, even with all their knowledge. Six years later, David describes it as a very long and challenging journey – “and I’m a shoe technician, so I thought I’d be able to get there faster”.
“We actually started out trying to make the shoe without leather,” he tells us. “We explored a range of non-leather alternatives and really pushed to make one of the newer biobased materials work. But at the time, none of them could meet the performance demands of footwear without relying on plastic. That’s what eventually led us to take a closer look at leather – and to ask whether it could be produced in a way that aligned with our biocircularity goals.”
Nature’s bounty
The Solk Fade 101, and the newly launched 201, have been created with a chrome- and metal-free leather upper from a German tannery, developed so it can break down at the end of its life. “This makes it compatible with our takeback system without losing the durability, comfort and longevity that make leather so well suited for footwear. Beyond supporting our biocircularity aims, this leather gives the shoe a premium look and feel, while staying soft, breathable, and naturally comfortable against the foot.”
The outsole is natural rubber and the lining is a customdeveloped blend of compostable yarns and plant fibres. The laces and webbings have been made from Lenzing’s Tencel wood pulp, and the glue is partially bio-based.
At the end of the shoes’ life, customers apply for a composting bag on the website, then the shoes will be sent to a company-owned industrial composter in Germany, where
they will be ground up and mixed with food waste, grass and other materials and turned into a pre-industrial compost slurry. All materials have been screened against more than 200 harmful substances by a third-party laboratory and tested for safe plant growth post-composting. “If someone doesn’t return their shoes and they end up in landfill, or even buried by the family dog, we want to be sure they’ll still break down safely and be ultimately harmless as well,” comments David. “We also happen to have our own farm in Germany where we can do all our own experimenting.”
David hopes their model will be one that other footwear brands can learn from, or that partnerships and collaborations can help to spread the message. “You’re fighting a very big machine and mostly customers just don’t know the benefits, yet. It doesn’t need to be a competition all the time, we love to work with other companies.” Given the opportunity to scale, the costs will also come down, he says – and the company doesn’t intend to stop at sneakers. “The leather works hard in use, then breaks down in our controlled system – a small but important example of what circular design can really mean,” he says. “We want to be a catalyst for change and show that if it can be done, maybe it should be done.”
Material composition
• Upper The upper leather is sourced from a German tannery. The leather is chrome free and heavy metal free and has undergone a compost-capable tanning process.
• Laces & webbings These are made of wood pulp from sustainably harvested eucalyptus, beech and spruce trees. This yarn fibre has been certified for biodegradability and compostability in various environments.
• Lace tips Also known as aglets, these tips are made from certified compostable material and are attached by Solk’s own machine so that every lace is the right length and there’s no production waste.
• Glue The partially bio-based glue has been specially tested to fit the requirements for durability and compost capability.
• Lining The one-piece, knitted-to-shape lining is a Solkdeveloped blend of compostable yarns and plant fibres that are 100% biobased.
• Outsole Pure tree rubber
David Solk is using his know-how of shoe making to show there is a less impactful way to produce shoes. The company has recently opened a direct-to-consumer webshop.
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