Metal-free tanning has been used since the first hide was tanned. Modern advances in technology have improved the performance of the leathers but, in doing so, have limited the disposal routes of the leather and the end products. Silvateam believes it has now developed a tanning system, Ecotan, that allows for a “truly sustainable” and circular product that can be recycled into fertiliser and returned to the lifecycle of leather.

Metal-free tannages are becoming more and more prevalent in a move towards what some brands and consumers perceive as being more sustainable tanning systems. For millennia, tanning using vegetable tannins was the norm. In the modern arena, where high performance leathers are required to go above and beyond what these traditional tannages can offer, combination tannages are often used. By combining tannages, the characteristics of the leather can be adapted to give the best results, drawing on properties from the individual tanning agents. In many cases, the combination of tannages includes the use of chrome (III). While scientific studies, including REACH regulations, prove that the use of the trivalent form of chromium, when used in properly managed tanning systems, presents no danger to the manufacturer or the end user, there has been growing demand for chrome-free alternatives.