Silvateam introduces a groundbreaking tanning process for next-generation materials designed
from the outset to return to nature, ensuring zero environmental impact.

Ecotan is redefining the leather industry by pioneering a new frontier in sustainability: 360° Circularity. Developed by the Silvateam group, this innovative tanning technology creates materials designed from their inception to seamlessly return to nature with zero environmental impact. Ecotan blends Silvateam’s longstanding expertise in extracting natural ingredients, such as chestnut tannin sourced from Piedmont forests, with cutting-edge advancements in biopolymer development. The result is a highly biobased, 100% metal-free leather that is perfectly in harmony with people and the environment.

What truly sets Ecotan apart, however, is its integrated vision: every step of the process, from tanning to finishing and across the entire production chain, is meticulously designed to ensure the finished leather can be repurposed through multiple second-life pathways.

Alessandra Taccon, BU Leather Ecotan Project Director at Silvateam, explains: “Made to be Reborn 2024 embodies our Sustainability Journey, a protocol that scientifically maps Ecotan leather’s ability to return to nature. Through this research, we’ve embraced eco-design, exploring every avenue for material rebirth and pushing the boundaries of circularity. In collaboration with CTC Ars Tinctoria, we have expanded the possibilities for leather’s second life, certifying not only its transformation into biofertilizer but also its compostability, biodegradability, and conversion into biochar. Our goal is to provide brands and designers across fashion, automotive, and interior design with next-generation materials, purpose-built for recycling and reuse, to achieve a zero-waste future with no negative environmental impact.”

She continues: “Ecotan is not merely leather — it’s a philosophy. It represents a forward-thinking approach to reimagining the future of sustainability, developed in collaboration with exceptional tanneries worldwide. As we look to 2025, we’re brimming with new ideas and growth strategies. With Ecotan, leather is never an endpoint — it’s always the beginning of something new.”