As the world leader in the production of natural tannins, it comes to no surprise that Silvateam chose to base its Ecotan leather formulations on a combination of natural tannins and harmless man-made additives. “With this project – states Leather BU Director Antonio Battaglia – we wanted to create a new class of bio-circular leathers that are safe for both us and the earth”. Part of this vision meant ensuring that Ecotan leathers are both metal-free and glutaraldehyde-free, as well as avoiding any substance listed in the ZDHC Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL). But the sustainability of Ecotan leathers is not simply a matter of products used for tanning: for Silvateam, a truly ‘green’ approach to leather must start from the sustainable sourcing of raw materials and go all the way to the end of the leather article’s useful life. For this reason, the Ecotan project follows leather throughout its entire journey, from ‘birth’ to ‘life’ and ‘next life’.