Collaboration and synergy as the key to sustainable growth: we interviewed Lucio Verbeni, owner and CEO of the renowned Florentine tannery.

Innovation and collaboration are the keys to real change. Practices that, if implemented with virtue, can concretely activate sustainability processes and paths, a lever that today increasingly influences investment decisions by companies in our sector. Hashtag, founded in 2017 from the idea of two partners, Lucio Verbeni and Gianmarco Pinori, specialized in the production of suede splits for footwear, leather goods and clothing, are true examples of this. The collaboration with Silvateam, and the decision to join the Ecotan project, the first bio-circular leather, stems from a deep awareness that best practices can make a difference and that the race to produce must take into account its environmental impact.

How did the company come about?

“The idea was to combine my skills – I’ve spent twenty years in sales in the world of suede splits – with those of my partner, Gianmarco Pinori, owner of the company located in front of us, Sapa, which markets raw hides. Over time, the goal became our strength. After a year as a startup, we immediately began working with what represents our core business, which is suede splits and calfskins. Specifically, we produce medium and high-quality suede splits for medium-high brands in the world of footwear, leather goods and clothing, more or less split by 50% for leather goods, 30% footwear and 20% apparel.”

Shortly thereafter you took another step forward….

“In 2019 we inaugurated our new headquarters, a facility of about 1,200 square meters, in Santa Croce Sull’Arno, which gave us the stability we initially lacked. But we didn’t stop there because we kept on investing and, recently, a logistics department has been added. We wanted to stand out and we made efforts to make it happen. Even the name, Hashtag, was a deliberate choice: we wanted a modern image, different from what was already on the market.”

How did your collaboration with Silvateam and the project Ecotan start?

“We have always tried to make a cutting-edge product for our customers. Last year, we also obtained LWG Certification, a hallmark that rewards tanneries managing environmental impact and sustainable economy from a system perspective. The collaboration with Silvateam, and the use of Ecotan, began a couple of years ago. Our company was already producing metal-free leathers, which originated from specific requests from our key customers, but that was no longer enough. Ecotan has arrived at the right time by providing a model for recyclability and the circular economy, thus closing the loop.”

Were you thinking from the very beginning about sustainability and environmental impact?

“Yes, we were already very aware of the issue. I welcomed the Ecotan project with enthusiasm the same moment it was presented to me. There are multiple reasons for this: first of all because, in my opinion, Ecotan is a kind of evolution of metal-free. Its eco-sustainability, bio-circularity, the fact that the waste returns to the earth in the form of fertilizer appealed to me a lot. From nature to nature. Nothing is thrown away, everything is reused. Also, not to be underestimated, traditional metal-free has much higher water consumption and CO2 emissions than this tanning system.”

What happens to metal-free waste?

“They are still a problem, because only a certain amount can be sent to landfills, so the disposal costs are high, therefore the Ecotan upcycling solution represents the real alternative. Another advantage that made me embrace the project was that we are one of the few companies using this process. We are part of a selection of about 40 virtuous companies cooperating with the Ecotan network, testified by Silvateam as official partners and promoted by the Ecotan team all over the world.”

Were you among the first to believe in the Ecotan project?

“Yes, we were. From the first trials done in 2019 to date, we have made great advancements. The result obtained on leathers intended for leather goods and footwear is amazing. For clothing there are still some technical problems related to thickness to be solved, but otherwise it is quite suitable. Since these are 100% vegetable splits, of course, they have pros and cons: thousands of colours cannot be developed as on a chrome-tanned leather, attention must be paid to technical, physical and chemical resistances. But if the goal is to obtain an environmentally sustainable leather, with high biocarbon content and recyclable at the end of its useful life with a zero-waste performance, Ecotan is the right choice.”

So we can say that it’s not just a “fashion” issue…

“No, we definitely believe in it, because, I repeat, it goes beyond the classic metal-free process. Moreover, we can rely on a constant support from everyone at Silvateam. Thanks to them, my every wish, or rather the wishes of my customers, have always been fulfilled. If you get into the mindset ‘to save our world’, each of us has the task of doing a small part. And we, together with the Ecotan team, are paving the way for a major change in the sector.”

In your opinion, have brands finally embraced the theory of low environmental impact and sustainability in a truly sincere way?

“It has become an obligation now. We do it for us but also for our young people, who are actually our hope. Moreover, the new generations have become more and more selective, so, it will be great when the time comes and brands will put a tag attached to their shoes that says ‘this product is completely recyclable’ or ‘this product is made of X% organic (rather than fossil) sources’. So we are sure that Ecotan will continue to grow as a brand, it’s just a matter of time. We’re getting there, it’s only a short time away.”