As demand for sustainable leather shows no sign of slowing down, Italy based tannins producer Silvateam has responded by offering innovative solutions to help both tanneries and brands answer the call for more ecofriendly products.

Among these innovations, Ecotan stands out for its focus on circular, nature-based products. Launched in September 2020, the Ecotan project is not limited to offering a selection of sustainable tanning chemicals, but it represents a complete concept for recyclable leather articles, from tanning all the way to f inished products.

Nature’s Cycle

It may seem paradoxical, but innovation can, at times, have roots that go far back in time. Considering Silvateam’s 165 years of experience in natural tannin extraction, it comes as no surprise that its Ecotan formulations avoid the use of metals and glutaraldehyde in favour of a combination of natural tannins and safe, man-made additives. While the use of plant-based products may well be enough for brands to avoid the controversies and negative consumer perceptions surrounding mineral based chemicals, Silvateam has nonetheless ensured that its products could be certified as sustainable. For instance, it recently became the first producer of leather tanning chemicals to certify the carbon footprint of its products, as well as to be rewarded with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) for its production of Chestnut and Quebracho tannins.

In many ways, these developments echo what Leather Business Unit Director Antonio Battaglia describes as the “continued commitment to environmental stewardship, the wellbeing of forests and local communities”, a part of the company’s identity, which goes hand in hand with its history. Ecotan’s natural approach is not only a question of the products used during tanning, the project also aims to make fully circular leather which can join the ‘cradle-to-cradle’ (C2C) philosophy. Also known as regenerative design, under this approach products become part of nature’s processes, and materials become nutrients in the metabolism of a world whose health we must preserve. In Ecotan’s case, both leather scraps and finished articles are designed to be ‘biocircular’, meaning that they can be transformed into fertilisers for organic agriculture at the end of their useful life, returning to nature as nutrients for plants instead of ending up in landfills. In many ways, the lifecycle of Ecotan leather articles can be said to replicate the nature’s life cycle, a journey which comes full circle when one considers that, indirectly, this fertiliser will help feed the same livestock which nourish the world population and supply us with hides.