Ecotan becomes an international brand and makes great strides on its journey towards increasingly sustainable development.

Ecotan is a proudly Italian project that goes far beyond mere business. Ecotan is synonymous with a chain of values, authentic evolution and the creation of synergy to define a new lifestyle. Alessandra Taccon, BU Leather Ecotan Project Director of Silvateam, met during the February 2023 edition of Lineapelle, highlights the progress of this sustainable leather tanning technology and its intrinsic value chain.

It is indeed very interesting to see that more and more companies and people are aware of Ecotan and perceive it as a real opportunity.

“We are definitely talking about a major game changer, a radical change in the rules within the tanning industry. Moving from a mentality that we could define as more chemical and product centric, to a mentality of a sustainable and virtuous process in harmony with nature, is no small matter. Our major challenge today is to represent, through Ecotan, how we can build a strong synergy within the supply chain and a strategic cooperation with our tannery partners. We call it the sustainability journey”.

Can we say that the change of mentality goes hand in hand with cultural change?
“Within this concept, there is a representation of our time: there is a cultural and technological change, and in general, a significant evolution. I particularly like the word ‘evolution’ because all technologies have their own time and space, and evolution is necessary and fundamental also in the leather industry. Today, there are environmental parameters and international regulations, including the 17 SDGs of the UN agenda, to which we must urgently respond. There are new production requirements, the need to reduce CO2 emissions and the use of resources such as water and energy, and the request to give new life to the materials we consume at the end of their useful life cycle, by returning them to nature in different forms (such as biofertilizers, compost, and biostimulants). All this clearly confronts us with the need to address a number of issues that change the status quo, even in a historical industry with a great tradition like ours”.

Can you give us an example of this transformation?

“The automotive industry, for example. The rise of the electric car model has placed a new level of attention on the environmental impact of vehicles and mobility in general (car sharing, carpooling). The consequence is that even sub-components such as leather will have to be reconsidered as metal-free with a view to be reused, in order to promote a high index of recyclability and compostability of the material at the end of its life”.
In the light of this analysis, what are your ambitions today?
“Our ambitions are many, but our main goal is to enhance the reputation of leather, a wonderful material with a high organic content of up to 96%, which however has often been subject to unjustified criticism.