OUR LEATHERS
Suppliers
All our shoes are made of genuine Italian leathers. These are sourced from Gruppo Mastrotto s.p.a., an Italian factory at the forefront of innovation in the tanning sector, strongly committed to the principles of environmental, social and governance sustainability. The group has numerous green certifications including UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System); UNI EN ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System); IATF 16949:2016 (Automotive production) and Council Directive 2014/90/EU on Marine Equipment. The group is also a gold rated trader approved by the Leather Working Group.
The Inimitable Nature Of Leather
According to the latest sustainability report by UNIC – Italian Tanneries (2022), leather is a natural and renewable material, based on collagen fibres which, following the tanning process, becomes incredibly versatile, both on a functional and aesthetic level, for numerous manufacturing uses. It is also breathable, but at the same time insulating and, if necessary, can also be made waterproof. For this reason, it boasts multiple imitation attempts, which however do not replicate its stylistic, technical and performance characteristics. Leather is sustainable by nature because:
• the origin of over 99% of the hides used by the tanning industry are of bovine, sheep and goat waste from the food industry which is recovered from tanneries, thus avoiding its disposal in landfills. Every year, in the world, tanneries recover a total of around 1,700 km2 of raw leather (equal to 8 million tonnes), the disposal of which would produce 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (based on UNIDO DATA).
• Its use is an alternative to synthetic materials, deriving from fossil, non-renewable and poorly biodegradable sources.
• waste from tanning processing can be recovered and reused in the agricultural, construction, cosmetic, food sectors, etc.
• it is a “bio-based” material by nature, composed of at least 85% collagen, a 100% completely bio-degradable organic material.
• leather has unique characteristics of elasticity, resistance, and aging, which give it high durability, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality. This is accompanied by a high degree of repairability, which allows the life cycle to be further extended.
Small is Beautiful
The Italian tanning industry, an international leader in the sector, is mainly made up of small and medium-sized family-run businesses, in which modern technology coexist with artisan creativity. In Italy circularity finds a further level of commitment and investment thanks to the widespread activity of recovery, treatment and reuse of the various wastes of the productive process. Fertilizers and bio stimulants for agriculture; gelatine and collagen for the food industry; inert granulates and bituminous conglomerates for construction.
Water Consumption And Wastewater Treatments
Water, in addition to hides, is the most important raw material used in the tanning process. For almost fifty years, Italian tanneries adopted specialist treatments for the depuration of concentrated effluents, in order to reinject in the environment waters compatible with its ecosystem. Research and development projects aim at the re-use in the tanning process of depurated waters and other waste generated by machineries. Chrome and tanning salts are often recovered and returned to the manufacturing process.
Energy Consumption
In recent years, the Italian tanning industry has significantly reduced the amount of energy used in the production process and, at the same time, has increased the use of renewable energy. COV emissions are continuously decreasing compared to previous years, thanks to the implementation of new technologies and the progressive replacement of solvent-based finishes with water-based formulations.
For further information on sustainability of Italian tanneries please refer to the Sustainability Report by UNIC – Italian Tanneries (2022).
Suppliers
All our shoes are made of genuine Italian leathers. These are sourced from Gruppo Mastrotto s.p.a., an Italian factory at the forefront of innovation in the tanning sector, strongly committed to the principles of environmental, social and governance sustainability. The group has numerous green certifications including UNI EN ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System); UNI EN ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System); IATF 16949:2016 (Automotive production) and Council Directive 2014/90/EU on Marine Equipment. The group is also a gold rated trader approved by the Leather Working Group.
The Inimitable Nature Of Leather
According to the latest sustainability report by UNIC – Italian Tanneries (2022), leather is a natural and renewable material, based on collagen fibres which, following the tanning process, becomes incredibly versatile, both on a functional and aesthetic level, for numerous manufacturing uses. It is also breathable, but at the same time insulating and, if necessary, can also be made waterproof. For this reason, it boasts multiple imitation attempts, which however do not replicate its stylistic, technical and performance characteristics. Leather is sustainable by nature because:
• the origin of over 99% of the hides used by the tanning industry are of bovine, sheep and goat waste from the food industry which is recovered from tanneries, thus avoiding its disposal in landfills. Every year, in the world, tanneries recover a total of around 1,700 km2 of raw leather (equal to 8 million tonnes), the disposal of which would produce 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (based on UNIDO DATA).
• Its use is an alternative to synthetic materials, deriving from fossil, non-renewable and poorly biodegradable sources.
• waste from tanning processing can be recovered and reused in the agricultural, construction, cosmetic, food sectors, etc.
• it is a “bio-based” material by nature, composed of at least 85% collagen, a 100% completely bio-degradable organic material.
• leather has unique characteristics of elasticity, resistance, and aging, which give it high durability, both in terms of aesthetics and functionality. This is accompanied by a high degree of repairability, which allows the life cycle to be further extended.
Small is Beautiful
The Italian tanning industry, an international leader in the sector, is mainly made up of small and medium-sized family-run businesses, in which modern technology coexist with artisan creativity. In Italy circularity finds a further level of commitment and investment thanks to the widespread activity of recovery, treatment and reuse of the various wastes of the productive process. Fertilizers and bio stimulants for agriculture; gelatine and collagen for the food industry; inert granulates and bituminous conglomerates for construction.
Water Consumption And Wastewater Treatments
Water, in addition to hides, is the most important raw material used in the tanning process. For almost fifty years, Italian tanneries adopted specialist treatments for the depuration of concentrated effluents, in order to reinject in the environment waters compatible with its ecosystem. Research and development projects aim at the re-use in the tanning process of depurated waters and other waste generated by machineries. Chrome and tanning salts are often recovered and returned to the manufacturing process.
Energy Consumption
In recent years, the Italian tanning industry has significantly reduced the amount of energy used in the production process and, at the same time, has increased the use of renewable energy. COV emissions are continuously decreasing compared to previous years, thanks to the implementation of new technologies and the progressive replacement of solvent-based finishes with water-based formulations.
For further information on sustainability of Italian tanneries please refer to the Sustainability Report by UNIC – Italian Tanneries (2022).
