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Industry celebrates World Leather Day 2023

Original content by: International Leather Maker

The industry came together on April 26 to celebrate the second-ever World Leather Day, organised by Leather Naturally and the Leather Working Group (LWG). Launched in 2022, this day is an opportunity for the industry to unite in celebrating leather as a material and spread messaging on its unique advantages across many industries.

In the words of the organisers: “There are many complicated messages about how to live more sustainably, but leather is not complicated. Simply put, without it, around 10 million tonnes would go to landfill”.

“In a world where we are trying to do more with less, keep waste to a minimum, and where we have the expertise and the technology to turn this by-product into a versatile, long-lasting material we have a responsibility to do just that.”

Longevity is a highlight of the celebrations this year, and Leather Naturally noted how our global environmental impact can be reduced by buying fewer things and choosing those that last a long time. This year, World Leather Day celebrated the long-lasting beauty of leather and its place in the circular economy.

To get involved today on social media, you can use the hashtags #WorldLeatherDay and #WorldLeatherDay2023, tag Leather Naturally and Leather Working Group and direct visitors to their websites to learn more about the leather industry.

You can read the original post HERE

Spanish hides and leather exports confirm their recovery in 2022

Original content by: Lederpiel

2022 was undoubtedly the year of the recovery of exports from the tanning industry in Spain. Foreign sales of leather and hides closed 2022 with a significant increase compared to 2021 and before the pandemic in 2019. In this way, the recovery of foreign sales of all subsectors (processed leather, semi-tanned leather and raw hides), marking an export record not reached in decades by the Spanish sector.

According to data from the General Directorate of Customs, in 2022 compared to 2021, exports of raw hides grew by 2.5% (3.9 million euros more), those of semi-tanned hides shot up by 14.9% (9.5 million euros more) and those of tanned hides increased by 24.8% (84.3 million euros more).

If we compare the accumulated figures for 2022 with those of 2019, prior to the covid-19 pandemic, sales of raw hides increased by 5.3%, while semi-tanned hides increased by 28.9% and those of tanned hides, 13.4%.

Imports

Regarding imports of hides and leather, in 2022 compared to 2021, purchases abroad of raw hides increased by 33.6% (18.6 million euros more); the import of semi-tanned hides, 41.4% (34.7 million euros more) and, finally, those of tanned hides, 33.3% (73 million euros more).

In relation to the accumulated figures for 2019, sales of raw hides increased by 39.1% and semi-tanned hides by 22.5%, while those of tanned hides decreased by 6.2%.

Consequently, the trade balance for leather in 2022 showed an imbalance in general terms in favor of exports of 167.8 million euros.

You can read the original post HERE.

The health of the tanning sector is strong and the future is hopeful

Original content by: La Conceria

Let’s start with a summary of the numbers: “The 1,161 exhibitors at Lineapelle 101,” reads a note, “from 42 countries (61.7 percent Italian, 38.3 per cent foreign), welcomed more than 22,000 buyers and trade professionals to their stands. In other words, “42 percent more than the previous edition dedicated to summer collections (February 2022), 6 percent more than the winter edition (September 2022).” This would be enough, then, to share that this edition, which came in the midst of a complex and slow economic situation, was “energetic and superstimulating.”

Splenda Leather in Milan

Splenda Leather has participated in this new edition of Lineapelle Fair. Undoubtedly one of the most relevant events in the sector and one that we have attended for many years.

This has been a highly positive edition. Once the global health emergency is over, we have once again been able to hold numerous meetings with suppliers and customers and we have been able to perceive first-hand the new imminent trends in our sector. And, above all, we have come back with a conclusion: the health of our sector is strong and the future hopeful.

Energetic, superstimulating

“It was supposed to be the edition of the complete return to the pre-pandemic dimension and which, as its slogan stated, set itself the goal of making tomorrow bloom,” Lineapelle writes. So, it did.” Dedicated to the 2024 summer season and held February 21-23, 2023, at Fieramilano Rho, the 101st edition of the show “closed under the banner of great energy and a series of stylistic and business stimuli, which were confirmed by the high turnout of buyers and the quality of the networking work carried out at the fair. A result of great positivity confirmed by the fast-growing numbers, which consolidate its role as the only global reference show for the fashion, luxury and design supply chain.”

Renewed internationality

At the test of Lineapelle 101 (the fair that closed the train of exhibition events organized by the associations involved in Confindustria Moda) was the leather supply chain, which, after the great suffering of the pandemic, found a fair that had returned to its pre-Covid dimension. Here, then, was the hoped-for “return to pre-pandemic internationality,” with 41 per cent of visitors arriving from abroad and a particular brilliance on the part of visitors from Germany, Spain, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, as far as Europe is concerned. Solid presence of Turkish operators, while from Asia very interesting and reassuring were the entries of Japanese and Korean buyers, along with the initial return of Chinese.”

Market Sensations

In terms of business, “Lineapelle 101 intercepted a complex economic phase, slowed down-after a positive 2022-by a series of factors (from the war in Ukraine to the inflationary trend) that, according to exhibitors’ statements, could nevertheless begin to unblock the market between the end of the first and the beginning of the second quarter, thanks also to the reopening of China.”

You can read the original post HERE.

The tannery sector consolidates its post-covid reactivation

Content published by: Lederpiel

Spanish exports of hides and leather continue to offer positive data. During the first eight months of the year, the value of the sector’s sales abroad exceed those registered in 2019, before the covid-19 pandemic broke out. Specifically, exports from the finished leather subsector reach one of the highest values in recent years.

In this way, according to data from the General Directorate of Customs, during the first eight months of 2022 compared to 2021, exports of raw hides grew by 12.6% (12.3 million euros more), those of semi-tanned hides soared 7.4% (3.1 million euros more) and those of tanned hides increased 32% (66.4 million euros more).

If we compare the accumulated figures for 2022 with those of 2020, Spanish exports of raw hides rose by 43.6%; those of semi-tanned hides, 55%, and those of tanned hides, 53.6%. For its part, in relation to January-August 2019, sales of raw hides increased by 6.9%, while semi-tanned hides increased by 25.9% and those of tanned hides, by 11.3%.

Imports
Regarding imports of hides and leather, between January and August 2022 compared to the previous year, purchases abroad of raw skins increased by 27.9% (9.8 million euros more); the import of semi-tanned skins, 56.7% (28.2 million euros more) and, finally, those of tanned skins, 43% (56.5 million euros more).

In relation to the accumulated figures for 2020, imports of raw skins increased by 40%; those of semi-tanned skins, 75.4%, and those of tanned skins, 47.2%. For its part, in relation to January-August 2019, sales of raw hides increased by 32.7% and semi-tanned hides, by 21.2%, while those of tanned hides decreased by 11.6%.

Consequently, the leather trade balance in the first eight months of 2022 showed an imbalance in general terms in favor of exports of 118.6 million euros.

You can access the original post HERE.

Training the future leaders of the leather industry

Content published by: Lederpiel

The Leatech Project, coordinated by the A3 Leather Innovation Center of the UdL in Igualada (Barcelona), is born to coordinate and prepare a group of higher education institutes specialized in the tanning activity to implement a complete training program.

The A3-UdL center, in collaboration with France’s Itech, Turkey’s EGE University and Mexico’s Ciatec, have agreed to join forces and experiences to offer a 120-credit master’s degree in leather, which will qualify students for high-ranking positions in the global leather industry and its international value chain. The master will be taught in English in different facilities and will focus on innovation, circularity and sustainability.

If the project is finally approved, the Erasmus Mundus program will provide financing for sixty students in 2023 including travel, accommodation, per diems and tuition fees.

The promoters of the Leatech Project propose to participate in this previous survey.

This is an initiative that responds to the growing need in the sector for highly-skilled professionals who can hold positions of great responsibility and contribute to the growth and advancement necessary to take on the great challenges facing the industry today and in the coming years.

You can access the original post HERE.

LINEAPELLE 100: the edition of certainty

Content published by: Lineapelle

LINEAPELLE reaffirms that it represents a solid certainty for the fashion, luxury and design industries in an economic context dominated by worrying critical issues. The 100th edition of the exhibition, held at Fiera Milano Rho from 20 to 22 September 2022, drew unanimous comments from its 1,134 exhibitors, characterised by concrete and reassuring satisfaction, and opened its doors to visitors from 109 countries.

An attendance volume 32% higher than that of last February’s edition and which demonstrates, by virtue of the +73% increase in arrivals from abroad (added to the +10% from Italy) and subject to some unavoidable absences (Chinese buyers, for example), how LINEAPELLE has put the pandemic behind it. In particular, there was strong growth in entries from the United States, India, Mexico, Turkey, and all the main European markets, from France to the United Kingdom and from Portugal to Spain. Very interesting was the generalised finding of a significant lowering in the average age of visitors: younger, more motivated, and, above all, competent buyers and operators. An important signal for the future of LINEAPELLE and the entire supply chain.

“It was a beautiful, lively fair, rich in contents and prospects,” comments Fulvia Bacchi, CEO of LINEAPELLE, “with pavilions attended from the very first minute by a crowd of interested, convinced operators, coming, as in the past, from all over the world, and exhibitors who showed us all their satisfaction for the positive outcome of LINEAPELLE 100”.

“It was a reassuring outcome for the entire supply chain,” reiterated LINEAPELLE president Gianni Russo, “especially since the economic situation in which we are operating creates enormous worries and problems, starting with the exponential increases in energy costs, which are beyond the control of operators. LINEAPELLE 100, however, made clear the great vitality of the entire sector, acting as the moment of effective restart”.

There was great interest in the many projects with which LINEAPELLE chose to celebrate its 100th edition.

Splenda Leather has once again taken part in this leading fair, also in its 100th edition. We have finished our participation in the event highly satisfied with the contacts made and the synergies and exchange of knowledge that are generated in this scenario.

You can access the original post HERE.

European tanners, an example in the use of water

Content published by: Lederpiel

One of the main accusations that is usually made against the tanning industry by its detractors is the intensive use of a resource as scarce and precious as water. To produce leather, abundant water resources are required, mainly to clean animal skins of mud, manure and hair. However, it is not usually taken into account that the leather industry is one of the manufacturing industries that has made the largest investments in recent years to purify its effluents and give a new use to the water used.

In particular, the European leather sector is a pioneer in the application of innovative practices for the recovery of its effluents. As the Confederation of National Associations of Tanners of the European Community (Cotance) points out in its latest statement released in collaboration with the Spanish Tanning Association (Acexpiel), the environmental practices of the European tanning industry are “accredited by well-known audits in the sewage treatment”. According to Cotance, “in Europe, wastewater from tanneries is treated under very demanding parameters. Its effluent treatment plants demonstrate great technical excellence.”

An example of this is the Italian plant for the treatment of effluents from the clusters of tanneries in Tuscany, Veneto or Campania, which has become an international benchmark for the management and treatment of water in industrial districts of tanneries. Another example is the Portuguese tanning district of Alcanena, which separately collects baths from partner tanneries to recycle residual tanning agents. In Spain, we have the example of the Igualadina de Puració i Recuperació treatment plant, which treats the water from twenty-eight tanneries in Igualada (Barcelona), as well as part of the local urban wastewater and that from other industries. At the end of an innovative biological system, water is obtained in conditions comparable to domestic wastewater, which guarantees an adequate return to the environment. Splenda Quality Leather is one of these tanneries.

Due to its unique characteristics, this treatment plant in Igualada has been the object of international recognition and one of the cases highlighted by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), as well as by the Global Water Intelligence report, a benchmark for the industry of the water.

As Cotance concludes, European tanners are “perfectly aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 (clean water and sanitation)”, and stresses that they are not stopping in their pursuit of “higher sustainability standards”.

You can access the original post HERE.

Round table on the biodegradability of leather, organized by Leather Cluster Barcelona

Content published by: Leather Cluster Barcelona

On February 28th, the Leather Cluster Barcelona organized a round table on the biodegradability of leather at the Adoberia Bella in Igualada.

The day generated great interest among the leather industry, bringing together more than 40 people. The event was welcomed by Jordi Vidal, Executive Director of Leather Cluster Barcelona, who thanked the audience and the participation of the speakers for reflecting on one of the major current issues in the leather sector.

Before starting the round table and as an introduction to it, Vidal explained the project that the Puma brand will carry out next May in Germany. Puma will test its biodegradable sneakers on 500 people. They are expected to wear the shoes for six months and then return them to Puma, which will test their biodegradability in the controlled environment of an industrial composting plant.

The speakers then presented different projects and initiatives to expand knowledge about the biodegradability of leather and to assess how biodegradable and compostable leather is compared to other materials.

The round table consisted of:

Anna Bacardit from (A3 Leather Innovation Center)
Olga Ballús (Chromogeny)
Salvador Esquerra (Quimser)
Jordi Escabros (Trumpler)
Michael Costello (Stahl)

During the interventions of the different speakers, such interesting topics were discussed as the definitions of biodegradability and compostability, what conditions and requirements a leather must meet to be perfectly compostable, the importance of time as a key parameter when talking about biodegradability or differences in biodegradability and compostability of natural leather and treated leather.

The presentation of different business experiences on biodegradability also helped to reflect from the point of view of the motivations of consumers when making their purchases: are buyers just looking for sustainability?

The day ended with an open debate among the attendees in which the importance of the cluster being able to lead and drive a project on the biodegradability of leather with different companies and agents of the value chain of the leather industry. A project that can provide information and value to estimate with scientific rigor in what conditions and time limits are biodegradable and compostable different leather types and what comparative differences we find in terms of biodegradability between leather and synthetics and new materials.

Leather Cluster Barcelona is an environment of competitive cooperation to promote transversal and transformative strategic projects with the aim of boosting the ecosystem of the Catalan leather sector. The cluster is an accredited entity within the Catalonia Clusters program and has the support of ACCIÓ.

You can read the original content HERE.