Lanxess announces formal support for Tannery of the Year
27/06/2012
Tannery of the Year is an awards programme for the global tanning industry, launched in 2009 to celebrate the production of leather and to help promote the material’s use throughout the world in footwear, furniture, car and aeroplane interiors, handbags and other accessories, gloves and other applications.
With the focus on corporate social responsibility, the Tannery of the Year programme identifies the two best tanneries in China, the rest of Asia, the Americas, Africa and Europe. Six principles underpin the competition: commitment to innovation, to environmental best practice, to workers, to the communities with which companies share resources, to strong relationships with suppliers and customers, and to financial sustainability.
In addition to support from Lanxess, the idea has already won the backing of the APLF exhibition, other leading leather chemicals manufacturers Buckman and BASF, the International Council of Tanners, the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies and Washington DC-based campaign body Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production.
At the time of the Lanxess announcement, World Trades chief executive, Simon Yarwood, said: “We are delighted that Lanxess has offered its formal support. The financial commitment that Lanxess has given to the 2013 Tannery of the Year awards is recognition of the continued importance of this programme and the success it has had in promoting the tanning industry and its commitment to corporate social responsibility for the past three years.”
The head of Lanxess Leather Chemicals, Dr Markus Eckert, said: “Transforming the skin of an animal into a unique product in which you feel completely comfortable is no simple matter. Tanning is a fairly complex chemical process. Building on decades of experience, Lanxess is offering a broad range of innovative and sustainable products and services to support the tanners producing superior quality. Therefore, we are anxious to see the best tanneries across the world participate in World Leather’s Tannery of the Year programme.”
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