GLCC reports progress after Hong Kong meeting
09/04/2013
To ensure continued alignment of the group with critical strategic needs, a brainstorming session was held to identify perceived major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of importance to the industry.
The key strength identified was the “natural and renewable” nature of leather, counterbalanced with a significant weakness being a “lack of understanding by general population and consumers” about leather and the leather industry.
A major opportunity for the industry is communication on the natural beauty aspects of leather and a major threat being confusion with synthetic artificial replacement materials. “Participants felt there is a need for better communication about the type of material that we produce and the industry needs to emphasise the sustainability of leather to our customers and consumers,” the GCC said following the meeting.
The ICT has compiled a database of leather labelling standards and regulations by country; this will soon be made publicly available. Leather identification by the International Leather Mark is a more complex endeavour, but work on compiling a list of existing marks and ownership is progressing.
Proposals are now in place to generate, from individual tanneries, leather carbon footprint inventory data according to the system boundaries recommended by the 2012 UNIDO technical report and endorsed last year in Bologna by the GLCC. Some tanneries have already committed to this project. Additional volunteer tanning facilities are welcome, and GLCC will approach relevant candidates worldwide. In addition, European industry body COTANCE reported that the development work for an EN standard setting product category rules for the environmental footprinting of leather started in March.
A draft list of critical substances in leather is being compiled by the IULTCS. The GLCC also discussed the limit of 3 ppm for Chromium VI in leather, which is being adopted under REACh legislation. This limit is expected to be in place in the EU over the next two years; it will also apply to leather entering the EU. The GLCC will support the issuance of best practice guidelines to help meet this restriction.
The next meeting of the GLCC is scheduled for October in Bologna.
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