Two finalists for leather in Limburg Circular Innovation Awards
Leather’s inclusion in circular economy initiatives is gaining traction if the first Limburg Circular Innovation Awards in the Netherlands is anything to go by. Two of the five finalists in the competition are users of leather and strong supporters of leather’s circular economy credentials.
This competition is a joint initiative that employers’ organisation LWV, the Limburg provincial government, Rabobank and regional development agency LIOF have worked on together.
At the final, on February 11, all five finalists will make a pitch for a panel of judges to select a winner. There is a prize of €3,000 for the company selected.
Shoe company Emma Safety Footwear is in the running thanks to products such as its Amazone work boot, based on circular economy principles. The laces are made from recycled PET and the leather in the boot comes from a Leather Working Group-certified tannery that converts cuttings and shavings into compost. Finally, the product comes with a material passport, which guarantees that Emma will take it back at end of life for recycling.
Emma introduced its first range of circular safety shoes in 2018, outlining its vision of “an endless loop” for the materials it uses.
Also in contention is furniture company Cooloo, which uses leftover material from a variety of suppliers, with Ecco Leather prominent among them, to make and refurbish sofas and chairs. Other materials it uses to complement the leather include old corks and stones from fruit. Cooloo says it makes it products to last, but also to be easy to repair and refurbish.
In the build-up to the awards, its commercial and circular director, Ricco Fiorito, said he found the throwaway economy, fast fashion and plastic waste reprehensible. “Something has to change,” he said.
