Silvateam-Olivenleder deal hailed as a turning point for the industry
Italy-based leather chemicals group Silvateam has acquired a majority stake in wet-Green GmbH, developer of the patented Olivenleder technology. The Olivenleder process uses residues from olive oil industry in leather production.
Silvateam said the new alliance would be “a new North Star” for sustainable innovation in the leather industry. It added: “This partnership sends a clear signal to the industry: the future lies in sustainable, plant-based solutions.”
It said its existing core capabilities in the production and supply of plant-based extracts for leather manufacture will make it possible to scale up the availability of the Olivenleder tanning agent. Production of wet-Green’s patented offering will now be streamlined as part of Silvateam’s wider operation.
The Italian company views Olivenleder as an ideal complement to its Ecotan range of technologies. Both involve the use of only 100% bio-based, natural products in the making of leather.
It was fulsome in its praise of wet-Green’s work in bringing Olivenleder to market, saying: “It is a vegetable-based pre-tanning agent that, for the first time in the history of the leather industry, allows for the production of vegetable-tanned nappa-like, soft leather that is rapid to produce.”
The combined use of Ecotan and Olivenleder will enable brands to build what Silvateam called “strong green credentials”, with certification labels for both technologies, and set “new benchmarks for environmental responsibility and best practice” in the leather industry.
Director of Silvateam’s leather business unit, Antonio Battaglia, added: “This partnership is a turning point for the entire industry. We are setting new standards and demonstrating that sustainable tanning technologies are not only feasible but also the way forward. Olivenleder added to Silvateam’s full range of wet-end products will allow an unprecedented ability to innovate in sustainable leather technology.”
