Brazil and "ecologically sound" leather
Brazil has apparently become a centre for environmentally friendly leather with two products claiming to be ‘ecologically correct’. The first is traditional leather tanned with vegetable extracts while the second a leather substitute called Treetap, made from latex derived from rubber trees.
The use of vegetable extracts in leather tanning solves the problem of biodegradability. Normal tanning techniques use chrome, which can turn leather into a non-biodegradable product. The use of mimosa extracts for tanning removes this problem, while maintaining all the other properties of leather that make it so special. The only slight drawback is the vegetable-tanned leather is less resistant to strain and therefore not suitable for the shoe-making assembly line.
Jose Roberto Scarabel, ex-president of the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB) is looking forward to a seal for mimosa extract tanned leather to inform the consumer. He estimates it will be available in two years’ time at the latest.
The second ecologically friendly product is a leather substitute called ‘Treetap’, which is produced in the Amazon by rubber latex extractors and local Indians. It has been produced since 1996 and sold all over Brazil, as well as being exported to Italy under the Amazon Vegetable Leather Project. Among the products made using Treetap are: handbags, rucksacks, briefcases, garments, footwear and book covers.
