Sustainability has emerged as one of the most important requirements for any business and as such goes hand in hand with leather manufacturing. Debates on the sustainability of real leather is a hot topic in for example the fashion industry, which is encountering a selection of alternative materials and sometimes confusing messaging. It is also experienced that a concept of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is often requested as input data from a supplier, without realizing what an LCA is, what it takes to perform it or what it is meant to be used for. In this Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) paper, we explain the basics for a better understanding of the concept of environmental sustainability, focusing on the leather industry. In this context most of the generally recognized, common methods to measure sustainability such as biodegradability and LCA are also explained. Download the FAQ Understanding the Concept of Environmental Sustainability in the Leather Value Chain My email address** First name** Last name** Company name** Stay informed Please keep me informed about the latest news on Smit & Zoon and the leather industry.Consent* I have read and accepted the Terms & conditions and Privacy Statement. Δ This FAQ was written to offer our knowledge in accelerating the process of creating a socially and environmentally sustainable leather value chain in a responsible and circular society. Dr. Yujie Ma, Senior Scientist Lorenzo Taddei, Product Development Engineer Lilian Chang, Global Director R&D Egbert Dikkers, Global Director Sustainability Interesting for you Discover more on Sustainability Regulations on Bisphenols What are the current and pending restrictions regarding Bisphenols? An up-to-date overview and timeline of the process. Chrome VI ’Chrome Six’ is a presence in leather and an undesirable effect related to the use of chrome-tanning agents. Since tanning with chrome salts constitutes roughly 80% of the processing technology worldwide, the debate about the risk for its presence is too important to be based on hearsay alone and should, therefore, be based on facts. Being proud of leather I am proud to be part of the leather industry, an industry that has been making a huge progress to manufacture a sustainable material, bringing comfort, luxury and joy to consumers. Sustainability Discover Stay informed Receive the latest company news and industry updates Subscribe Share this: