Zeology

Leather tanning by Nera

Zeology, the truly sustainable alternative to existing tanning agents

Meet Zeology: the new standard in leather tanning. It is chrome free, heavy metal free, aldehyde free and easy to implement. Yet, it offers unrivalled leather performance. The best of both worlds: the environmental benefits of a sustainable alternative to chrome and glutardialdehyde (GDA) tanning plus a reliable, consistent, superior quality of the tanned material.

A new era for tanning

Royal Smit & Zoon has the ambition to create a more sustainable leather value chain together. Smit and Codyeco, two of Smit & Zoon’s subsidiaries, were already household names in wet end and Finishing. As tanning is a crucial part of the leather value chain as well, Royal Smit & Zoon is now providing tanning solutions, under our subsidiary Nera.

Nera stands for ‘NEw eRA’, as our tanning solutions mark the beginning of a new era: an era of truly sustainable leather manufacturing, throughout the entire leather value chain.

Learn all about Nera and Zeology on the neratanning.com.

VISIT THE NERA WEBSITE

What are the main benefits of Zeology?

Zeology was developed as a sustainable alternative to existing tanning agents. It is chrome-free, heavy metal-free and aldehyde-free. Therefore, the main benefit is for the environment: less pollution, less discharge of chemicals in waste and waste water, no use of chromium or glutardialdehyde (GDA) and improved biodegradability of tanned material.

Specific benefits for tanneries include:

• Consistent and predictable results (within and across batches)
• Only minor changes in the tanning process are required (easy to implement)
• Zeology allows lime split and full substance tanning
• Enables production of chrome-free white splits
• Zeo White shavings have good biodegradability
• Grain tightness, and hence small bellies

Specific benefits for OEMs/brands include:

• Sustainability benefits: less polution and no risk of chrome VI formation
• Image/sales benefits: meeting customer demand for responsibly sourced materials for their intermediates/end products
• Design benefits: the opportunity to use whiter, brighter, lightfast and heat-resistant leather

See all the benefits