SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability in action
Shared infrastructure, innovation and environmental excellence in the service of the sector
THE SUSTAINABLE MISSION
The environmental standard of the leather industry
Leather Cluster Barcelona leads the environmental transition of the sector through shared facilities, circular economy projects and digital traceability.
Shared biological wastewater treatment, by-product valorisation and artificial intelligence: concrete investments that reduce water consumption, waste and chemical footprint.
A commitment aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and with the sector’s benchmark standards, such as the Leather Working Group, which brands and institutions expect of a European cluster.
Circular economy
Turning waste into resources
The by-products generated during tanning are recovered and managed so that other sectors can use them as raw material. Fleshings and splits yield collagen, glue, gelatine and protein hydrolysates, destined mainly for the food and pharmaceutical industries, as well as for cosmetics.
The cluster promotes collective projects to optimise the valorisation of by-products and waste across the entire value chain, with the aim of a zero-waste model in which every organic resource finds a second life.
Water and energy
Shared management of water and energy
Shared water management is the cornerstone of the sector’s environmental policy. The result of a collective investment of 12 million euros, the IDR wastewater treatment plant is operated by the sector itself using a biological treatment system, and has halved both water consumption and the use of chemicals.
The continuous optimisation of processes and the application of the best available techniques make it possible to reduce energy consumption and rationalise water use per unit produced, with self-sufficiency and lower CO₂ emissions as the horizon.
Chemistry and research
Sustainable chemistry and applied research
Through its alliance with the A3 Leather Innovation Center at the University of Lleida, the cluster promotes the replacement of traditional components with more environmentally friendly chemical formulations.
This applied research reduces the impact of processes without compromising technical performance or the excellence of the final product, and opens up new avenues in the field of biomaterials.
Animal welfare and traceability
Ethics and transparency from the source
Environmental commitment begins before tanning. The cluster promotes regenerative livestock farming, animal welfare and the traceability of hides, documenting every stage of the process to give brands the greatest possible assurance about the origin of the raw material.
This commitment is backed by benchmark labels and certifications, such as the INTEROVIC and PROVACUNO animal welfare commitments, the ICEC quality label and the Leather Working Group, and is reinforced by technology, such as hide grading using computer vision.
LIFE CYCLE
The sustainable life cycle of leather
COLLECTION AND TRANSPORT
Collection and sorting of the raw material
Hides and skins arrive as a by-product of the meat industry: they come from animals raised for food, not for leather. They are graded by species, quality and size so that each can be put to its best use rather than ending up in landfill. Every year the industry recovers millions of hides that would otherwise be waste, turning them into a valuable, recycled raw material.
PROCESSING AND FINISHING
Tanning and preparation of the leather
In the tannery, the hides are cleaned, rehydrated and put through the tanning process (vegetable, chrome or modern alternatives) to stabilise them. The thickness is then adjusted, the surfaces are treated and finishes such as colour, fatliquoring and protective coatings are applied, giving the leather the mechanical and aesthetic properties required for each application.
BY-PRODUCT MANAGEMENT AND RECOVERY
Water and waste management and by-product recovery
Wastewater from the tanning process is treated at the IDR wastewater treatment plant, a biological treatment system shared by the sector. At the same time, projects are under way to recover fleshings and other by-products and turn them into biogas, fertilisers or other materials, reducing waste and contributing to circular economy models.
PRODUCT AND END USE
Adding value: high value-added products
Depending on the tanning and finishing, leather is engineered for specific uses: leather goods, footwear, upholstery, automotive interiors and technical applications. Designed to last, these products offer high added value and replace less durable materials, helping to reduce the environmental footprint when they are produced responsibly.
SECOND LIFE
Repair, restoration and reuse
Leather ages well and can be cleaned, repaired and restored to extend its life by decades. By prioritising repair, refurbishment and upcycling, the use of the material is maximised and the need for new production is minimised, with the resulting savings in resources.
CLOSING THE LOOP
Recycling, composting and final recovery
At the end of its useful life, leather can re-enter the value chain by being transformed into fibres or composite panels, be composted where the type of tanning allows, or undergo controlled energy recovery. This is why it is essential to design with recyclability and compostability in mind from the outset.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
Circularity projects
Three collective projects that turn into reality the goal of extracting the greatest possible value from every resource in the tanning process.
ReGrasPro
Recovers value from the sector’s by-products and waste (hides with no commercial value, offcuts, shavings and treatment sludge) to obtain collagen, amino acids, high-quality fats and biopolymers for use in cosmetics, biofertilisers, biodiesel and biomaterials.
Learn moreReEnergy
Produces biogas through gasification rather than incineration to manage the final non-recoverable waste and recover value from its metal salts and biochar: circularity carried through to the very last residue.
Learn moreReVida
Recirculates treated water back to industry and the tanning process, recovers groundwater for sustainable uses and plans a water interpretation centre, with the aim of minimal consumption and maximum self-sufficiency.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Sustainability and leather
Answers on the origin of the raw material, the use of water and chemicals, deforestation and carbon footprint.
Is leather sustainable?
Yes. The raw material is naturally renewed, as it comes from a stream that already exists, and putting it to use prevents thousands of tonnes of organic waste from ending up in landfill. With appropriate environmental controls, the manufacturing process has a limited impact, and the long useful life of leather products reduces the need to replace them.
Are animals raised or slaughtered for their hides?
No. Leather is a by-product of the food industry: it comes from animals raised mainly for meat and milk production. If the hides were not tanned and turned into leather, they would end up as organic waste. Tanning gives them a second life as a durable material.
Does leather manufacturing use a lot of water?
Water consumption has fallen very significantly thanks to the modernisation of processes, recirculation and shared wastewater treatment. In the case of the cluster, cooperation around the IDR treatment plant has halved both water consumption and the use of chemicals.
Does leather manufacturing use chemicals?
Yes, as do most industrial processes. Leatherworking has always relied on various substances, from natural tannins to modern reagents. Today the industry uses safer products, replaces obsolete processes with less polluting alternatives and properly treats solid, liquid and airborne waste in accordance with demanding regulations such as the EU's REACH regulation.
Does leather cause deforestation?
No. Leather is a by-product and is not the reason animals are raised. Deforestation is often driven by interests such as timber, mining or cash crops. The leather industry rejects deforestation and promotes the traceability of raw materials and the responsible management of grazing land.
What is the carbon footprint of leather?
It is a complex calculation. Since leather is a by-product, the environmental impact of raising the animal is attributed mainly to the food industry. In addition, the material's durability reduces its overall impact compared with fossil-based, shorter-lived alternatives.