European Commission honours Inescop chrome-alternative leather project
05/04/2013
Inescop first published the findings of its work on leather tanned with titanium and oxazolidine instead of chrome in 2011. A Spanish tannery, Incusa, went ahead with a project to use titanium and won the support of a footwear brand from La Rioja, Fluchos.
However, the Oxatan project, examining the quality and the environmental impact of leather tanned using oxazolidine was selected as one of the best European projects at the most recent European Commission LIFE-Environment Programme Awards.
Inescop’s figures suggest that 90% of leather worldwide is tanned using chromium salts to stabilise the collagen in the hide. Some consumer product brands and retailers have expressed interest in chrome-free alternatives following a small number of instances of chrome oxidising to chrome VI, a hazardous substance.
Tests carried out in the laboratories at Inescop on oxazolidine-tanned leather demonstrate that the material complies with the requirements set out by the European Eco-label for footwear, and also conform to the recommended values for the manufacture of footwear.
Inescop says various footwear brands already have shoes in their collections that have been manufactured using oxazolidine-tanned leather and that the products are achieving commercial success.
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