ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE PRODUCTION OF LEATHER - CEU   SLIDE 1: TITLE

Today’s program, Environmental Responsibility in the Production of Leather is being presented by Dani Leather USA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gruppo DANI, a 60-year-old family leather tanning business based in Northern Italy. SLIDE 2: PROGRAM NOTES

This program has been approved by the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education Systems and DANI Leather USA, Inc., is a registered AIA/CES provider. Credits earned upon completion of this program will be reported to CES Records for AIA members. Please be sure you have added your name and AIA number to our registration sheet to insure receiving your proper credit. Certificates of Completion for non-AIA members are available upon request. The contents of this program are copyrighted, 2009, by Dani Leather USA, Inc. All rights are reserved and the reproduction of any part of this program without permission is illegal and prohibited. SLIDE 3: LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The Learning Objectives of today’s program include the following: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Leather is a sustainable product Understanding leather production New technologies and environmental safeguards How leather fits into LEED and similar initiatives

 

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SLIDE 4: SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability, environmentally friendly and of course, “green,” are all terms that have become a part of our everyday vocabulary, especially within the architectural and design communities. It seems like everybody these days is going “green” or wants to be “green.” And that’s a good thing! SLIDE 5: HISTORY But in the leather industry, being green is really not a “new” concept. The fact is, we have been green for around two and a half million years now, give or take a couple of centuries. You see, leather started out, and it continues today, to be a post-consumer recycled product. From the prehistoric Paleolithic caves in the region that is now Spain to the modern beef processing plants in Chicago and Kansas City, leather has always been made from the recycled carcasses of animals grown and harvested for their food value. SLIDE 6: HISTORY Soon after the discovery of fire, those pre-historic European cave dwellers quickly discovered the value of animal hides in making clothing, footwear, tents and even weapons. But they also learned that, without proper preservation, leather skins putrefied and soon ended up useless. So a trialand-error period began where leather hides were rubbed with everything from animal fat and various internal organs, which involved even more recycling, to the development of tanning solutions comprised of various berries, tree bark, decaying leaves and the smoke from cooking fires. SLIDE 7: HISTORY By the time the Egyptian and Roman civilizations took root, people all across Europe and the Middle East were using various minerals and other natural resources to preserve and color leather for use in making saddles, canoes and other articles. Religious monks in Europe developed their own sophisticated tanning methods to fashion leather into scrolls of parchment and vellum for writing and later, book binding.

 

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SLIDE 8: HISTORY Across Europe throughout the Middle Ages, animal hides were turned into a crude leather fabric through a process that involved immersing the skins in a fermenting solution of organic matter in which bacteria grew. The bacteria softened the hides, resulting in a loosening of the hair, which was then scraped off with blunt stones or wooden scrapers. The tanning process, which is technically the conversion of the pelt into leather, was done by soaking the leather in pits containing fermenting grapes, tea leaves or some similar locally available acid-containing fruit or tree bark. This category of natural tanning agents would later come to be known as tannins. The leather was soaked in this solution for weeks, until it could be determined that the solution had entirely penetrated the hide. The hide was then hung in open sheds until dry. The hide was then crudely shaved to a uniform thickness using various stones and then it was colored by rubbing in various fats and oils, mixed with natural coloring agents like berries. To create a finished look, the grain surface of the hide was rubbed with some concoction of fish oils, tree sap or similar liquid. Up to this point in time, everything worked together as part of a near perfect eco-system. SLIDE 9: HISTORY Sometime during the 14th Century, the practice of alchemy filtered into Europe from the Far East. In their futile efforts to transform Lead into Gold, the alchemists discovered compounds like sulfuric acid, tannic acid and calcium oxide, better known as lime. That’s when leather preservation took a major leap forward and became a chemical process. In 1770, an Englishman named J. Johnson patented a process of leather tanning, using ferrous sulphate with sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid. According to Johnson’s documentation, the pelt was tanned in a specific three-part operation. This was the dawn of the modern ago of leather manufacturing.

 

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SLIDE 10: HISTORY The industrial revolution swept across Europe and North America and many new uses for leather created unprecedented demand. The automotive industry replaced the clothing industry as the largest consumer of leather. Mass production techniques for leather production were quickly developed and, as with nearly all industries at the time, little regard was given to environmental protection. Mineral salts, formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives and oils and dyes containing cyanide were developed to aid in rapid production. Processes that once took weeks were being performed in a matter of days. The process was fast and efficient but caused significant contamination to the environment and to the workers who performed the various operations. In 1858, a tanning process was perfected using chromium sulfate and other chromium derivatives. It created a more supple and pliable hide than vegetable-tanned leather, and did not discolor or lose shape as drastically in water. A larger variety of colors were possible using chrome tanning. However, early on, before the environment was a consideration, this process created some major ecological problems. SLIDE 11: ITALY’S MARKET SHARE According to Italtrade, the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, Italy is considered one of the leading suppliers in the world market for leather footwear and other leather goods. In addition, Italy manufactures 50 percent of the world demand for machinery for footwear and leather goods manufacturing and 80 percent of all the tanning machinery sold in the world.

 

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SLIDE 12: ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS That’s why it is no surprise that Italy spearheaded improvements in leather manufacturing and has consistently led the world in the development of environmentally friendly standards and processes in leather tanning and production. Constant monitoring of chemical-based production processes, sophisticated waste containment and rigorous pollution control and disposal procedures have been developed in Italy and are used around the globe. SLIDE 13: PRODUCTION In order to understand the level of sophistication in the industry’s environmental safeguards, it is first necessary to perform a basic review of today’s modern leather production techniques. There are five basic steps to the process: Liming, Tanning, Dyeing, Drying and Finishing. SLIDE 14: LIMING In the initial Liming stage, the hides are inspected, graded and generally prepared for the tanning process. This is where any hair, fats, subcutaneous tissue, and other impurities are removed. An important function of this process is that it removes contaminants and bacteria. SLIDE 15: TANNING The carefully monitored tanning process makes the hides durable and consistent in terms of thickness and overall quality. This is the most environmentally sensitive step in the process and a host of monitoring and electronic measuring procedures have been developed to avoid harmful emissions and to monitor and contain potentially harmful byproducts.

 

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SLIDE 16: DYEING Prior to the dyeing process, hides are soaked with natural animal and vegetable oils, soaps, greases and waxes to make them more pliable. This process remains very similar to what was done back in the Middle Ages. This is followed by the dying process, which adds the desired color to the hides. Modern control systems are utilized to maintain consistency, dispense only the required amount of dye material and avoid any waste, spillage or environmental contamination. SLIDE 17: DRYING There are several drying methods employed in modern leather production. Hides can be dried naturally in open air or a combination of artificial heat and mechanical processes, such as vacuum or toggle drying can be utilized. The drying method chosen is based in the desired look and the planned use of the final product. SLIDE 18: FINISHING The finishing process is the final, and perhaps the most important step in the production process. This is where the finished leather is given the look and feel requested by the customer. Depending on its intended use, as furniture or automotive seat covers, shoe, handbag, etc., the finish process adds the final level of gloss and texture to the hide. SLIDE 19: INNOVATION Over the past decade, few other industries have undergone the level of technical advancement and computerized control that is evident in today’s leather production methods. Recent innovations include the use of nanotechnology to improve the mechanical strength of hides for furniture and car interiors; the development of new leathers for more durable applications, and the creation of innovative high tech properties such as breathability of waterproof leather.

 

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SLIDE 20: INNOVATION Modern control systems introduced over the past decade have provided a high level of safety in the compartmentalization of the chromium used in most modern leather production. This element goes through a process of complete reclamation within the production platform and ultimately can be re-used in other industries. Perhaps the most exciting of the modern innovations, has been the development of new chrome-free tanning techniques. These various processes will eventually allow the elimination of this element in the leather production process. SLIDE 21: COMPETITORS Based on comparative sales numbers, the major competitors to leather are fabric, both natural and synthetic, and vinyl, which also encompasses synthetic leather. SLIDE 22: LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS From a Life Cycle Analysis perspective, the overall leather production process is superior to that of any viable alternative material. Using the internationally accepted ISO 14000 series of Life Cycle Analysis criteria, it is possible to generally rank and compare these materials. We will compare each material according to its general attributes in the five traditional categories associated with the LCA process: Raw Materials Acquisition, Manufacturing, Transportation, Product Use and Recycling/Disposal.

 

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SLIDE 23: RAW MATERIALS In the Raw Materials Acquisition comparison, Leather and natural fabrics are significantly better than vinyl and synthetics. Wool, flax and other natural fibers, like leather, are rapidly renewable and can be harvested with minimal environmental disruption. Vinyl and other synthetics are created from a series of processing steps that convert hydrocarbon-based raw materials, specifically oil, natural gas or coal, into polymers. The vinyl polymer, however, is based only in part on hydrocarbon feedstock. The other half of the vinyl polymer is based on the natural element chlorine. None of these minerals are renewable, and the mining, drilling and extraction activity associated with them are energy intensive and create a huge carbon footprint. SLIDE 24: MANUFACTURING In the Manufacturing category, leather is best. The production process, which we previously described, uses minimal energy and is highly automated, thus requiring minimal personnel and smaller facilities. By comparison, textiles require several more manufacturing steps, such as spinning, knitting, weaving and printing; as well as significantly more man hours of human energy. Synthetics require even more time and energy, in addition to refining, polymerization, and other chemical processes. Leather industry research is continually being conducted to improve sewage reuse and water purification from phases of the desalination and liming processes, and to reduce the quantity of chemicals used in production in order to decrease the amount of waste sludge. By contrast, the production of synthetic leather and vinyl also create significant air and water pollution problems that require special treatment and which create more opportunities for environmental accidents and ground and water contamination.

 

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SLIDE 25: TRANSPORTATION In terms of transportation, all are virtually similar. They all require the transportation of raw materials to the manufacturing facility and the transportation of finished product from the plant to the customer. SLIDE 26: PRODUCT USE Product usage encompasses concepts such as installation, performance and durability. In essence, this category embodies the entire spirit of a Life Cycle Analysis – how well a product performs and how long it can be used. Clearly here, leather is superior. Numerous consumer studies have shown that leather outlasts most all fabrics in the furniture, apparel and automotive industries. While a case can be made for the durability of vinyl and other synthetics, leather has been proven superior in terms of surface abrasion resistance, comfort and overall appearance. By comparison, fabrics and vinyl wear out sooner; leather typically outlasts other upholstery materials 4 or 5 to one; are more susceptible to cuts, tears and abrasion, and are difficult if not impossible to recycle. Synthetics also lack the ability to breathe naturally, causing discomfort during long-term use. SLIDE 27: RECYCLING & DISPOSAL The final category, Recycling and Disposal, is much more subjective than the others. A valid case can be made for the recyclability of all these materials and that’s good. But here, the edge must once again go to leather for two reasons. The first is the most obvious. Leather is a recycled material to start with. Leather comes primarily from cattle that is slaughtered for food or from other dead animals. The second factor that favors leather is the fact that, because of its superior durability, there are simply more and better ways to recycle leather, when compared to fabric and vinyl.

 

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For a good example, consider how many pairs of vinyl athletic shoes you go through before you have to replace a pair of leather shoes. The same comparison can be made for office furniture. Usually the metal support structure suffers a failure before the leather seating surface. SLIDE 28: LEED RATING SYSTEM In taking leather and sustainability to the next level, let’s analyze how the use of leather might benefit a project registered under the U.S. Green Building Council’s popular LEED Rating System. Back in 1993, a group of visionaries from various segments of the architectural community came together to discuss the need for a series of formal, environmentally friendly initiatives that embraced concepts like energy performance, recycling and conservation. Their efforts led to the formation of the U.S. Green Building Council and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards, better known as LEED. It is important to understand that LEED rates projects, not products. LEED credits are earned when a product or a series of products are combined to achieve a specific end result, such as lower energy use, collective recycled content, etc. The total number of available credits varies in each of the specific LEED programs. In addition to available credits, each of the specific LEED programs also contains several prerequisites, which must be met in order for the project to achieve certification. Examples of these prerequisites include minimum energy performance standards, the policy for the collection of recyclables, and requirements for no smoking within the building in order to maintain cleaner air.

 

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SLIDE 29: LEED RATING SYSTEM LEED is a voluntary consensus-based standard for developing sustainable and efficient buildings. Currently, the USGBC administers seven different LEED programs: • • • • • •

LEED for New Construction and Major Renovations LEED for Existing Buildings – Operations & Maintenance LEED for Commercial Interiors LEED for Core and Shell Construction LEED for Homes, and LEED for Schools

Additional LEED programs are also currently in development to address Retail Businesses, Healthcare, Community Development and other categories. SLIDE 30: LEED RATING SYSTEM Utilizing state-of-the-art standards, LEED provides a framework for assessing building performance and meeting sustainability goals through a system of prerequisites and credits, awarded in six different categories: Sustainable Sites, Water Efficiency, Energy & Atmosphere, Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation & Design Process. SLIDE 31: LEED CONTRIBUTION Leather can offer a positive impact on a registered LEED project in the last three of these categories: Materials & Resources, Indoor Environmental Quality and Innovation & Design Process.

 

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SLIDE 32: MATERIALS & RESOURCES In the Materials and Resources category, there are several credits available for the re-use of various materials inside of a building. This could include chairs and other leather-covered furniture as well as office partitions and similar components that utilize leather. Another credit is available for salvaging office components and diverting them from the landfill. The donation of leather-covered partitions, chairs and other components to a charitable organization, as opposed to discarding them in a landfill, could potentially be included in this category. The M and R category also lists available credits for the use of furniture and other office components made from recycled materials, with a double emphasis on items whose ingredients include post-consumer recycled material. Post-consumer material is defined as waste material generated by households or by commercial, industrial and institutional facilities in their role as end-users of the product, which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. Recycled steel is one of the many components that can be included here. Leather can also help earn an M and R credit for rapidly renewable materials. As mentioned previously, the fact that the animals that create leather are typically replaced in a regular growth cycle, thus creating a rapid and potentially endless supply, make leather a naturally renewable product.

 

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SLIDE 33: INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY In the Indoor Environmental Quality category, better known as IEQ, there are several opportunities for leather to contribute to LEED credits. The various LEED programs each differ slightly in their approach, but they all address the need to eliminate VOC’s - Volatile Organic Compounds – from the interior work space. VOC’s are typically released into the air when a product is installed, such as when a wall is painted, or, more commonly, when a product is cleaned. In the case of installation, the use of leather in wall partitions and other decorative roles can diminish VOC’s because even though leather gives off a pleasing scent, there are no VOC’s released. In the case of cleaning a leather surface, the opportunities are more obvious. Leather can be properly maintained with simple organic cleaners, like a mild soapy solution, as opposed to solvent-type cleaners needed to clean certain fabric surfaces. In this case, leather does offer a clear advantage in preventing the release of VOC’s into the work space. In the newly-released LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, there are a number of credits available that involving developing and implement plans to reduce VOC’s and adopt more environmentally friendly maintenance procedures. Updating office furniture and decor from vinyl and synthetic fabrics to leather can potentially help earn several of these credits.

 

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SLIDE 34: INNOVATION & DESIGN Finally, the LEED category Innovation and Design Process is more or less a wild card that allows a project to pick up as many as four additional credits for utilizing environmentally friendly design concepts and procedures that are not generally covered by other LEED credits. The creative use of leather as a replacement to vinyl and synthetic fabrics in decorating may possibly help qualify for one of these credits because of the sustainable advantage that leather offers here. Designing with leather has always been elegant and fashionable, and now it’s also environmentally beneficial. SLIDE 35: OTHER INITIATIVES In addition to LEED, there are several other sustainability initiatives to which the use of leather can contribute. Green Globes is a program that is popular in Canada and gaining more and more favor in the United States. Green Star, which started in Australia, is also gaining more popularity internationally. Both address the issues of recyclability, materials reuse and VOC reduction. And a number of private corporations, from IKEA to Wal Mart, along with municipal governments like the City of Chicago and the State of California have adopted their own sustainability standards. In each and every case, they all universally embrace the basic sustainability concepts of recycling, rapidly renewable materials, materials reuse and VOC-free emissions. And leather offers them all!

 

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SLIDE 36: FROM INITIATIVES TO INDUSTRY STANDARDS It does not take much insight to realize that initiatives like LEED and Green Globes are going to grow more expansive and more encompassing as time goes on. Voluntary guidelines are going to evolve into industry standards and new, more stringent, guidelines will emerge. This is already happening on the European continent. And because the roots of the leather industry remain largely European, it’s easy to see that this industry is already positioned to be a viable component in the sustainable future. SLIDE 37: A UNIVERSAL CONCERN This presentation has focused on the uses of leather in residential, business and commercial environments, largely because we’re addressing an audience of architectural and design professionals. But as you can see from reading general interest periodicals and web sites, and from watching your favorite television programs, sustainability and environmental concern have become universal. SLIDE 38: FASIONABLE & “GREEN” Leather has become the standard of elegance and sophistication around the world, in everything from automotive and aircraft interiors to personal footwear, belts, handbags, briefcases and similar items. When you think about it, the list of possible applications is quite extensive. Now it is also fashionable because of its sustainable attributes.

 

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SLIDE 39: LEATHER ENDURES In summary, leather is a versatile material that has played a part in enhancing the quality of life since the beginning of civilization. It is a byproduct of food production that has played a part in providing clothing, shelter and other human needs for centuries. For more than two and a half million years, leather has been a recycled and rapidly renewable material. It has a favorable and durable life cycle. And through modern innovation and environmentally responsible manufacturing, there is every indication that leather will still be here in another five million years. SLIDE 40: CONCLUSION Today’s program, Environmental Responsibility in the Production of Leather, has been presented by Dani Leather USA. This concludes the formal portion of our program. Can I answer any questions?