More Sustainable Leather Does a Higher-Quality Job

Conventional wisdom implies that natural, animal-based leather is healthier for the planet than “vegan” leather, which is usually heavily coated in fossil fuel-derived plastics and petrochemicals.

“No cow, sheep or goat has ever been harvested for their skin. Leather hides are a waste byproduct of the food industry and by upcycling that resource we are contributing to circularity, which is true sustainability and better for the health of people and the planet,” said Jonathan Graham, senior marketing director at Evolved By Nature. “Vegan leather can be the right answer for people who are vegan. But when it comes to actual sustainability, ‘vegan’ is more often just marketing masquerading as a cause.”

However, not all animal-based leather products are created equal, and traditional petrochemical finishes on animal leather have often negated many of the materials’ sustainability advantages.

One life sciences company, however, has developed a biofinishing system that not only protects leather’s natural advantages, but enhances them.

Evolved By Nature has created a sustainable peptide technology platform designed to replace hazardous petrochemical ingredients in skin care, textiles and leather finishing, as well as professional-grade medical and cosmetic systems. Using renewable resources and renewable energy, the company itself is deemed sustainable by third-party counsel and is verified to contribute to eight of 17 United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UNSDGs).

The Activated Silk L1 biofinish system, or “L1” as it is known, can raise the performance of treated leathers in a range of areas, including increased flexibility without cracking or compromise, more colorfast durability, and better water and stain resistance, according to the company. It can achieve all this, while also preserving the desired aesthetics of leather. Essentially, L1 can help maintain a more natural look and feel compared to petrochemical finishing approaches that often require heavier application.

“Only recently is the consumer market being made aware that every piece of leather you’ve ever bought is coated in ‘plastic,’ for lack of a better term,” said Enrico Mortarino, vice president of materials innovation at Evolved By Nature. Mortarino refers to the long-standing leather-making process that employs carcinogenic PFAS (polyfluoroalkalides) and hazardous cross-linkers that pose a risk to people and the planet.

L1 gets more out of leather by using “less of everything else” — meaning less chemicals, less carbon release, less energy usage, and less water treatment needed. Additionally, tanneries can expect up to a 92 percent carbon reduction by using L1 instead of traditional petrochemical finishing formulas. That’s thanks in part to the fact that L1 biofinishes leather using zero PFAS, zero additional crosslinkers, and greatly reduced PU.

Change won’t happen overnight, of course, as many leathermakers are entrenched in traditional finishing methods and relationships with chemical suppliers. But Evolved By Nature is already supplying its L1 biofinish to tanneries in Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, and has gotten positive reactions so far.

Another benefit of L1 finishing is its versatility. It can work with all types of leathers with essentially no restrictions. It is most notably superior on leather articles that require the least amount of finishing, namely Nappa and other aniline full-grain or split-grain leathers. Because L1 can achieve more with a lower coat load than petrochemical finishes, it also proves to be a performance alternative on semi aniline and fully pigmented leathers. The company has had success with formulations for cowhide, sheep, lamb and goat (buffalo and exotics are also compatible but have not been a priority focus).

In footwear, the finishing goes beyond leathers for uppers. Shoe liners developed by traders Pellami Due C in Italy, for example, are up to 165 percent more breathable with greater vapor transfer metrics than previously achieved with PU-based finish. The result is more comfortable shoe liners than previously possible.

“We are thrilled with the collaboration with L1, where we applied the results obtained from cosmetics to the finishing of leathers based on the most natural and performing protein bonds,” said Carlo Carlacchiani, managing director, Pellami Due C SpA. “Our new process of finishing leathers replaced old finishing methods, which were based on polyurethane-based fixatives that were toxic and harmful to our health and the environment. These new leather shoe liners feature greater vapor transfer, which means breathability, and our innovations perform faster now.”

Evolved By Nature has also been focusing on expansion, with development under way for the furniture industry. Tannery partner, Euroleather, for example, is developing a more durable, color-locked upholstery leather using L1 for the overseas market. And because L1 uses only water and alcohol-based delivery systems, no off-gassing occurs. This is a decided advantage as the company develops L1 for the automotive market as well.

“Because our chemistry comes from completely renewable, naturally derived resources, there is no limit to our production capacity,” said Victoria Collotta, vice president of global client engagement at Evolved By Nature. “So, we expect to go to scale in the commodity leather goods markets first, along with luxury and apparel. Upholstery and automotive are the next markets we will focus our development efforts on.”

Currently, Evolved By Nature sells L1 directly to tanneries which then apply it to their own leathers. The company is the exclusive chemical partner for a new leather-making coalition, called Authentic Thai Leather, which sells high volumes of high-quality, more sustainable leather finished exclusively with L1.

“L1 is more than just a chemical set, it’s a service,” said Collotta. She notes that when tanneries use L1, they receive unlimited access to Evolved By Nature’s chemistry, creative tech support, development aid, and marketing support from the company’s award-winning “ad agency” creative staff. “We are already on four continents and there’s no reason why we can’t operationally supply the entire leather industry,” said Collotta. “We’re ready to make it happen.” 

For more information on L1, visit biotech.evolvedbynature.com