HOW WE KEEP LEATHER OUT OF LANDFILLS

We are located in the manufacturing hub of Tuscany meaning we have access to the most valuable materials in the world. We believe NONE of it should end up in landfills or be discarded as “industrial waste”.

REPURPOSING luxury FASHION'S MATERIAL left-overs

In Tuscany alone, an average of 260,000 tonnes or 400 MILLION pounds of leather excess are discarded every year.

Yep. You read that right!

Our ethical luxury model starts with sourcing and repurposing waste materials created from our local luxury goods production in Tuscany Italy. Normally, Italian factories must pay to dispose of excess leather in industrial landfills The disposal process involves grinding up the leather scrap for “insulation” or burning it as “industrial waste”. Ew. Instead, we build partnerships with local manufacturers and luxury brands and take their leather excess before it gets discarded. We then sort it and design into the materials we find to ensure we can save as much as possible! It is a win-win as factories don’t need to pay for disposal and we can save these valuable materials!

Want to see the behind the scenes? Click the link below!

READ OUR SIEME DIARY

WHY IS SO MUCH LEATHER DISCARDED DURING THE PRODUCTION PROCESS?

The United Nations estimates an average of 20%-40% of leather is discarded during the accessories production process. This percent can be as high as 60% for luxury branded product.

Leather is a natural product with defects, scratches and variations in the material. Very strict quality control standards for products demanding thousands of dollars equals more waste, especially for natural products that are hard to control. Add in other factors like industrialization where one factory makes bags while another makes wallets and the artisanal way of saving and utilizing every scrap of leather has been abandoned.

Additionally, factories order an average of 15% more leather than necessary for their production to cover potential damages and defects. Much of this is never used and sits in warehouses throughout the Tuscan countryside.

This doesn’t even include the vast amounts of leather created for samples, sales reps and showcasing collections around the world.

We think you get the idea….

It all add up to a lot of existing material being mistaken as “waste”

WHY USE NATURAL LEATHER?

97% of natural leather used in handbags and footwear is a bi-product of the meat industry. As global meat consumption continues to increase, leather use in products is decreasing. This leads to unfinished hides being destroyed or buried worldwide. While we acknowledge the environmental toll that factory farming takes on our earth, we also believe it is better to maximize and use all parts of existing materials rather than create new ones.

Although there are many companies racing to find truly sustainable “vegan leather” options, currently there are NO market ready leather alternatives that do not have some form of plastic or polymer binder in them. This currently includes mushroom, apple and plant based leathers. Products made from these materials will take thousands of years to break down in landfills and have a shelf life of only 3 years on average.

350 million barrels of oil a year are used to produce virgin polyester including “faux” and “vegan” leathers.

IT’s NOT JUST ABOUT LEATHER

It takes an average of 571 liters or 150 gallons of water to dye and finish 1 leather skin.

The more existing material we can keep in circulation, the more resources we can save. Repurposing leather excess means saving vast amounts of water needed to create virgin leather. We can also reduce the use of salts, chemicals and dyes used in the tanning and finishing process. This translates to less risk of these substances ending up in places they shouldn’t and harming our natural environments.

Welcome to the new definition of luxury, ethical, artisanal and one-of-a-kind