ELeather has been awarded Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) certification by Control Union Certifications, an independent third party. ELeather noted that the certification serves as an assurance to customers that its latest materials contain a significant portion of recycled leather.
The current certificate details the material composition of ELeather’s latest material developments for consumer and lifestyle markets, and the company said it will continue to certify each new product in the future to provide complete transparency and reassurance.
The RCS is used as a chain of custody to track recycled raw materials through the supply chain and is an independent external validation of the manufacturer’s claims. The standard verifies the presence, sources and amount of recycled material in a final product.
ELeather explained its materials have always been developed and manufactured with the aim to utilise what the leather industry classes as offcuts, which usually end up in landfill sites. The company said a significant amount of a leather hide is often discarded, which amounts to thousands of tonnes of waste every year. ELeather collects those unused parts and transform them into a material suitable for use in applications ranging from aircraft seat upholstery to luxury handbags, shoes and even pet accessories.
“Since our engineered leather production began in 2007, we have recycled more than 7,000 tonnes of leather waste – that’s the weight of 16 Boeing 747s,” said John Kennedy, CEO at ELeather.
The company noted brands are increasingly looking into new ways to be more sustainable, with consumer and lifestyle markets in particular seeking alternative materials that can offer high performance while supporting the drive to be greener. “Over the last year or two, we have seen a large increase in the number of leading brands choosing to work with us, as they see the very close alignment of our sustainability roadmap to theirs,” said Kennedy. “Our focus on being data-driven, authentic and transparent resonates well with their values, and the ever-increasing expectations of their customers.”
ELeather’s sustainability roadmap is focused on delivering high-performing materials with a significant recycled content and lower environmental footprint. ELeather materials contain up to 55% recycled leather.
