Sustainability and long life from the first benefit tannery Conceria Nuvolari

The Nature-L® and Graphene Leather® tanning systems designed by Conceria Nuvolari evolve in the name of environment respect, enhancing the quality of the leather. New governance actions have been adopted by the company. Sustainability and long life are the keywords on which the success of Nature-L® and Graphene Leather® is based. These two revolutionary projects are developed by Conceria Nuvolari, based in Monte Urano (Fermo province), specialized in the production of sheep and goatskins and other top-quality hides, used mainly in the
footwear, leatherware and apparel sectors.

All patents created in the R&D laboratories of the ground-breaking SME led by the entrepreneur Sara Santori, dynamic and determined CEO, are developed in full compliance with sector regulations and especially with all protocols for the protection and enhancement of the environment.

The Marche-based company is among the forerunners in experimenting a low-rate heavy metals tanning process, without the use of hexavalent chromium, able to, at the same time, enhancing the traditional nature of the leather.

“In this period slowed down by Covid spread-out – explains Sara Santori – we kept on doing research, investing in the improvement of biodegradable metal free tanning. On the one hand, we have improved the Nature-L®technology upgrading its biodegradability; on the other, we have undertaken a series of governance actions that also include the assessment and management of the factory’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Politecnico di Milano conducted a study on the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) of the Nature-L® line biodegradable, metalfree products: after calculating the amount of CO2 emitted for each square meter of leather manufactured in 2020, we managed to neutralize the environmental impact through the installation of wind farms and forestation plants according to an international carbon offset project carried out with the Rete Clima company (https://www.reteclima.it/aziende/nuvolari/). This project promotes the construction and setup of a wind farm in India, in the Satara district, featuring an overall energy capacity of 7.2 megawatts.”

According to Conceria Nuvolari, sustainability also means offering a more resistant leather so that the final product can be long-lasting.

The new Graphene Leather® patent transfers to the leather the extraordinary features of graphene, a material consisting of a single layer of carbon atoms tightly bound in a hexagonal honeycomb frame, as robust as diamond and flexible like plastic; it also stands out for its high bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties. After passing the standard requirements of resistance to abrasion and stress, color fastness, footage yield, Graphene Leather® has now reached another important milestone: its 99.99% antibacterial property certification. Aiming at pursuing the sustainability path, Conceria Nuvolari’s Nature-L® leather has obtained the biodegradability (ISO 20136) and compostability (ISO 14855) certifications, while Graphene Leather® was tested to have antibacterial and anti-odor features.

Conceria Nuvolari also presented the sustainability report (ISO 26000) endorsing its commitment to comply with the sustainable development goals of the UN 2030 Agenda, achieving the status of Benefit Company in June 2021: a new way of doing business, which takes care of socio-environmental issues while generating profit. Finally, the company is taking part in a project aiming at letting its leathers to get the “CRADLE TO CRADLE” certification by the end of the year; it has also confirmed its presence at the CSR Bocconi 2021 Exhibition and at the Ecomondo fair.

www.concerianuvolari.com