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What is vegetable-tanned leather?

Vegetable-tanned leather has been processed using plants: wood, bark, berries, leaves... Unlike chrome, which is more widely used in the industry, these natural tannins have a lower impact on the environment.

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What is vegetable-tanned leather?

Tanning is an essential step in turning hides into leather. Tannins make the hides rot-proof and give them suppleness or stiffness, depending on the result you want.

Vegetable tanning is an ancestral, natural technique in which plants are used such as wood, bark, berries or leaves to tan the hides, as they naturally contain tannins. Our ancestors would soak the hides in baths filled with plants for several months or even years. The resulting sludge was entirely biodegradable, as was the leather, in natural or dark tones.

Today's techniques have evolved a little: concentrated plant extracts are used, which shortens the maturing time.

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Unfortunately, for reasons of profitability, vegetable tanning has gradually been replaced by mineral tanning, which takes only a few days. Carried out with chromium and aluminium salts, it now accounts for 85%* of global production. It is popular because it is said to make leather more supple, and it allows a wider range of leather colours.

The problem with mineral tanning?

  • The resulting sludge is loaded with chromium, a toxic heavy metal. It is hard to make sure this sludge is treated properly, and it is often released straight into the environment.
  • It is also a danger to leather workers, who handle it directly in poorly regulated tanneries.
  • Chromium can irritate the end consumer's skin and trigger allergic reactions.
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