Footwear needs to be extremely durable, so materials traditionally used have significant environmental impacts. To counter this, we source innovative materials that are low impact, while still maintaining the qualities required for footwear production, including recycled leather, LWG certified and vegetable tanned leathers, organic linen, and OEKO TEX-certified fabrics. Sounds complicated? Let us explain what each of these mean:
Recycled leather is made from certified post-manufacture waste leather collected from tanneries and footwear factories. By diverting these waste materials from landfill they are able to be recycled into new material that can be used as a virgin leather replacement.
By using pre-existing leather, no new chemicals are used in the tanning process, and energy and water usage during production is heavily minimised.
“Our recycled leather is a modern statement of what the future of fashion looks like. It offers the same luxuriously soft and breathable qualities as virgin leather without the environmental impact associated with leather production” Jamie
The Leather Working Group (LWG) is a global not-for-profit committed to driving best practices and social & environmental change for responsible leather production.
The organisation audits and certifies the environmental performance of leather manufacturers and promotes sustainable business practices.
Nelson Made is an official Leather Working Group member and purchase the bulk of our leathers from certified LWG suppliers with exceptions for specialty and exotic materials.
The most common tanning process, chromium tanning, which turns animal hides into leather, uses a chemical solution which includes chrome. If not managed correctly, chrome and other substances such as lead, arsenic and acids can get into the local water supply. This can have devastating consequences for soil erosion in the surrounding area and for people living around these water ways.
Vegetable-tanned leather is leather that is tanned using a centuries-old process that doesn’t involve the use of chrome or any other heavy metals.
Around 85% of our leather range is made from vegetable-tanned leather, instead of the more common chrome-tanning process, as part of our commitment to responsible material choices.
Our printing partners at Next State are accredited by OEKO TEX and Ethical Clothing Australia for their commitment to sustainable printing practices.
Next State create custom prints and colours that can be ordered in small batches. Their focus on customisation rather than mass production means independent businesses like ours can order only the amount of fabric we need for production and eliminate post-production waste that would otherwise go to landfill.
