Throughout recent years in the leather industry, renewable chemistry alternatives have become more widely available and SLF recently welcomed into partnership a company that is developing another great example of innovation in this remit.

DesertSpring is a joint venture from three companies that are experts in innovative social business, producing quality materials for leather production through growing, processing and commercialization of botanicals. Jointly, they have created a patented chrome and metal free tanning alternative based on the leaves of the sea buckthorn shrub, a vegetable tannage that can even produce white leathers. Their new tannage provides an example of renewable chemistry and cleaner production, but also contributes to combating soil erosion due to the powers of the sea buckthorn plant. With continued R&D underway, and life cycle analyses on the horizon, DesertSpring presents a new type of tanning chemistry that will aid the leather industry in establishing itself as a sustainable product of the future.