Sustainable Solutions for Leather and Synthetics

Sustainable Solutions for Leather and Synthetics

Uwe Siebgens and Mike Tomkin, 29th August 2014

■  Brief Introduction to Stahl

■  Stahl Sustainability Policy and Actions

■  Sustainable Solutions for Synthetics

■  Sustainable Solutions for Leather

■  Future Developments and Possibilities ■  Conclusion

Agenda

Stahl is a specialty chemicals company providing a wide range of process chemicals for leather and performance coatings for all kinds of substrates (textile, plastic, paper) and polymers.

Introduction to Stahl

■  One Headquarters ■  11 Plants ■  44 Application labs / sales offices ■  1800+ Employees

Worldwide coverage

Three Leather Chemicals Business Units ■  Wet-End ■  Leather Finish ■  PielColor

■  Performance Coatings ■  Stahl Polymers

Two Performance Coatings Business Units (non-leather)

Stahl’s Business Units

When it comes to sustainability we take a frontrunner position in the market by initiating transparency in the supply chain

Sustainability

Sustainability Policy and Actions

■  To work with our suppliers, customers and all other interested parties towards sustainable solutions within our own operations and throughout the whole supply chain.

■  Joined UN Global Compact in 2012 to ensure we measure our progress.

■  Active in the Leather Working Group and Dutch MVO.

■  Since 2013, using the well known Swedish NGO, The Natural Step, as a guide on Sustainability.

■  Working with UNIDO in Bangladesh to help improve all aspects of the leather business there.

Six steps towards a more sustainable future

Six steps towards a more sustainable future

■  More sustainable operations

■  More sustainable products

■  High performing products with the desired look & feel

Supporting brands in sustainability

Stahl offers a wide range of sustainable solutions for synthetics in the footwear industry.

Synthetic Solutions

STAHL EVO PU Coating System

■  DMF residues left in fabrics after coagulation

■  Residual DMF attacks PU coating -  Reduces hydraulic

resistance of fabric -  Typical smell occurs and

remains

■  DMF is toxic and marked as restricted substance

Shortcomings of traditional processes

STAHL EVO product characteristics

■  High performance, high productivity

■  Easy processing - Suitable to run on existing coating equipment

■  Clean - DMF(A)-free, Mekoxime-free, BTX-free Truly delivering not traceable amounts of restricted substances in PU coated fabrics and same time significantlly reducing the water and energy usage compared to coagulation process

■  Fashionable - Complete product range of coating and finishing products that can deliver various different kind of fashion effects

Our sustainable solutions for Synthetics

STAHL EVO building blocks 1/3

■  STAHL EVO finish -  Finishes, crosslinkers and

additives -  Includes 100% water-based

topcoat

■  STAHL EVO skin & adhesives -  Polyurethane dispersions -  Mild solvent solutions as alternative

for harmful solvents -  Easy processing

■  STAHL EVO base Permutex®

-  Mechanical foam -  Used in transfer coating or

as direct coating

■  STAHL EVO base PermaQure®

-  No volatile components -  No odour or emissions -  Designed for transfer coating

STAHL EVO building blocks 2/3

■  STAHL EVO water pigments -  For all types of water-based

coatings -  VOC-free, APEO-free -  Easy dosing, high colour

reproducibility

■  STAHL EVO base PermaQure®

-  No volatile components -  No odour or emissions -  Designed for transfer coating

STAHL EVO building blocks 3/3

Stahl offers a wide range of sustainable solutions for the leather supply chain.

Leather Solutions

■  A genuine alternative to Chrome tanning – good arguments for and against the use of Chrome – now we have options with equal performance

■  Lighter weight leathers with no loss of tear strength – no need to lower the thickness to reduce weight

■  RSL compliant leathers – also working with the whole industry to look for standardisation of RSLs

■  Low and now no VOC finishing systems

■  Biodegradable leathers –why not bury the shoes at the end of life ?

Our sustainable solutions for Leather

■  Minimising / eliminating gaseous emissions and water pollution – in our own production and in our customers plant

■  Working with the whole supply chain, not just the immediate customer

■  Bio based instead of petroleum based Polyurethanes – early days but with the products already in place, we see no loss of performance

■  Shorter process times, less water usage, lower energy requirements – particular efforts to reduce salt usage in leather production

Our sustainable solutions for Leather

What’s next?

Up to 20 billion pairs thrown away every year ! A growing interest in recycling but how to sort shoes by material type, etc ? We are starting to work with Loughborough University in U.K. who already have this project under way.

Working with the responsible bodies towards a scientifically based solution to this issue.

Shoe recycling

ZDHC Compliance for footwear

Further Developments and Possibilities

■  Whether or not we believe the current worst case scenarios on global warming and other threats, there is absolutely no doubt that unless we start to change our ways now, we will at some stage go beyond the point of no return.

■  In the quest for a more sustainable route forward, there will be undoubtedly

some quantum leaps that will make a big difference but we must not lose sight of the fact that the smaller steps will be equally important and we should not delay any actions.

Conclusion

Thank you If it can be imagined, it can be created

Uwe Siebgens & Mike Tomkin