A European research project focused on improving the environmental footprint of vegetable leather tanning has concluded with positive technical and sustainability results.
Known as LIFE I’M TAN, the project received EU LIFE programme funding and was coordinated by Silvateam with support from Crossing, CRCF, Conceria Incas and the Aquarno Consortium.
The initiative aimed to develop a new generation of natural tannins, chemically modified to enhance performance in tanning and retanning processes while reducing water use, chemical inputs and wastewater emissions. Trial results show that the modified extracts reduced water consumption by up to 25%, organic matter in the tanning bath by up to 40%, and hazardous substances such as phenols and formaldehyde by more than 80%.
Application testing at Conceria Incas confirmed that the new tannins could deliver soft leathers with a wide colour range, including light and pastel shades not easily achievable with conventional vegetable tannins.
By-product recovery for use in animal nutrition, resins and fertilisers was also explored, supporting a broader circular economy approach. The partners now plan further industrial feasibility work to assess scaling potential.
LIFE I’M TAN was funded under project number LIFE20 ENV/IT/000759.
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