Green Label for Brazilian Leather

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The growing, effective use of sustainable procedures within the Brazilian leather production chain is notable. There is a broad array of examples — and the results are always loftily positive. But how can the final consumer notice these processes? How to assure him that the raw material is of fully sustainable origin?

That is why the CICB Quality and Sustainability Label has been developed. Created by the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry, entity that has been representing Brazilian leather business for over 50 years, this initiative is the result of intense dialogue with all the parts of the leather business, which considers the adoption of a standard of environmental certification as the way to give the consumer a strong idea of the sustainable production process which the industry has been undergoing.

Applying John Elkington's triple bottom line concept to the tanning industries — people, planet, profit —, in which the results of a company are taken into account in social, environmental, and economic terms, the seal will consider as sustainable tanners those who act with economic results, seeking to reduce the environmental impact inherent to their activities, and providing better work conditions to their workers. After all, the tanning sector has a range of particularities when it comes to sustainable procedures — be it related to cattle tracking, deforestation, liquid waste recycling or reusing solid chrome residue, and caring for other finishing procedures.

Aligned with other certification processes, both national (Assintecal and ABIT) and international (LWG, CLIA, Biocalce, and sac) the CICB Quality and Sustainability Seal will assure buyers and consumers that, since their origin and production, the materials being used were observed under the most strict quality and sustainability standards. Nowadays, two of the most important demands in a competitive market.