Nera Tanning

Return to Nature bag collection by Anya Hindmarch / Source: Nera Tanning

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WHAT WE SAY:

Leather is simply hide - the skin of an animal - that if left to nature would degrade down into the soil, creating nutrients for the next cycle of growth.

However, when we take this natural material and chemically treat it, leather changes from providing a nutrient for soil, to a contaminate. Nera Tanning is changing the system by removing the toxic heavy metals and chemicals throughout the process. If leather is to be specified, let us push for this to be the gold standard for all.

Bag made from Zeology in collaboration with Sitoy / Source: Nera Tanning

ABOUT NERA TANNING

Formed in 2020, Nera Tanning is a subsidiary of Smit & Zoon, a seventh-generation, family-owned, Dutch chemical supplier dating back to 1821 that has long focused on sustainability in the Leather chain. The company was accredited Gold by EcoVadis in 2021, putting it in the top 7% of companies audited.
Working with over 25 external partners, Nera Tanning has launched Zeology, a zeolite-based and chrome-free, heavy metal-free, and aldehyde-free tanning agent for supply to the tanning, automotive, aviation, fashion and upholstery industries.
A number of premium tanneries worldwide are currently using Zeology to manufacture chrome-free leather, with finished products currently available from global brands, including Puma, Anya Hindmarch and Mart Visser.
Nera Tanning’s parent company Smit & Zoon claims to be the only company allowed to develop any type of strategic or commercial relationships for products based on alumino-silicates, covered by its numerous international patents.
Zeology has been certified with the top level ZDHC MRSL (Manufactured Restricted Substance List) conformance, as well as ToxFMD Screened Chemistry certification and a C2C-Certified Material Health Certificate at the Platinum level.
Nera Tanning offers a ‘University of Zeology’ knowledge base and online masterclasses, offering insight on leather manufacturing, waste streams and biodegradability.