Be it shoes, jackets or purse… leather has never been out of fashion. But to be in vogue, leather has constantly undergone a change in the way it is treated.
The growth of the global leather market is largely dependent on the rise and fall of the footwear, fashion and automobile industries. The good news, however, is that the need for good shoes will never end; fashion has its way of making itself a necessity rather than a luxury; and what is a good car without appealing upholstery!! Thus, leather too has wriggled into remaining an integral part of these industries.
This rising demand for various leather products such as apparels, footwear, garments, furniture and automotive upholstery has positively impacted the leather industry. It has also led to the way in which leather is treated in order to align itself with new age requirements. Traditional leather chemicals have made rapid advances to make leather products more appealing, steadfast and eco-friendly. The global leather chemicals market is expected to reach $8.19 billion by 2020, according to a report by Transparency Market Research.
Leather chemicals are essential in different stages of leather production to enhance the appearance of the product along with better water resistance, flexibility and heat resistance. The rising demand from footwear and automotive markets is constantly driving the growth of the leather chemicals market.
The main focus of leather chemicals, however, is to bring about less harmful chemical substitutes, align the production process with the stringent environmental regulations, make leather products long lasting and bring in an appealing richness of leather in the end-products.
Leather chemicals market is broadly classified into beamhouse chemicals, tanning and dyeing chemicals, and finishing chemicals. Tanning and dyeing chemicals hold the largest share in this market and the increasing demand for leather products in countries including Brazil, India and China will further boost the market for leather tanning and dyeing chemicals.
Chemicals such as cyanides, calcium hydroxide and amines are increasingly being used to protect leather from decomposing and increasing the durability of the material. In beamhouse operations, chemicals such as swell regulating agents, biocides, chromium sulphate, soda ash and formic acid are used in the leather production process.
Geographically, Asia Pacific (APAC) dominates the global leather chemicals market with growing footwear and automotive industries in APAC region as the primary factor. This has also, in turn, boosted the leather chemicals market in the region. Asia Pacific’s dominance in leather chemicals market will majorly be supported by India in coming years with its compliance with many international regulations like ISO, REACH etc, as per a recent report by Persistence Market Research. China’s leather shoe market is growing at a CAGR of around 12.4 percent annually which has helped boost the leather chemicals market. Also, leading global manufacturers of leather chemicals are simultaneously expanding their production capacity in Asia Pacific to keep up with the growing demand.
The increasing level of disposable income in North America and Europe has led people to invest in fashionable trends and luxury products like garments, footwear and others product. This has not just encouraged the fashion industry to come up with product innovations with leather but also new chemicals to make better quality leather.
Technological advancement
Not just fashion and footwear, leather is also extensively used in athletic and military products. In such cases, leather has to meet high precision levels while performing in challenging conditions. Due to this, leather has always faced challenges from other materials to have high durability and abrasion resistance properties. Technological advances are working towards beating these odds.
Some recent trends in the leather industry are as follows:
Micro and nano-particulates: The use of micro and nano-particulates is taking the industry in its stride due to its abrasion resistance and improved innovation in a chemical compound that offers improved colour, look and feels better leather with superior water resistance and improved finish adhesion. Nano particulates are extremely hard materials, yet small enough to cover a huge surface area without detriment to other technical properties or the feel of the leather. These particles enhance the resistance to abrasion of the leather surface so much so that the wearer cannot notice any change in the feel or movement of the leather. They also permanently bond with the leather to enhance its life. This technology is expected to take the leather chemical market in its stride.
Biopolymers for leather tanning: Lanxess recently developed a new class and range of genuine re-tanning agent, Levotan X-Biomer, an alternative to synthetic re-tanning agents. This technology effectively utilises biopolymers for a more sustainable production of high-quality leather. The products are based on biodegradable polymers, which are produced from renewable raw materials and specifically functionalized for re-tanning applications in a biologically engineered process. Thus, the Levotan X-Biomer technology enables the production of wet blue leather that fulfils the requirements demanded of leather.
“To become increasingly independent from fossil fuel based raw materials, the incremental substitution of petroleum-based chemicals is one of the key challenges for the leather industry in the years ahead. Lanxess is a driving force behind the formulation of advanced leather chemicals derived from renewable resources,” said Arun J, head – business unit leather, Lanxess India.
The technology also reduces the re-tanning effluent load. Also, since it is based on organic components, it can easily be degraded by microorganisms in the effluent treatment benefiting tanners from a more efficient COD elimination in their waste water.
Organic leather: Research shows that conventional leather tanning has a disastrous effect on human health creating the ecological imbalance. The industry is abuzz with a new type of leather known as the organic leather which is free from chrome, metal, formaldehyde, sodium sulphide, glutaraldenhyde and sulphuric acid which are usually used in regular tanneries. These chemicals are a huge challenge to environment pollution as well.
“Standard leather production methods allow toxic chemicals, surface treatments, compounding and grain correction, which can cause environmental damage and remove the true sensual qualities of leather,” said Ilona Ludewig-Mack, founder Natureally Organic Leather.
Organic leather hides are leathers that come from organically raised cattle, which are treated using natural materials to cure, preserve and tan leather. These natural biodegradable tanning materials include bark tannins, plant tannins, lime or smoke.
The tanning process takes anywhere between 5 weeks to 12 months while regular chrome tanning takes less than a week. Although a time consuming and strenuous process, organic leather is catching up in the industry.
Alternative leathers: Even though leather is the most popular material for footwear, but it also has implications on environmental footprint. Designers are constantly working on new ways of tanning and finishing. Not just that, the industry is working on discarded parts of animals to put them in use, like the stomach of cattle. The more sustainable fish leather is a new entrant into the market where fish skins, which is considered a waste in the fishing industry, is being used.
Eco Leather: Given the rising concern over killing the animal, alternatives are being derived from plants. Eco-leather is made with natural fibre such as flax or cotton mixed with palm, corn, soybean and other plant oils that are laminated together in layers to create a material that looks and feels similar to animal hides. Many other forms of plant based leather are being worked upon to make it more sustainable.
A UK-based company, Ananas Anam, developed an innovative, natural and sustainable non-woven textile, Pinatex, made from pineapple leaves fibre. The long fibre is extracted by a process called decortication and the fabric made out of it bonds together without knitting or weaving.
This material is strong, versatile, breathable, soft, light, flexible, and can be easily printed on, stitched and cut. This eco-friendly alternate material perfectly fits as a substitute for leather, which is becoming more scarce and expensive. The material can effectively be used in fashion and accessories, furnishings and upholstery in cars and aeronautic. According to Dr Carmen Hijosa, creator of Pinatex and CEO of Ananas Anam, globally, 40,000 tonnes of pineapple waste is produced annually which is either burnt or left to rot. “Pineapple leaves contain one of the finest cellulose fibre in existence. So, I thought, why not use this to make leather alternative?”
The Indian Leather story
The leather industry is of vital importance in the Indian economy with massive potential for employment, growth and exports alike. India is the second largest producer of leather footwear and garments in the world and the fifth-largest exporter of leather goods and accessories globally.
According to government data, India exported leather and leather products worth $2,653.64 million in 2015. Among the various items exported, footwear holds a major share of about 45 percent in India’s total leather & leather product exports, followed by leather goods & accessories (22 percent), finished leather (21 percent), leather garments (9 percent) and saddlery & harnesses (3 percent).
Indian leather finds its place in major markets such as the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Hong Kong, UAE, Spain, France, Netherlands, China, Vietnam and Belgium. These 12 countries together account for nearly 75 percent of India’s total leather & leather product exports.
However, the Indian leather industry witnessed a 7 percent fall in the fiscal year 2015-16 due to unfavourable global market conditions. The Council for Leather Exports, however, foresees a potential for the exports to grow by 12 to 14 percent in 2016-17.
The government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign is further expected to give the necessary boost as the leather industry has been selected among the 25 sectors chosen to be a part of this campaign. The key target under this initiative is to make this a $27 billion industry by 2020.
The way forward
The overall change in lifestyle, coupled with increasing per capita income of individuals across the globe, fast changing fashion trends, growth in the tourism industry, are just some of the key reasons which will ensure that the demand for high-quality leather goods never fades from the market.
Read More: Gucci shoes or Armani suits: leather fits in just right
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