ECCO LEATHER has a laboratory and factory in Dongen, the Netherlands.
With four locations in Europe and Asia, the company operates in a clean, safe, and flexible manner.
Their designers, tanneries, and quality control specialists continue to challenge themselves to develop new leathers using the latest technology as well as old traditions and know-how.
The premium leathers developed by ECCO LEATHER are supplied to some of the world's leading maison brands.
The company is also committed to reducing the environmental impact of its business activities and constantly incorporating environmentally friendly methods and technologies, and is a supplier to Apple's Clean Energy Program, which calls for 100% clean energy production.
Leather Working Group
In order to turn hides into leather, a lot of water, chemicals and physical strength are required.
Some of the world's leather factories are still operating while destroying the environment by forcing children to work in order to make a profit.
LWG is an international organization that audits tanneries to ensure that they do not do this, protect the global environment, and supply consumers with safe and reliable leather. The LWG gives certification to tanneries that have passed its strict screening process, and many of the world's most famous brands have joined the LWG and are actively trying to introduce certified leather.
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Specifically, the LWG requires environmental protection, management of water, waste and energy, tracing of raw materials to see where the hides come from, employee training, factory cleanliness, compliance with laws and regulations, etc. There are about 250 audit items for leather factories to follow.
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Due to the extremely stringent and extensive auditing requirements, no other tanneries in Japan currently have the highest gold rate (as of 2020).
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ECCO LEATHER is a member of the LWG and all four of its factories worldwide (Netherlands, Thailand, Indonesia, and China) have passed the highest auditing standards and have been awarded the Gold Rate.
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About DriTan
The process of tanning leather was thought to be impossible without using a large amount of water, but DriTan™, developed by ECCO LEATHER, has broken through this mechanism.
Old style tanning process
Tanning process by DriTan™️
ECCO LEATHER tanneries tan about 1.25 million raw hides per year, saving about 25 million liters per year. This figure is comparable to the amount of water needed by about 9,000 people in a year, based on figures published by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In addition to conserving large amounts of water, the company also minimizes wastewater discharge and chemical use. At our production site in the Netherlands, we have been able to reduce the amount of sludge by approximately 600 tons per year.
OAO is now using ECCO LEATHER.
Through the use and development of high quality and environmentally friendly materials, we will strive for a world with a smaller carbon footprint.