Capturing the Environmental Impact of Leather Chemicals

Content: Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCRs) for calculating the environmental impact of leather manufacturing were approved by the European Commission in 2018. Chemicals are key input data for this methodology, given leather’s chemically intensive makeup. The increasing use of nonpetrochemical materials represents an important part of industry-wide efforts to reduce overall environmental impact. Though still in its infancy, research and commercial use of renewable raw materials for leather chemicals is expected to accelerate in the coming years, especially with regard to understanding the environmental impact of bio-based products. Indeed, when decisions are made to substitute fossil fuel-derived products with alternative bio-based versions, a common assumption is that a reduction in environmental footprint will accompany that substitution. However, reports have been published that challenge this view1,2,3. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of environmental impact data for bio-based polyurethanes and to interpret the data in order to make better decisions about further research and product design. Take-Away: Environmental impact is not just about Climate Chang