Zeology: chrome-free leather tanning
Zeology is the future of sustainable leather tanning. With this technology, we can remove harmful substances, such as aldehyde, from the tanning process. Zeology ensures that our bags are biodegradable and are a better choice for the world.
In this article you can read more about what Zeology is and how you can recognize this tanning technique in our collections.
What is Zeology?
Zeology is an eco-friendly tanning agent developed by Nera Tanning as a sustainable alternative to the usual tanning agents used in the leather industry. Instead of traditional chemicals, such as chromium and aldehyde, Zeology uses zeolite as a base. Zeolite is a natural mineral derived from volcanic clay, is free of chromium, heavy metals and aldehyde. The chemical aldehyde is common in products such as glue and perfume. A strong odor emanates from this chemical. By using Zeology, we not only avoid harmful chemicals, but also reduce unpleasant odors associated with leather production.
Zeology's uniqueness lies not only in its avoidance of harmful substances, but also in its impressive performance. Zeology delivers durable leather with outstanding properties. Take Zeo White, Zeology's intermediate product, for example. It stands out for its unmatched properties such as grain density, physical leather properties, light fastness and heat resistance.
The benefits of Zeology
Zeology offers several benefits. These can be divided into 3 types of advantages:
Sustainable benefits
As already mentioned, Zeology leather does not contain any harmful substances. As a result, the waste streams do not contain chromium, which has a positive effect on the environment. The compostability of the tanned material is also improved, creating a more sustainable production process. In addition, Zeology tanned leather lasts as long as normal tanned leather.
Sales benefits
Many consumers are looking for environmentally friendly options with various products. By using Zeology, we can meet your demand for a sustainable alternative in our bags. This ensures a proactive contribution to the movement towards a circular economy.
Design benefits
In terms of the design aspect, Zeology offers a whiter shade of leather compared to traditional tanning. In addition, the use of the white Zeology tanning agent results in brightly colored leather without changing the original color. This opens the door to using lightfast and heat-resistant leather with high-quality physical properties, giving designers more flexibility in realizing their creative visions.
Zeology in our collections
We are introducing Zeology to Micmacbags with our Earth collection. The bags within this collection are made entirely based on the Zeology method, making these bags better for nature. The leather quality is still excellent, therefore by choosing the Earth collection you are making the world a little bit better every time. Our goal? That is to make all of our Micmacbags bags with this new leather tanning technique in the future. You can recognize the bags made with the Zeology technique by the bag hanger in the shape of a leaf.
Leaf-shaped bag hanger