The Italian tanning industry and sustainability: an (increasingly) winning formula. UNIC has joined ZDHC

The lead is being taken by those who are raising the bar and showing, yet again, that the commitment of the Italian tanning industry to the tackling and all-round management of sustainability and its requirements is more than just practical: it is a strategic, and in some ways cultural, decision. The Italian Tanning Industry Association (UNIC), has become an official member of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals association (ZDHC), an international foundation created in 2011 and committed to eliminating hazardous chemical substances from the textile and footwear manufacturing process. The deadline for its mission is 1 January 2020. UNIC defines its decision in a note as “highly significant for an industry leader at both European and world levels that has always been committed to the careful management of the safety of the product and to environmental protection.” This commitment is “documented by the 2003 Sustainability report, and has achieved significant targets, reducing the use of solvents by 40% and purifying its waste water by 98%.” For UNIC, joining ZDHC offers “further evidence of the sector’s commitment to full achievement of the sustainability objectives.”