THE THREAD & TONIC MATERIALS PROGRAMME
Whilst we continue to work with partners and suppliers who share our values and standards, we are continually working with scientific labs and technology developers to produce our own materials that surpass what currently exists in terms of quality and impact.
To start with, our Materials Programme will focus on two key areas:
PURE Leather: purest form of leather
VEGAN Leather: bio-based non-leather (animal) material
PURE LEATHER™
Using our manufacturers 70 years’ experience in leather, we have developed the purest form of leather there has ever been. Nearly all leathers contain chrome and harmful chemicals, which harm our environment and are not good for you either.
We have developed leather without the nasties. The leather tanning process we employ is chrome free, utilising environmentally friendly procedures which reduce hazardous chemical output resulting in toxin free wastewater which does not harm plant or aquatic life. In addition, the leather biodegrade process is both shorter and no harmful toxins are released into the earth.
Most sustainable brands simply use ‘LWG tanneries’, we have gone a step further. LWG are responsible for world’s largest leather sustainability programme and through meticulous work with tanneries, they have defined a rating system for leather production that covers bronze, silver and gold environmental accreditation. The average LWG-accredited tannery saves 12.1 billion litres of water and 775 megawatts of energy per year through their sustainable practices
To go beyond LWG standards, we use unique ‘wet white’ processes for all of our products, i.e., leather that is tanned without using chromium and this process is environmentally friendly. Chromium is the chemical in leather that produces allergic reactions and creates a lot of wastage in the tanning process. The leather tanning process employed by “Thread and Tonic” is chrome free, utilising environmentally friendly procedures and setting a benchmark for our industry. Our processes reduce hazardous chemical output and results in toxin free wastewater.
Our high-tech tannery epitomises the best characteristics that have made Tuscany famous as one of Italy’s major tanning districts. Leather is brought to life with the richness of colour, solidified by the use of prestige Italian leather tanneries with hundreds of years of experience passed down through generations.
More to come on this soon. Please follow us to be the first to know more.
Our exploration into vegan leather is ongoing. Our goal is to use ONLY petrochemical-free leather alternatives which are 100% biodegradable.
Thread & Tonic does not use any PVC-based materials. Synthetic alternatives such as PVC (polyvinyl chloride) are not the solution, as these are ecologically toxic to both produce and dispose of. Our goal is to use petrochemical-free leather alternatives. Polyurethane is safer for humans than PVC, although it is still dependent on petrochemical raw materials. In order to make PU workable for a vegan leather it must be turned into a liquid using solvents.
Traditionally, PU solvents are high in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are harmful to both humans and the environment. However, recent advances in chemistry have developed a less toxic process, known as water-based polyurethane or polyurethane dispersion (PUD), which we use where necessary. This water-based process involves modifiers and other agents in addition to water, which means PUD is a less toxic and harmful process, although we are aware PUD still relies on petrochemical raw materials and does not biodegrade at the end of its useful life.
Since the beginning, we have worked to combine material science with modern technology to produce bags and accessories with minimal impact on the environment. We are not perfect, but we are on a journey towards a better future and we’re glad you’re here with us.
