Italian leather specialist Gruppo Mastrotto talks about its sustainability journey so far including the launch of its ‘Sustainability Passport’ concept.
Gruppo Mastrotto is globally renowned for its specialism in the production of high-quality bovine leather and hides for luxury brands in furniture and other industries. Founded in 1958, Santo and Bruno Mastrotto, together with their father Arciso, laid the foundations of the Group’s reputation as world-leading experts in fine craftsmanship in the process of tanning.
Continued commitment, creativity, innovation and professionalism ensures the Group continues to evolve; leveraging traditional tanning techniques with technological advances to proactively diversify in its use and processing of different raw materials and production to meet, anticipate and inspire market trends and expectations.
Over the years, the Group has made a commitment to place the environment and respect for people first, to build a better world for the new generations. For Gruppo Mastrotto, the commitment to a more sustainable future is as a journey – The ‘Sustainability Journey’. This is focused on innovation and improvement in sustainability issues across three key areas – Environment, Economy and Social.
To inspire sustainable development through targeted investments, constant attention to people, to the production processes and to the impact on the environment; to minimise environmental impacts of tanning, and develop tangible initiatives with their partners and all their staff. Ultimately, the Group is dedicated in its ambition to achieve the highest standards of quality, safety and sustainability of its products.
In adherence to the UK 2030 UN Agenda for sustainable development, in 2019, Gruppo Mastrotto reacted and announced the Group’s strategy ‘Sustainability – Next Level’. The recent launch of its ‘Sustainability Passport’ – unveiled in the UK at the January Furniture Show – was purposefully created to inform and invite stakeholders on the journey, to join in a shared commitment across the entire supply chain to ensure sustainable development for future generations.
The passport is a dedicated document that defines Gruppo Mastrotto’s strategic direction as it travels towards the destination of greater sustainability, while marking the Group’s progression and milestones achieved.
The ‘Sustainability Journey’ – So far
Significant new developments include confirmation of Scope 1 and 2 Carbon Neutrality for Gruppo Mastrotto Express, its exclusive ready-to-deliver leather service of over 40 collections and 1,500 colours of leather.
RENOVA represents a great innovation in the tanning industry. Renova is a “zero waste” innovative material designed to re-use and recycle leather scraps that would otherwise be destroyed; completing the product’s circularity and giving value to the typical by-product of the tanning cycle. Renova is a highly customisable product destined for all brands that have made sustainability a central focus of their corporate path. Renova can easily be used in the interior and nautical sectors.
Products bearing the OEKO-TEX® label guarantee safe purchase for the health of people and the environment. LEATHER STANDARD by OEKO-TEX® is a new, independent and globally recognised environmental product certification for leather and leather goods. Adopting the standards ensures the Group is consciously purchasing products that are safe for people’s health and the environment. The certifying body aims to provide a transparent report of corporate compliance with safety standards throughout the entire supply chain, from the brand to the retailer, to the end user.
Gruppo Mastrotto’s achievement of Gold Rating certification by the Leather Working Group signifies the highest recognition awarded in the industry. Its raw material traceability score of 85/100 is one of the highest in the sector too.
The Group also continues to source 100% electricity supply from certified renewable sources, and also reported its 98% performance in waste recycling, approximately 20% above the industry average.
Gruppo Mastrotto, in 15 plants worldwide, also continues its program of networking, discussion and training events to educate on sustainability, and implement initiatives to support the local community.
Chiara Mastrotto, Corporate President, comments on the passport: “To travel means to pick a destination, explore new horizons, and embrace new challenges. Travelling also means sharing: when you travel as a group, you grow together in a path of mutual encouragement that lets you improve day after day. This is also true for Gruppo Mastrotto, to share with its partners, clients, suppliers, and collaborators.
“You cannot travel without a passport: a document whose stamps are a witness of the path travelled and the place where we started from, which we use to embark on new journeys. The Sustainability Passport is a document that describes the Sustainability Journey we began several years ago and that let us achieve significant goals in time.
“Significant goals such as scope 1 and 2 Carbon Neutrality by Gruppo Mastrotto Express – the greatest logistics hub in the world for off-the-shelf leather hides, with over 40 collections and 1,500 colours available – and environmental certifications granting a formal recognition of the company’s effort towards sustainability by a third party.
“Another step in this journey is the patenting activity that gave life to “RENOVA”, an innovative material designed to reuse scrap finished leather, thus completing the product’s circularity and giving value to the typical by-product of the tanning cycle.
“Social sustainability is also important and finds expression in corporate welfare organisation and social-professional inclusion initiatives. Finally, the Passport is an invitation to all the supply chain and our stakeholders to join us on this journey to sustainability, bearing in mind that only a serious and shared commitment by the entire supply chain can ensure sustainable development for future generations.”
