Dermacolor, cocoa elixir

Dermacolor is at the side of tanneries that care about the environment with its ability to evolve on research subjects and keep up with the most stringent sustainability regulations

The future of tanning has the scent of cocoa. In the R&D laboratories of Dermacolor, a Tuscan company specialized in the production of chemical auxiliaries for leather processing, an alternative and ground-breaking research product has been developed, aiming at offer an answer in line with the new requirements of the supply chain in terms of environmental sustainability. Prominently presented at the last edition of Lineapelle, the new vegetable tannin is obtained from the recovery of the husks of roasted cocoa beans, a typical waste product of chocolate production, a widespread artisan activity in the area. “It is a 100% natural product,” explains Andrea Meucci, Technical Manager of Dermacolor. “We grind the peel to obtain a particle very similar to tara powder, characterized however by a penetrating aroma of cocoa that uplifts the olfactory sense. An added value in terms of appeal compared to any other organic compound of natural origin, although the scent is bound to be lost during the leather processing. For the time being, we are in a trial phase, also because the availability of raw material is still limited. Moreover, we intend to test the interest of the market before proceeding with all the necessary authorization steps to remove a by-product from the waste chain and reuse it as a secondary raw material. In the meantime, however, we have verified its viability with preliminary tests.”
The company, headquartered in Castelfranco di Sotto (Pisa), has turned its attention to the 2024/2025 FW season by expanding its range of new sulphate fat- liquors included in the list of ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) ICEC certified products and synthetic tannins with reduced phenol concentration in compliance with increasingly stringent regulations orienting production processes towards safeguarding health and the environment.
“We have tried to improve the entire range of articles by focusing on ZDHC certification (of which the company has obtained level 3, ed.) as well as increasing, through the use of our certified products, both the water-repellent performance of the nubuck and full-grain leathers and the technical characteristics of the nappa leathers in order to obtain a product that can be used at the highest percentage. Because the market also demands zero waste.”

www.dermacolor.it