TEKNOLEATHER of Arzignano (Vicenza, Italy) is among the chemical companies that boast the 3rd level ZDHC certification, an international recognition concerning not only the products but also the system of sustainability, safety and the environment.
“We believe in a future where chemistry and ecology will go hand in hand”. This is the slogan that appears on the home page of the web portal of Teknoleather of Arzignano (Vicenza), a chemical company active since 2013 – this year its tenth anniversary will be celebrated – in the international tanning sector, which offers cutting-edge solutions, service flexibility, know-hows and high quality chemical products, to ensure the best possible performance in all processing stages.
The Vicenza-based company has embraced the choice, combined with quality and considerable attention to the customer, of environmental sustainability. The flagship of this virtuous path is the ZDHC certification, its acronym for “Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals” (chemical substances), confirming the importance of the recognition. It is a prestigious goal, which was obtained in May 2022 and was considered a starting point with the aim of ever greater competitiveness in the Italian and international market, especially in the ability to respond to the requests of the main fashion brands and foreign groups.
“The ZDHC certification – explains Santino Mecenero, owner of Teknoleather, whom we have interviewed in mid-January – represents a source of pride for a company like ours which has always pursued a project of sustainability and environmental protection since its foundation, as they were aware that this would have been the only way forward to be competitive in markets all over the world, where in this sector our country represents a model to be copied. After a decade we can confirm that certifications no longer represent only a flagship, but an indispensable choice, at least for those who want to remain in the field of “made in Italy” excellence. This choice is directly linked not only to quality, but also to clarity and transparency. Requests in this sense start from the customers, i.e. the final consumer, towards the fashion houses, which turn to the tanneries, in turn connected to the various suppliers”.
What did this virtuous choice mean?
“First of all, it has involved significant investments, but we will continue to proceed in this direction. The 3rd level ZDHC has been added to the certifications we had already obtained previously, we have always been able to anticipate the times. Currently the products in our range which boast the certification are more than 150, but we are further expanding the offer in order to be able to respond to the requests of an increasingly demanding and selective market. Through the special platform offered by ZDHC, called “Gateway”, the tanneries can access the system, to have the guarantee of the product they need in real time”.
Why is everyone’s involvement important?
“Precisely because the entire supply chain is involved, in our case each product is traced from start to finish. All without forgetting the regulations, even at an international level, are increasingly restrictive: there are no alternatives, there is no going back. This situation is not a surprise or an absolute novelty, it has already occurred in other business sectors. In the tanning and fashion sector as a whole, this need comes above all from Europe, our customers tell us so, aware of the fact that this need is spreading like wildfire, very soon all the professionals will have to adapt”.
In addition to the certifications, how is your environmental commitment characterized?
“In various ways. For example, in our headquarters in Arzignano the use of electricity is totally guaranteed by a photovoltaic system, was already installed at the start of 2022: it is easy to understand that the choice and the investment path started much earlier than the increase of the prices that characterized last year. For us, this choice ended up representing a considerable advantage in terms of energy costs, but also of lower emissions to the outside. Sustainability has always been one of our flagships, we are very happy to be a model to be copied”.
What judgment can we give of 2022 from an economic-financial point of view?
“I believe that for all companies, even in other sectors, it was an anomalous year, after the two-year period 2020-2021 characterized by the pandemic. As far as we are concerned, we are back to work at a good pace, not far from the pre- Covid numbers, yes this is a comforting aspect in view of the future.The biggest problem in 2022 concerned margins, above all due to the growth, in some cases disproportionate, in the prices of raw materials and energy costs: these are the two phenomena on which they have weighed speculations, and certainly many subjects have taken advantage of it”.
How much is the turmoil on world markets weighing on the global economy?
“I would say enough, with one decisive aspect, namely China closed in on itself. Only the reopening of a huge market, not only in China, but in the entire Far East will be able to guarantee the recovery of trade between the Far East and Europe. Of this last continent, 60-70% of high fashion ends up in the Far East, above all in huge states such as China, Japan, Hong Kong and the two Koreas, above all in the form of clothing, bags, leather objects and sofas. The impression is that something is moving in those areas, we are quite convinced of this given that we will participate as exhibitors at the Chennai Fair (which took place at the end of January). The last time it was held at the beginning of 2020, a few weeks before the closure due to the pandemic, but not in 2021. We hope that the Hong Kong International Fair, hosted in Dubai for the last two years, will also be able to restart: for us it may have been more convenient due to shorter air travel, but for the original location, it is essential for the oriental market”.
What hope can be made for a decisive recovery in 2023?
“Like TEKNOLEATHER we are working well in Europe, we register with certain effervescence, even if not the same in all countries. In reality for this year, also with regards to the Italian market, the main problem will be linked to the amount of energy costs or of raw materials, which leads many to prudence. It is difficult to make predictions but the hope is that the situation will recover even if, thanks to the rise in inflation, the prices of a few years ago will never return. The same goes for freighters , that is, cargo ships, which previously cost little or nothing and which have increased significantly in just a few months. Currently, the cost of transport risks making exports of our products uncompetitive”.
Santino Mecenero
