Innovative Processes for Sustainable Leather Production

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability is a key factor for the viability of the leather industry. Indeed, one of the major challenges today is the introduction of innovative and more resource-efficient processes to reduce or avoid the use of water, energy, hazardous chemicals, and waste, contributing to reducing its environmental footprint. Approaching these challenges from a life-cycle perspective will help the leather industry to identify hot spots for further improvement in the coming future.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to compile recent developments of innovative processes for sustainable leather production. The articles presented will cover various topics aiming to reduce leather's environmental footprint at different stages of its life cycle, ranging from but not limited to product innovation based on new molecules and technologies for metal-free tanning systems, biobased ingredients, ionic liquids, and waterborne dyeing. The articles also cover innovative technologies to provide leather with multifunctional properties (waterproof, fire resistance, biocidal, etc.), such as plasma polymerisation nanocoatings and nanocomposites to improve leather performance according to the intended application. Furthermore, the new paradigm requires the implementation of industry 4.0 processes and methodologies for leather processing, such as approaches aimed at implementing process automation, remote control, and smart technologies to monitor tanning production and thus optimise the production process, promoting water and energy saving, and minimising the impact that production can have on workers’ health and the environment. Moreover, research in this Special Issue covers technologies aimed at increasing transparency in the leather supply chain. The new circular economy model requires innovative solutions implementing waste valorisation and recycling strategies deriving from the tanning industry, as well as other waste from the leather supply chain. As they reduce the impact of leather's end of life, the development of biodegradable/compostable leathers has attracted a great deal of attention. Finally, new characterisation techniques, as well as product environmental assessments, will be addressed.

It is my pleasure to invite you to submit a manuscript for this Special Issue of Materials.

Dr. Francisca Arán-Ais
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.