The leather chemicals LCA commissioned by OSMO covers a representative selection of key products drawn from among the highest-volume products in its portfolio. It marks the first step in a programme that the company intends to extend progressively across its entire product range.
What the leather supply chain demands today
Leather manufacturers see it every day: market expectations are no longer defined solely by colour, handle, yield and performance.
Alongside the characteristics of the material, increasingly specific questions are being asked about the origin of raw materials, production processes and the impact associated with the products used.
These requirements extend across the supply chain and also involve the companies that develop and supply the chemicals used in leather processing.
For OSMO, this means providing deeper insight into its formulations. Addressing sustainability credibly requires data collected using a rigorous methodology, presented clearly and made useful to stakeholders throughout the supply chain.
That is why OSMO chose measurement as its starting point.
A representative selection assessed using LCA methodology
OSMO commissioned Spin360 to assess the climate footprint of a representative selection of key products from its range for wet-end processing.
The assessment focuses on products that are widely used in customers’ day-to-day operations, providing a meaningful picture of OSMO’s formulations.
The study was conducted in accordance with ISO 14040, ISO 14044 and ISO 14067, applying the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The functional unit was set at one kilogram of chemical product, while the system boundary was cradle-to-gate: from raw material production to the point at which the product leaves the manufacturing facility. Application in the tannery was excluded from the assessment.
The reference year was 2024. Data collection combined documentation, interviews and measurements carried out at the relevant facilities. Where specific data were not available, standard values and established LCA databases were used.
The study provides a technical tool for gaining a clearer understanding of product impacts and guiding future decisions. Rather than serving as a standalone credential, it establishes a reliable foundation for further work.
This initial assessment opens the way to the next phase. OSMO intends to extend the analysis progressively across its entire product range, building an increasingly comprehensive picture and providing customers with more detailed information.
Formulation is the key factor
One of the most significant findings concerns the role of formulation.
For most of the products assessed, the largest contribution to the climate footprint comes from chemical raw materials. Electricity and thermal energy used in manufacturing generally account for a much smaller share.
This does not make production efficiency any less important. It helps distinguish the impact of internal processes from that of the substances used in the formulations.
OSMO has long been working to improve the energy efficiency of its machinery and facilities by upgrading technologies, equipment and processes. This is an ongoing effort focused on improving control over production and energy consumption.
The findings of the study provide an additional point of reference for guiding this process and focusing investment on the areas with the greatest potential for improvement.
For the products assessed, the main opportunity for improvement lies in formulation and the selection of raw materials.
Research is central to this work. Every alternative must be evaluated alongside the performance required by tanneries, because the environmental profile of a raw material cannot be separated from its technical performance.
Better data for better decisions
Measuring the footprint of a chemical product goes beyond calculating the energy consumption of production facilities.
The same machinery is used to produce different formulations. Consumption, transport, waste and raw materials must therefore be allocated to each product using consistent criteria. Without this allocation, the overall figure would provide little insight into where and how improvements could be made.
This allows OSMO to distinguish more accurately between the impact associated with its manufacturing operations and that attributable to the substances used, packaging and logistics.
Quality is not only about how a product performs on leather. It also includes the reliability of the information, the traceability of the underlying choices and the ability to substantiate what is declared.
The contribution of packaging
The packaging data present a varied picture.
For most of the products assessed, packaging contributes less than 2% of the overall climate footprint. For several liquid products, OSMO uses containers that are part of controlled recovery and reuse systems, a choice that helps limit this component of the impact.
The result is not uniform across all the products assessed. Some packaging configurations show different values and require specific evaluation.
Measurement therefore helps identify with greater precision where improvements can be made, including in packaging choices.
Transport: the impact varies with the formulation
The contribution of transport also varies from product to product.
When a raw material has a relatively low impact, transport may account for a larger percentage of the total. This does not necessarily mean that its absolute impact has increased. Its relative contribution may rise because the other components account for a smaller share.
The percentage must therefore be interpreted in the context of each individual formulation. The study also highlights the opportunity to collect more accurate primary data on distances, suppliers and the origin of raw materials.
From measurement to future action
The study identifies several priorities for further work: progressively reducing the use of petrochemical-based substances where technically suitable alternatives are available, favouring raw materials derived from recovered material streams, and improving the accuracy with which each ingredient is linked to its corresponding environmental data.
These priorities build on the work carried out so far. OSMO has invested for years in quality, efficiency and reducing the impact of its processes. Measurement provides an additional tool for assessing the results achieved and determining where future efforts should be focused.
For OSMO, transparency means understanding its products, clearly defining the scope of the assessment and using data to drive improvement, without turning a complex process into an absolute claim.
A foundation for supporting customers
The value of this work extends beyond OSMO itself. More accurate information also helps tanneries better understand the products they use and respond to evolving market requirements.
Many of the properties that leather carries into subsequent processing stages are established during the wet-end stage. This is where OSMO’s chemical expertise contributes to quality, consistency and performance.
Building on this expertise, OSMO aims to strengthen its role as a technical partner for its customers. This means developing increasingly high-performance solutions, working with customers to address new technical and environmental requirements, and contributing within its area of expertise to a better-documented, technologically advanced and responsible leather supply chain.
For OSMO, sustainability is not a message added to corporate communications. It informs formulation choices, investment decisions and the quality of the data shared with customers.
For OSMO, measurement means making better-informed decisions, identifying priorities and guiding the development of future solutions.