Aviation leather supplier, Muirhead, has joined the Green Cabin Alliance (GCA). Muirhead said the move reaffirms its commitment to creating the world’s lowest-carbon leather. Muirhead, part of the Scottish Leather Group, operates a circular process for leather manufacturing, meaning that it incorporates energy recovery, water recycling, renewable energy, and locally sourced traceable hides.
“We’re proud to be the global leader in responsible leather production, and so we look forward to taking concrete steps towards the decarbonisation of aircraft cabins – and working with respected industry partners who share our commitment to lower-carbon and naturally sustainable materials in cabin design,” said Dr Warren Bowden, head of sustainability and innovation at Scottish Leather Group.
“As a by-product of the food industry, real leather is naturally sustainable – and so is our business,” he added. “Thanks to our innovative manufacturing processes, we’ve created the world’s lowest carbon intensity leather, backed by rigorous analysis. Working with our Green Cabin Alliance partners, we encourage the cabin design and manufacturing sector to ramp up their carbon footprint reporting and take full-life emissions into account.”
Muirhead, whose aviation leather is flying with more than 160 airlines and manufacturers globally, also uses a manufacturing process that minimises waste to landfill and ‘radically’ reduces its carbon footprint – from farm to cut material and seat covers.
“The Green Cabin Alliance is excited to welcome new member Muirhead, a globally renowned supplier of leather materials for cabin and other applications, to our growing group of organisations who are placing sustainability high on their agendas,” said Elina Kopola, founding director of the GCA. “The GCA looks forward to collaborating with Muirhead in addressing the challenge of creating more sustainable, resilient supply chains in our industry. We hope that our relationship with Muirhead will help us to advance the overall aims of the GCA, by leveraging their knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm when it comes to sustainability.”
The process involves a thermal energy plant that generates heat from waste to power the tannery, sourcing and recycling water from its very own lake, and a ‘take-back scheme’ for end-of-life leather products.
Besides joining the GCA, Muirhead and the Scottish Leather Group are committed to the UN Global Compact and measure their sustainability performance against all 17 Sustainability Development Goals. The group has been awarded the Gold standard by the Leather Working Group and achieved an overall score of 95%, with 100% on traceability.