On 8 October, 2020, Smit & Zoon launched a new subsidiary called Nera Tanning and with it a new tanning concept that claims to be a chrome-free, heavy-metal-free, aldehyde-free alternative to conventional tanning methods, called Zeology As consumers and brands demand more transparency from the leather industry, Smit and Zoon is leading the game. Read on to learn more about the science behind Zeology.

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What is Zeology?

"Zeology is the new standard in tanning and is not comparable to any of the solutions available to date. We see it as a game-changer in our industry”, says Hans van Haarst, CEO of Smit & Zoon

Zeology is a tanning solution with two key advantages: it's better for the environment and the tanned leather, known as Zeo White is reliable, consistent and of top-notch quality. Not only is it more sustainable but also a plug-and-play solution as it is simple to implement in the existing production process of tanneries.

Want to learn more? Watch the video on the science behind Zeology here:

The Science Behind The Concept

With the help of the experts behind Zeology, here's an overview of the science behind Zeology:

• Due to its catatonic nature, Zeology tanned leather enables more chemical absorption in the wet-end process, which results in less product usage and less chemical oxygen demand of the wastewater.
• Ultimately this leads to the sludge from the treatment plant to be metal-free and shavings, trims and cuttings are readily biodegradable and compostable.

Watch the video to learn more about the technical aspect of Zeology:

The Zeolite tanned substrate, unlike conventional alternatives have a longer shelf life and are inherently resistent to moulding, to the extent that the tanned leather can be dried and shipped as a commodity and just wet-back for further processing. This could potentially eliminate the need to ship wet-salted or wet-tanned materials around the world. Transport costs and the environmental carbon footprint could be significantly reduced in this case.

Zeology is also suitable for bovine hides and ovine skins and is applicable to the automotive, fashion, footwear, upholstery and other leather goods. Further, because Zeology won't be available through agents and distribution channels, Nera will also offer supplementary training and information on the utility, sustainability and best practices under Zeology.

The University of Zeology

Nera Tanning also hosts an education platform on their latest solution. The platform will be hosting seminars, presentations and will provide additional resources such as whitepapers and position papers for brands and tanneries to  better grasp and adopt Zeology tanning.

You may learn more about the Unversity of Zeology here