SoftArt® Leder GmbH – Guidelines

Guidelines for our business activities

Ecological and ethical responsibility are among the essential building blocks of our self-image as a global company with a long tradition in leather processing. Our thinking shapes our actions and is the basis for the trusting relationship with our customers and trading partners.

Sustainability

Sustainable action is existential in order to maintain our planet in a state worth living on for future generations. The balance between economic, social and ecological actions is the guideline for all business decisions at SoftArt®, from which an equally sustainable approach to people, animals and the environment results.

Production standards and material

The European leather industry produces sustainable products based on animal hides, which are processed into high-quality leather as a by-product of meat production. If this processing industry did not exist, the animal hides would have to be disposed of as a waste product at great expense.

The production standards for the manufacture of leather vary greatly internationally. Fortunately, we in Europe have the highest standards required by law worldwide, and reliable compliance with these standards is also an important quality criterion for SoftArt®. All our leathers are produced exclusively in Central Europe. Leather types which we cannot produce ourselves are purchased from reliable suppliers who comply with our standards or follow corresponding principles of action.

In addition to the legal requirements, the manufacturing plants of SoftArt® also fulfill a multitude of additional requirements, which are documented by certifications. Of course SoftArt® also meets all criteria of the EU chemical regulation REACH.

Transportation

It is part of our claim that the leather hides we use are as high quality as possible. Therefore we meticulously ensure that the following principles are observed:

• All suppliers - from the farmer to the slaughterhouse - are required to treat their animals as well as possible in compliance with the applicable animal welfare regulations and to over-fulfil the required husbandry criteria as far as possible.

• Animals should always be transported from the farmer to the slaughterhouse by the shortest route. In this way, the stress to which the animals are subjected can be reduced or at best avoided. Increased stress leads inter alia to poorer meat quality and increases the risk of injury to the animals.

• The transport distances from the slaughterhouse to the tannery should be as short as possible in order to maintain the quality of the material.

• By means of groupage transports and the consolidation of deliveries to our customers, we can ensure that only as many transports take place as are really necessary. For example, deliveries to customers in the USA and Australia are made via storage facilities set up there. In this way we avoid that individual deliveries are sent to many recipients in the respective countries.

Conservation, ecology and packaging

In order to save resources, leather hides for SoftArt® are delivered fresh and cooled. Since we completely dispense with salt preservation, large quantities of water can be saved which would otherwise be needed to re-sodium the material. In addition, by dispensing with salt, no salt-laden water is produced from the conservation.

An environmentally friendly leather production requires great care and state-of-the-art process technologies. Our production meets these standards and always strives to implement the latest results from research and development to optimize existing processes.

Our tanning and dyeing processes are designed to conserve resources and keep water consumption as low as possible. The fabrics used for tanning, dyeing and finishing comply with European standards, which are based on the highest requirements worldwide. In addition, we use substances from recycling processes wherever possible and reasonable.

Waste water is treated in state-of-the-art sewage treatment plants.

Shipping packaging is designed according to the motto "as much as necessary, as little as possible" and follows the general precepts of sustainability. We do not use additional foil packaging or wrapping paper if it can be guaranteed that our high-quality leather products and materials arrive at the recipient's premises optimally protected and in perfect condition. Suitable packaging material is used several times, unsuitable material is recycled.

Animal Welfare

As a renowned leather manufacturer with over 150 years of tradition, we take great care to ensure that the hides to be processed come exclusively from animals that are kept in accordance with animal welfare standards.

No animal is bred specifically for the production of leather hides. For the production of our leathers, only hides from animals that grow up as farm animals and are slaughtered to produce meat products for human food supply are used.

Since the texture and quality of the hides is of the utmost importance for the production of our high-quality leathers, it is a fundamental concern of SoftArt® that the animals are treated well. An animal's hide reflects its attitude. If the animals are kept in accordance with high ethical and legal standards, not only can damage and quality defects to the hides (e.g. due to adhering dung or parasites) be avoided, but the leather obtained from such a skin also has a much more attractive appearance.

With our commitment as a member of the Association of the German Leather Industry (Verband der Deutschen Lederindustrie e. V.), we support research on this topic and indirectly promote organisations that work on the further development and optimisation of animal welfare standards.

Durability of leather

The leathers produced by SoftArt® are characterised by a particularly high durability in use. This is primarily due to the quality criteria in the selection of materials and our innovative manufacturing processes. With the care recommended by SoftArt®, the durability and product life cycle of any leather product can be extended. SoftArt® thus makes an important contribution to the environment.

Traceability

The traceability of the leather from the end product back to the raw hide has been a common standard at SoftArt Leder® for many years.

The data base maintained by our company enables the traceability to the supplier of the cattle hides (slaughterhouse). From there, it is possible to trace back to the cattle and its owner. Due to the German data protection legislation, however, this is not publicly accessible and only reserved for official bodies (veterinary offices).