Experts to discuss emerging opportunities for organic leather

9:22 a.m., Feb. 25, 2013--A workshop on "Emerging Opportunities for Organic Leather" will be held at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 26, in 310 Alison Hall West at the University of Delaware. 

The processes of tanning, dyeing and fabrication of skins into leather and finished products have historically been a significant human health and environmental problem. However, driven by consumer demand, there are new trends in the industry that make leather and leather products much more socially and environmentally friendly. There are emerging methods that can result in leather and leather products that can be certified as "organic".

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Heinrich Schultz, managing director for OrganiMark, and Flynn Bucy, director for Innovare Advisors, will address some of these new methods and what they could mean to the industry. 

The workshop will cover:

· Examples of high-profile brands searching for more eco-friendly sources of leather,

· Case history of a new method for producing organic leather,

· Challenges of certification of new methods and

· Financial costs and benefits of organic leather.

The workshop is being presented by the University’s Department of Fashion and Apparel Studies. 

About the Speakers

Heinrich Schultz, managing director for OrganiMark, is a recognized leader in the field of organic and sustainably produced products in southern African. Over the past 20 years, he has qualified himself as supply chain engineering specialist within the global marketplace. He is also the chairman of the South African Organic Sector Organisation (SAOSO). 

Flynn Bucy is a director of Innovare Advisors and a specialist in financing new environmental technologies. He is currently focused on emerging technologies that apply to the agribusiness value chain, including organic cotton and leather.