Scotland-based aviation leather supplier Scottish Leather Group has announced the opening of a £14 million ‘Super Tannery’ in Bridge of Weir. The new plant will produce products under the Muirhead, Lang and Bridge of Weir brands.

The project has been seven years in the making and the company has said that the facility is ‘hyper efficient’ and that it forms part of the Scottish Leather  group’s 20-year strategy and commitment to continuous improvement.

Tanning is a crucial part of the leather production process, whereby the raw hides are treated in drums filled with water and tanning agents to transform them into durable, high-performance material.

The 14 new ‘super’ drums replace 30 conventional hide drums, enabling the firm to process greater batches while unlocking significant improvements in environmental performance. The tannery’s innovative hide processing technology brings about a further step change in energy and water use, with a reduction of 82% in energy use and 42% in water use compared to the group’s previous equipment.

Dr Warren Bowden, Head of Innovation & Sustainability, Scottish Leather Group said: “Over the last 20 years, we have pioneered and patented circular manufacturing processes that minimise waste to landfill and radically reduce our carbon footprint, with initiatives such as our Thermal Energy Plant and Ultrafiltration plant”.

Scottish Leather Group’s recently published 2023 ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) report details its commitments and progress around environmental performance, Health & Safety, compliance, and traceability. Among the highlights are a 90% reduction in the carbon intensity of its leather over the last 20 years, as well as 100% supply chain traceability.