Achievements in recent years include transformation into a Società Benefit (Benefit company), the first Sustainability Report and many international awards.
The reasons for the success of Female Entrepreneurship are many, among them doing business linked to the enhancement of skills and personal success. Sara Santori, the second generation at the helm of Conceria Nuvolari since 2015, is a highly accomplished example of this new way of envisioning work in continuous balance between resilience and gender difficulties. Conceria Nuvolari is a family business founded in 2009 with a long history. A very important step was made in 2017 when the entrepreneur made an innovative SME, specializing in the production and marketing of high-quality leathers for the production of leather footwear and apparel, with the intention of repositioning it in the market through the power of sustainability. This enabled many important goals to be achieved including the status of a Società Benefit (Benefit company), which defines a company that, in carrying out an economic activity, in addition to the purpose of dividing its profits, pursues one or more purposes of common benefit and operates in a responsible, sustainable and transparent manner towards people, communities, regions and the environment. It also produced the first sustainability report, this year.
By investing massively in research, development and technology, Conceria Nuvolari today is able to offer its customers, in addition to “classic” items, three innovative product lines (proprietary patent), industrialized and on the market with particular attention to the theme of sustainability approached from several points of view: environmental sustainability with the Nature-l® line of products (metal free, biodegradable, compostable and carbon neutral); sustainability understood as personal well-being through the Skin Goat® line of products (hyper breathable and natural) that also earned her the Itwiin Award (Italian Women Innovators and Inventors network); and long-lasting sustainability, thanks to the Grapheneleather® line of products (highly stress-resistant, scratch-resistant and 99.99% antibacterial).
Starting at the beginning: how did the projects that gave birth to Skingoat, Nature-L and Grapheneleather come about?
“Our goal was to remove as many chemicals as possible from our recipes and add others: today Nature-L is a leather certified for its characteristics of metal free, biodegradability, compostability and, at the same time, durability, in line with the characteristics of traditionally tanned leather. Nature-L in 2018 obtained the Alma Mater Norma ISO 14855 Certificate attesting to 77.2 percent compostability under aerobic conditions in 45 days. Through further development, two years ago, the product obtained the Italian Leather Research Institute – SSIP Norma ISO 20136 Certificate for its biodegradability under aerobic conditions of 85.3% in 45 days, further improved in 2021 reaching 90% biodegradability. In addition, the product provides greater reduction of water consumption compared to the traditional tanning process, reduction of impurities in wastewater from the production process as no heavy metals are used during tanning, reduction of cut off waste due to an increase in workable leather reducing disposal costs and environmental impact as the cut offs are biodegradable, and, in addition, better color intake in favour of reduced amount of dye required. Grapheneleather, which is a product tanned with Graphene, a high-performance material dubbed the material of the future, never before applied in leather processing. Our technology not only promises, but achieves a highly scratch-resistant, stress-resistant leather, embracing the concept of long-lasting sustainability at the end of production. Another characteristic of the material is that it is 99.99% antibacterial. Traditional leather is already durable, through this innovation we increase it significantly. This leather is suitable for use in clothing, footwear and for upholstery of seats and furniture in general. Its main characteristic is durability; it is a particularly sustainable product because it is more resistant to mechanical stresses than untreated leather, thus ultra-resistant resulting in long-term durability.”
Who did you rely on for the relevant studies?
“In 2019, we commissioned the Milan Polytechnic to conduct a comprehensive LCA study for Nature-l’s three types of animal skin: cattle, goat, and sheep. The study was one of the first LCA studies done on leather, PEF compliant, so it follows the methodology established by the European Commission based on the CATEGORIES RULES defined for leather. It was presented in Bocconi in Milan at CSR 2019. Following this study that allowed measurement first and calculation later, we proceeded to offset the carbon dioxide emissions released in the production phase making the product carbon neutral from 2020 to date through offsetting projects with Climate Network specifically wind energy and forestation projects in India. An important step related to the circularity of our leathers is their compostability. Making a compostable leather means thinking about the entire life cycle of the product made from the leather, for example, shoes, a bag, a leather jacket. Most importantly, it means considering even now, what will become of the product once its lifespan and use is finished. Making a product compostable means returning it to the earth while containing its impact on the environment as much as possible. Our hides being compostable can be reduced to compost and returned to nature closing the circle of circularity both in terms of production waste and the finished product.”
The award she was given is a great recognition of her work….
“In 2021, I received many awards: the Women Value Company Intesa San Paolo – Bellisario Foundation among the 100 companies selected in Italy Conceria Nuvolari Società Benefit (Benefit company) and the Smau- Eccellenza Italian model of innovation award for companies and public administrations; which are in addition to the awards of 2020. As well as being included as a case study in the book “Women’s Fashion and Sustainability-Brand Cases Made in Italy” and being among the Forbes SmallGiants, the latest great satisfaction is related to the participation in the “Phygitalsustainableexpo” in Rome Fori Imperiali as an innovative SME finalist selected by the Innovation Village Award for the Grapheneleather project under the theme of ecological transition of fashion. Finally, I have been among the 5 finalists of the Gamma Donna 2021 award for women entrepreneurship and its Ambassador.”
What has it meant for you? And for your company?
“Receiving these recognitions is an honour and a pleasure together, a shot of adrenaline every time for the whole company: they give awareness that commitment and dedication are appreciated. Being a pioneer is sometimes synonymous with being misunderstood, but believing fully in every project is indispensable even when it turns out to be a failure and turns into an experience to treasure. I assure you that receiving even a verbal compliment from our clients generates the same amplified effects!!!”
What does innovation mean to you?
“Creating new products that create value and implementing truly sustainable processes. My approach to sustainability has a broader point of view because it also involves wellness and personal care. For example, this has led to the creation of a highly breathable product whose technological innovation process is totally natural, free from the use of chemicals reaching high levels of breathability, thermoregulation and comfort in leather articles produced mainly for the footwear and clothing industry as Skingoat®.”
What does it mean to be sustainable today for a company like yours?
“The responsible and sustainable approach of Conceria Nuvolari is materialized in the manufacturing processes, in the characteristics of the products made, and in the relationships with the production chain and the region. The concept of a certified supply chain is of particular importance to us, in fact we have managed to obtain LWG certification, a supply chain organization that can certify every single link in the supply chain precisely and then unite them all from upstream to downstream.
But sustainability also comes through communication: we made a virtual tour so that our partners can find everything inside, documents, specifications, descriptions. In 2021 we decided to make the point by putting in black and white our sustainability commitment of the first ex iso26000 report referring to 2020 and evolved in 2022(referring to 2021) into the sustainability report to make us “as transparent as a glass house.”
You have taken a definite direction and, we might add, yours is a growing and successful model. How did you get there?
“Regarding Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility, our first commitment was to create a charter of values to represent the fundamental inspiring principles; a company policy to lead the company towards an improvement of its results, in organizational, economic, product quality and development terms, both in terms of market and logistics, while respecting the principles of environmental protection and social protection also by acquiring the status of a benefit company, doing business while creating value; the code of ethics to define a set of social and moral responsibilities to which all members of the company must adhere; the legality rating to promote the introduction of principles of ethical behaviour in the corporate sphere for the respect of legality and, more generally, the degree of attention placed on the proper management of business.
Our path is very original and represents a very articulate response to the demand of customers who orient their purchasing choices on the basis of ethical values and attention to the environment.”
Do you have other such projects in the drawer (of sustainability and innovation)?
“Absolutely yes, a work in progress.”
Sara Santori
