CSCB Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability

THE SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION

An initiative that seeks to ensure the use of sustainable processes within the production chain of Brazilian leathers.

WHAT THE CSCB IS

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The Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (CSCB) applies the tripod of sustainability concept in which a tanning industry's results are considered in economic, environmental, and social terms. It understands sustainable tanneries to be those that develop their activities with economic results, seek to reduce the inherent environmental impact of activities while providing better working conditions for their employees, and respect the community in which they operate.

The CSCB offers benefits like transparency in customer interaction, delivery efficiency, and better industry processes.

— Alexandre Matte Junior, Innovation Projects Analyst at Usaflex, a footwear industry producing 25,000 pairs/day that has a partnership agreement with the CSCB for its suppliers to be certified.

THE ORIGIN

Supported by the Brazilian Leather Project — an initiative of the CICB and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) to encourage the participation of Brazil`s leathers in foreign markets, the initiative is the result of an intense dialogue with all links in the production chain, which sees adopting a sustainability certification standard as the best way to give end consumers a real notion of the sustainable production process being used. The certification process was developed by a multidisciplinary team that developed the technical standards, which serve as the basis for sustainable leather production.


PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT “LEATHER SECTOR - SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM”


The agreement was signed by ICEC (the Italian Quality Certification Institute for the Leather Sector) and CSCB (Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability), with the support of the respective members of ICT: UNIC (Italian Tanners’ Association) for Italy, and CICB (Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry) for Brazil. The purpose of the Partnership Agreement is the mutual recognition of the respective voluntary certifications. Based on official standards, issued through qualified inspections and in the absence of conflict of interests, they are deemed able to provide robust and complete guarantees to the leather sector in relation to sustainability issues.

NORMATIVE BASE

Through a Special Studies Commission formed within the ABNT (Brazilian Association of Technical Standards) Brazilian Leather and Footwear Committee (CB-11), the normative base that must be met by companies wishing to be certified was established. This commission had representatives from tanneries; furniture, artifacts, and footwear manufacturers; as well as neutral bodies such as universities and professional associations.

Auditing in the tanneries is done by organs accredited by INMETRO (National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology), the signing organ of the mutual recognition agreement in the IAF (International Accreditation Forum) and the ILAC (International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation) framework. In this way, the CSCB will give buyers the assurance that from inception, throughout the entire process of production until becoming a final product, they have met sustainable criteria. In today's world, this is one of the main demands of a competitive market.

To comply with the Brazilian Leather Sustainability Certification, the following norm should be consulted:

  • ABNT NBR 16.296:2020 – Leather – Principles, criteria, and indicators for sustainable production