Bridge of Weir opens new high efficiency super tannery

Bridge of Weir, supplier of fine automotive leather to the world's respected luxury car brands, has opened what it terms is a new 'super tannery'.

The new, upgraded facility comes as part of the latest investments made by the Scottish Leather Group into its world-class facilities which also include Muirhead and Lang, all dedicated to premium leather production. The super tannery will allow Bridge of Weir to deliver the highest quality leather, while reducing its energy and water demand.

The use of new leather tanning technology will allow the super tannery to reduce both its energy and water consumption

Upgrades to its facility include the use of new facilities used for the tanning of leather. With this new equipment, Bridge of Weir is now able to reduce the total number of hide drums needed from 30 to 14, while still being able to process greater batches. It also allows the firm to reduce its energy consumption by 82%, and water consumption by 42%. The outgoing wooden drums from the tannery have also been stripped down and repurposed.

The Scottish Leather Group is aiming to achieve net zero carbon leather production by 2025. It states that it has already achieved a 90% reduction in the carbon intensity of its leather in the last 20 years, and achieved 100% for its raw materials, while recycling 77% of its waste in 2022.

The raw hides used to make Bridge of Weir leather are always sourced from responsible suppliers with 100% traceability and without risk of deforestation. Bridge of Weir also sources natural, clean, local water from its own loch and operates a water treatment plant that enables the recycling of up to 40% of treated water back into use within production. Its world-class tannery also uses 50% less water per hide than the industry standard.