Two shoes brands - Arezzo and Calçados Bibi - sign a cooperation agreement with the Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (CSCB)
21 November 2018
A commitment to the origin of the raw material leather was formalised by two shoes brands: Arezzo and Calçados Bibi. The two companies signed an Agreement of Cooperation with the Brazilian Leather Certification of Sustainability (CSCB), encouraging their providers to participate in and seek recognition from the programme, which disseminates best practices in tanning with a basis on the pillars of society, the environment, and economy. The signing took place at the CSCB Sustainability Forum.
This certification is based on the norm ABNT NBR 16.296 (Leathers – principles, criterion, and indicators for sustainable production), with auditing carried out by an INMETRO accredited organ (signing organ of the mutual recognition agreement in the IAF and the ILAC framework). The norm provides 173 indicators in areas like traceability of raw materials, animal well-being, reducing water consumption, reducing energy consumption, product quality control, restricted substances, and worker security. “Certification offers solid guarantees on a leather's origins, assuring to the industry and, therefore, to the final consumer, that that it was produced following rigid standards of quality, safety, and respect for people and the environment”, notes José Fernando Bello, executive president of the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry (CICB), a supporter of the CSCB.
"Arezzo & Co will be one of the first companies to sign this cooperation in Brazil. We're a company that values a guarantee of origin on the raw materials used to create our products," says Cisso Klaus, executive director of Arezzo.
Through the agreement signed with the CSCB, Arezzo & Co and Bibi both commit to encourage the adhesion of their leather suppliers to the CSCB program and comply with the norm ABNT NBR 16,296. "This way, we give privilege to the supply of leather from tanneries that are already certified or that are in the process of adapting to meet to the norm. Additionally, already-certified tanneries will be encouraged to continue seeking to improve their processes and achieve higher levels of certification. Our main focus is to invest in innovation taking into account the issue of sustainability, to make Bibi a globally desired brand", concludes Kohlrausch.
