Leather Conference Folders or E.Leather Conference Folders? The Facts and Figures

Leatherette could be a thing of the past once the amazing E.Leather fabric is more widely known throughout the Promotional Merchandise world. This article gives you all the facts you need to help you make a choice next time you are asked for Real Leather products.

1. Where does E.Leather come from?

E.Leather is a by-product of numerous manufacturing process where leather is used. The basic materils is extracted from excess trims of leather, split hides and leather shavings all of which were previouslyy discarded as general rubbish. An amazing 83% recycled leather content is created when these scraps of leather are intergrated with a textile core and most importantly no adhesives are used in the process.

2. Is the manufacturing process Environmentally Friendly?

The production process uses a state of the art Thermal Oxidiser that meets stringent EC regulations, this process recovers the solvents used as energy thereby reducing natural gas use by 50/70%. In addition the use of our air to air heat exchangers also recovers significant amounts of energy. Gas is used for drying heat which reduces CO2 emissions per KW by up to 50%. All the electric motors used in the process are low energy, high efficiency units and are rated at EFF1 where available. The resulting product is supplied on rolls which ensures minimal wastage with a very high cutting yield. Constant reviews of production processes are expected to shortly result in a closed loop recycling process.

3. How is E.Leather actually manufactured?

The shavings, trimmings and off cuts are collected and ground down to produce individual leather fibres. A strong textile core is laid between two webbed rolls- the top layer is formed of fibres from shavings and the bottom layer is formed of fibres from trimmings and hides. The leather fibre webs are interlinked with the textile core using the process of hydro-entanglement. This process excludes the use of any adhesives and helps in giving the fabric a natural feel. The fabric is then dyed and afterwards dried and colour coated.

4. What colours and Textures are available for E. Leather Conference Folders?

There is a standard stock range of colours that is wide enough to cater for 99% of all requirements however Pantone matching to corporate colours can be easily achieved subject to minimum quantities. Texture is very important with especially with leather and there will be different requirements depending upon the use that the E.Leather is put to. For example you are unlikely to want a very soft, light finish when making promotional drinks coasters whilst a fashion handbag would feel very uncomfortable manufactured from a firm unyielding finish. It is possible to create a number of different grain finished with this process which adds yet another dimension to this excellent fabric.

5. Give me some good reasons why E.Leather should be my preferred choice.Leather for my next order of Conference Folders

1. E.Leather is an Environmentally friendly product 2. The finish is totally consistent and has no marks or blemishes 3. Because it is made on rolls it is cost efficient in terms of cutting yield 4. It is very durable and has excellent fire retardant properties 5. E.Leather can be dyed to match any pantone colour. Designers can create endless variations of grain finish and colour 7. It's easy to wipe surface makes cleaning it a simple task. The manufacturing process reduces is extremely Eco friendly 9. Manufacture is in the UK so minimising the associated Carbon Footprint 10. The fabric lends itself to numerous branding techniques

There is no doubt that E.Leather is here to stay and from an environmental point of view that is a very good thing. Buyers of Real Leather products should think seriously in future about making a preferred choice between both products. It's not for me to make that choice for you but do please consider who you are buying these Leather Conference Folders for and what is their position in relation to the environment. If they are pro environment which they should be then by supplying them with an E.Leather product you will be demonstrating the fact that you are cognisant of their stance and are prepared to go out of your way to support it.