Pittards: Putting a green finish to the leather industry

The British leather industry has declined steadily over the last few decades in the face of strong competition from low labour costs in the developing world. But Pittards, the UK's second biggest manufacturer, is focusing on its environmental performance in order to differentiate itself in the marketplace. The company has established a good platform with its environmental reports and management systems - and is now hoping to bring forward cleaner technologies such as effluent reuse and waste gasification.