The International Council of Tanners (ICT) will hold its annual meeting in Hong Kong on March 29 to discuss about the new definition of leather fibreboard, or bonded leather fibre.
According to the ICT, calling this material leatherboard or bonded leather could give consumers an inaccurate perception. It believes it is acceptable for companies selling furniture, upholstery or other products to use the terms leather fibreboard or bonded leather fibre for material where tanned hides or skins are disintegrated mechanically or chemically into fibrous particles, small pieces or powders, and then, with or without the combination of chemical binding agents, made into sheets.
It says that if there is any other component apart from leather fibre, binding material and leather auxiliaries, then this should be declared as part of the description. Also, the ICT believes the minimum amount of dry leather required for the term leather fibreboard to be accurate is 50 % in weight.
The ICT s hope is that delegates at the Hong Kong meeting will agree this definition, allowing the council to push for it to inform a new European standard and, later, European legislation, and for these developments in Europe to inspire similar action in other markets around the world.
CITATION http://www.chinaleather.org/eng/show.php?itemid=6035
