satellite skin

From slaughterhouse waste to sustainable fashion

Skins from hunters and smaller slaughterhouses are often sent to destruction, as small operators do not have the opportunity to handle the skins and buyers do not buy from them. In this project, the project owner wanted to reduce waste for hunters and smaller slaughterhouses by offering ways to utilize the skins.

The project developed a local and environmentally friendly tanning process together with proven tanneries in Poland and Romania, as the tanning industry is larger in these countries than in Sweden. The hides were vegetable tanned, which means they are biodegradable, have a significantly longer shelf life and contribute to a lower impact on the environment than chrome tanning.

Contact was established with slaughterhouses, game handling facilities and tanneries, but also with players in the textile, fashion, home furnishings and craft industries. Once the entire process was developed, it was tested and modified to better suit the needs and desires of the market.

The project owner also developed a business and marketing plan that described the product's sustainability and economic viability.

The project resulted in several new processes that are now used in the tanning of Swedish sheep, wild boar and deer hides on an industrial scale. New products were developed, such as leather for accessories, shoes and clothing, as well as ornamental leather.

The project also contributed to an expanded network of contacts among hunters, slaughterhouses and game handling facilities in Sweden and tanneries in Europe. A business and marketing plan was developed that can be easily used by other actors.

Today, Kristoffer Patrén's leather is used in the production of boots sold by one of Scandinavia's leading equestrian companies. The unique chrome-free sheepskin is used for jackets sold by a well-known Swedish jeans company.

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The project is a very good initiative. It is well-timed in terms of environmental impact, recycling and preserving endangered resources and skills that are at risk of disappearing from the area. With a focus on a sustainable circular economy, it can be made easier for butchers and hunters to see their raw materials and products as part of a cycle. By utilizing residual products in the form of animal skins and developing an environmentally friendly method for tanning, new collaborations and markets can be created and greater profitability can be supported for companies in rural areas.