Muirhead nears key 2025 sustainability targets
- Leather supplier Muirhead is 90% of the way towards eliminating its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions, and 89% towards zero waste to landfill.
- Together with parent company Scottish Leather Group, Muirhead has revealed plans for an on-site solar PV plant that will cover 25% of its operating electricity consumption.
- The group’s new £14 million Super Tannery has slashed energy use by 82% and water consumption by 42%, advancing its low-impact leather production goals.
Paisley, Scotland - Muirhead, a trusted supplier of lowest-carbon high performance leather for the aviation and passenger transport industries, has reported strong progress towards its milestone 2025 environmental sustainability targets.
The Scottish leather manufacturer has revealed it is now 90% of the way towards achieving its target to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions across Scope 1 and 2 of the standardised Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol next year.
Together with its parent company Scottish Leather Group, the manufacturer has also made significant strides in waste reduction in 2024, achieving 89% of its target to eliminate waste to landfill – up from 77% the previous year.
As revealed in the group’s 2024 ESG report, Muirhead will continue pushing for environmental sustainability advancements over the next 12 months. This will include the development of an on-site solar PV plant which will directly supply 25% of the company’s electricity needs.
Nicholas Muirhead, CEO of Scottish Leather Group, said: “We are extremely proud of the progress we have made not only over the last 12 months, but over the past two decades. Environmental sustainability sits at the very core of all decisions that are taken across our businesses and as a result of this we are industry leaders in providing an unprecedented range of solutions to the many and complex challenges that our customers face today.
“From exceptional supply chain traceability to new tanning technologies, we’re not just delivering environmental innovation for our customers but also confidence. Confidence that no other leather manufacturer is doing more to continually innovate and invest in order to stay ahead within the rapidly evolving regulatory sectors in which we operate. All of this is only made possible through powerful and positive collaborations with our people, our suppliers and our customers which in turn underlines our central belief that together we go further.”
The accomplishments follow the opening of Scottish Leather Group’s £14 million, hyper-efficient Super Tannery last year. The new hide processing technology has reduced energy consumption by 82% and water usage by 42%, compared to the group’s previous equipment.
Muirhead’s patented circular manufacturing process incorporates energy recovery, water reuse, renewable energy, and locally sourced materials with 100% traceability to UK and Irish farms. This ensures zero deforestation and guarantees compliance with new EU legislation due to be introduced next year.
The manufacturer continues to have the industry’s lowest Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) impact, with an independently verified carbon footprint of just 8kg CO2e/m² on average.
