Polysaccharides for sustainable leather production: a review

Leather production for human protection has been an essential industrial activity since the start of civilization, yet classical leavering methods induce pollution of ecosystems by dyes, chromium-containing wastewater, and solid waste. Here, we review sustainable leather production using polysaccharides and modified polysaccharides, which are cheap, easy to obtain, and non-toxic. Polysaccharides include starch, chitosan, cellulose, and cyclodextrins. We discuss application for leather tanning, prevention of leather mildew, leather finishing and dyeing, and wastewater treatment. The leather properties meet the requirements of garment leathers, with tear strength higher than 18 N per mm and tensile strength higher than 6.5 MPa.