Environmental Statement

Sukumo is committed to the core values of high quality, sustainability, and style.

We consider the environmental impact on society and the wider environment in every aspect of the production chain, beginning with the sourcing of raw materials, and throughout the supply chain and manufacturing processes.

WATER

Our dye workshop is located in Kyoto, a city of ample freshwater where there are a number of rivers and waterways. Kyoto is perhaps the city most blessed with water in all of Japan—for this reason, kimono dyers have flourished here for centuries. Sukumo dyeing uses only natural ingredients, and the standard filters are sufficient for water treatment.

Incidentally, the city of Kyoto was ranked number one nationwide on progress for Sustainable Development Goals, in a survey of 815 municipalities by the Nihon Keizai Shimbun.

By-products of the leather tanning process are treated according to the legal standards, under the direction of the sewage treatment plant operated by the city of Tatsuno in Hyōgo Prefecture.

Sukumo Leaves

Sukumo leaves have been used for indigo dyeing for hundreds of years. The natural, biodegradable sukumo leaves are currently returned to the mountains after they have been used for the process of dyeing. We are also looking for ways in which the sukumo could be reused.

We do not use agrochemicals in the growing of indigo, unless the plants are suffering from disease, and then only sparingly.

Leather

We use leather that is a by-product of the meat industry (livestock leather) to produce leather goods. We believe that this is a better use of natural resources than disposing of them.

One major London department store has moved to ban the sale of exotic animal skins in 2020, although they will continue to stock agricultural livestock leather. We believe it is necessary to ensure all raw materials are responsibly sourced for ethical consumption and to reduce the environmental burden.

Repair, Reuse, and Recycle

The waste fluid from natural indigo is currently undergoing componential analysis. It is often used locally as fertiliser. Natural indigo has been known to have antibacterial effects since ancient times.

The hydroponic cultivation currently in vogue uses circulating water, which can lead to issues with microbial growth. For this reason, some consumers avoid hydroponically cultivated products. If the waste fluid from natural indigo is found to possess antibacterial properties, our scientists believe that it could be put to effective use in hydroponics.

Colour Fixing

We trialed colour fixing cowhide with casein (a protein made from cow’s milk), but unfortunately this made the leather too stiff. We are currently trialing the use of casein for shine with pigskin. The casein treatment produces a glossy finish and fixes the colour.

The Provenance of our Leather

Our leather is generally North American chrome tan. The Chromium 3 used in the tanning process is not carcinogenic (Chromium 6, which is not used, is toxic.) Vegetable tanning is possible, but we don’t use this primarily, as chrome makes it possible to achieve a subtle blue shade with much greater clarity. We are researching into creating new, more effective and environmentally friendly ways of tanning leather.