Bentley Teases Car Interiors Featuring Eco-Leather Tanned With Olive Oil

Soon, those looking to purchase a luxury sedan from Bentley Motors can opt for an “industry-first” option when picking out the car’s interior: Olive Tan Leather. This eco-friendly material is poised to be a significant step in the automaker’s sustainability journey.

The Olive Tan Leather will make its debut in a new vehicle model at Monterey Car Week in California on August 18, 2023, presenting a new chapter in the brand’s pursuit of eco-consciousness.

Naturally, car enthusiasts all over the world are probably wondering: what exactly makes this leather different from the ones used in other high-end cars? To put it simply, it all boils down to a sustainable tanning process.

Derived from the by-product of the olive oil industry, this process uses wastewater extracted during the olive pressing procedure. More importantly, the tanning agent used is entirely free of harmful metals, minerals, and aldehydes.

This method reduces environmental impact and demands less water than traditional tanning techniques while employing a higher concentration of renewable chemicals, reinforcing its environmentally-friendly credentials.

The result of this innovative tanning approach is a soft and supple organic leather, an ideal fit for some of the most sought-after luxury cars. Bentley achieved this by teaming up with leather tannery Pasubio SpA, making it the first automotive manufacturer to embrace this industry-leading Olive Mill Wastewater (OMW) technology.

This introduction of Olive Tan Leather is a notable step in the brand’s larger sustainable leather strategy. At the moment, it already utilizes leather hides that are by-products of the meat industry, ensuring high traceability and sustainability.

On a global scale, leather production annually recycles around 270 million hides that would otherwise end up in landfills. This process serves as a prime example of how the industry can transform the co-products of other industries into eco-friendly materials.

“Leather is an integral component of our car interiors and a prime element in creating Bentley’s signature finish. It is also hard-wearing—especially important as 84% of all Bentley cars built are still on UK’s roads,” commented Marc Stang, Technical Expert Leather at Bentley Motors.

“We use eight to 12 hides per car, all of which are sourced in the European Union. Bentley also avoids using hides linked to deforestation, reflecting the work within our supply chain to encourage greener processes. We remain committed to more sustainable leather sourcing, as well as working on other initiatives to improve our leather supply chain,” he added.

[via CarBuzz and Carscoops, images via Bentley Motors]