Are circular bio-based products also sustainable from a social perspective? The ‘Cartiera’ case study

Achieving a sustainable bioeconomy requires a balanced use of sustainable resources that facilitate reuse and recycling (Aguilar et al., 2019; Vogelpohl & Töller, 2021), while also taking socio-economic aspects into account (Falcone et al., 2019). In line with recent EU directives, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), this study aims to identify the main risks associated with the leather industry in Italy. By employing the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) methodology, the research is focused on the Cartiera fashion laboratory (in Emilia Romagna Region), which produces bio-based products utilizing leather leftovers from fashion companies. Based on the updated UNEP guidelines (2020), ISO 14075:2024 and on relevant recently published studies (e.g., Rebolledo-Leiva et al. 2023; Vinci et al. 2024), the S-LCA is implemented through three main integrated research steps. The first step includes a social hotspot analysis, using the Social Hotspot Database (SHDB) version 5.0, to identify major risks related to the Italian leather sector and build a preliminary map of the most relevant social impact categories and subcategories. Secondly, interviews with relevant stakeholders are undertaken to validate and integrate the results obtained from the social hotspot analysis. Thirdly, primary data is collected through questionnaires structured into sections representing different stakeholders, i.e., workers, value chain actors, local community, and consumers. For each category of stakeholders, several socio-economic aspects are analyzed (for example, sub-categories such as labor conditions and job creation at the local level) through qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative indicators. The impact assessment stage is conducted by adopting the reference scale approach for evaluating socio-economic performances. The results of this study provide interesting insights, especially for SMEs, which are the main actors involved in the Italian fashion industry.