EMMA WILLIS

‘Sugar Sheds’ Fish Leather Tannery // Greenock

The ‘Sugar Sheds’ Fish Leather Tannery is a retrofit project in Greenock, Glasgow, aimed at achieving a ‘Just Transition’ by repurposing waste materials into sustainable textiles for the fashion industry.

Greenock, once thriving with shipbuilding and sugar industries, now faces unemployment and deprivation due to industrial decline. This project seeks to revive the local industry by utilising the waste from Glasgow’s fishing and smoked salmon industries to produce fish leather.

The building has been retrofitted using sustainable practices by using local waste materials such as straw, preserving its beauty. By honouring Greenock's industrial heritage and promoting environmental responsibility, the project aims to create economic opportunities and advance sustainability in the fashion industry, countering fast fashion’s impact.