In vegetable production, seedling propagation is one of the most important steps as it directly influences the final performance of the plants. In order for such condition, the propagation substrate must be in good condition. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of different combinations of tannery sludge and urban waste compost as substrates in comparison to the commercial substrate Maxfértil ® on the growth and quality of eggplant seedlings. The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse using a randomized block design with eight treatments and six replications. The commercial substrate was Maxfértil ® , a crushed pine bark, with limestone, and seven treatments with increasing proportions of tannery sludge/decreasing urban waste compost (0/100; 10/90; 30/70; 50/50; 70/30; 90/10 and 100/0 v/v). Characteristics of emergence, growth, quality and leaf nitrogen (N) content were evaluated. No difference was found in the emergence of eggplant seedlings among the different treatments used; however, the growth characteristics, quality and N content featured significant effects when the seeds were propagated in alternative substrates. Regression adjustments pointed to an optimal range of 41-49% of tannery sludge associated with urban waste compost for the evaluated characteristics. The strong correlation between SPAD and N content shows its potentiality in detecting N deficiencies in seedlings. The use of tannery sludge residues associated with urban waste compost seems to be an appropriate and sustainable practice for recycling with high agronomic potential.