Green Organic Agents for Sustainable Tanneries

Leather manufacturing is classified as water, energy and waste intensive and, according to European Directive 96/61EC, is considered to be an activity demanding for integrated prevention and control of pollution. Tannery effluents, if not properly treated, cause significant damage to soil and water bodies. Environmental concern clearly emerges from the European IPPC Bureau report 2013: at present over 85w% of the world leather production is chrome tanned and only 20-25w% of raw bovine hides processed are transformed in final leather goods. The current use of chrome poses serious environmental and health problems due to the formation of carcinogenic Cr (VI) in finished articles, prompting users to find innovative solutions. According to the EU directives, sustainable industrial processes and waste management are fundamental for ensuring a low level of risk and high environmental protection. LIFE GOAST project, with a LCA-LCC “cradle to grave approach”, will aim at demonstrating sustainability of the overall production chain from manufacturing of leather articles to treatment of solid and liquid wastes: the implementation of LIFE GOAST technology on a semi industrial scale will be demonstrated to be more environmental friendly than Traditional Chrome Tanning Process (TCTP). The ultimate aim is to obtain comparable/better quality leather product with lower environmental impact and costs, no concern substances disposal rather than TCTP.

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Researcher: Michela Signoretto
Duration: 01/07/2017 - 30/06/2020

07/01/2017