PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
This project aimed to demonstrate, on a full technical scale, a series of cleaner technologies in the tanning sector in various parts of Europe. Several cleaner technologies had become available but were not widely used in the leather industry. In order to sustain the tanning sector in Europe it was recognised that the environment would have to be managed and new, environmentally sound, technologies would have to be applied. The project partners aimed to develop and demonstrate a self-auditing system for the leather industry, which would enable the tanner to conduct an environmental audit, identify options for process optimisation, opportunities for cleaner technologies, good housekeeping practices and waste reduction technologies. An evaluation of cleaner technologies under operating conditions with respect to environmental benefits, cost effectiveness and the influence on leather quality was carried out in various tanneries in Europe. This was intended to assist in developing an increased environmental awareness of the European leather industry, facilitate a rapid introduction of cleaner technologies, and bring the industry one step closer to minimising the environmental impact of leather processing.
RESULTS
. According to a report by the LIFE external monitoring team in 2005, the main result and legacy of the project is that it added substantially to the body of knowledge available to the industry, of available clean technologies, with examples of practical applications of these technologies. The technologies are commonly used today in the European tanning industry and all feature in the sector BREF reference documents – to which the project team, made a significant contribution. The Design Support Tool has been utilised by a number of the larger tanneries that are now accredited to ISO 14000. Technologies where particular progress has been made are the use of membranes for effluent treatment and recovery/recycling of – for example – chromium and process water, and gasification of tannery wastes, which incorporates chromium recovery and energy generation. Both technologies are available on a commercial basis and membrane technology was used to produce salt-free water of drinking quality from tannery effluent at the municipal waterworks at Lorca – the site of a tannery complex in Spain. . According to a report by the LIFE external monitoring team in 2005, the main result and legacy of the project is that it added substantially to the body of knowledge available to the industry, of available clean technologies, with examples of practical applications of these technologies. The technologies are commonly used today in the European tanning industry and all feature in the sector BREF reference documents – to which the project team, made a significant contribution. The Design Support Tool has been utilised by a number of the larger tanneries that are now accredited to ISO 14000. Technologies where particular progress has been made are the use of membranes for effluent treatment and recovery/recycling of – for example – chromium and process water, and gasification of tannery wastes, which incorporates chromium recovery and energy generation. Both technologies are available on a commercial basis and membrane technology was used to produce salt-free water of drinking quality from tannery effluent at the municipal waterworks at Lorca – the site of a tannery complex in Spain.