Tannery Industry Research Articles

Promoting sustainable management of hazardous waste-to-wealth practices: An innovative integrated DPSIR and decision-making framework

Sustainable valorization of tannery sludge (TS) is vital for achieving several sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the tannery industry. TS is considered a hazardous waste by-product posing a significant environmental challenge. However, TS can be utilized for energy or resource recovery by considering it as biomass and implementing the circular economy (CE) concept. Therefore, this study aims to develop an innovative DPSIR (Driver, Pressure, State, Impact, and Response) framework for promoting sustainable valorization of TS. Further, the study extends to quantify the importance of subjective DPSIR factors by offering interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy number-based best worst method (IVIFN-BWM), which is relatively new in the literature and able to deal with the uncertainty, inconsistency, imprecise, and vagueness in the decision-making process. The study also investigates the most appropriate TS valorization technologies concerning identified DPSIR factors using a novel IVIFN-combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) approach. This research contributes to the literature by developing a comprehensive solution approach that combines the DPSIR framework, IVIFN-BWM, and IVIFN-CoCoSo method in addressing sustainability and resource recovery challenges for the tannery industry. The research findings highlight the potential of sustainable valorization of TS in reducing the waste amount and promoting sustainability and CE practices in the tannery industry. The findings indicated that response factors ‘creation of national-level policies and awareness campaign’ and ‘facilitating financial support to adopt waste valorization technologies’ received the highest priority among other DPSIR factors for managing and fostering sustainable valorization of TS. The IVIFN-CoCoSo analysis confirmed that the most promising TS valorization technology is ‘gasification’, which is followed by pyrolysis, anaerobic digestion, and incineration. The study's implications extend to policymakers, industrial practitioners, and researchers, who can leverage the research findings to develop more sustainable TS management practices in the tannery industry.

Evaluating the Impact of Environmental Management Policies on Communities in the Leather Tannery Industrial Area of Garut Regency

Industrialization fundamentally aims to enhance the quality of life and the welfare of people. However, insufficient management of residual production waste generates adverse effects on both the environment and the inhabitants residing near industrial zones. In response, the government has established regulatory measures for environmental protection and management through Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021. This regulation seeks to strike a balance between the community’s economic interests and environmental sustainability, safeguarding the rights of citizens. The core objectives of this research are to assess the state of environmental policies within the Sukaregang leather tanning industrial area, to scrutinize the implementation of environmental management practices, and to evaluate the impact of Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the research centers on the Sukaregang leather tanning industrial area, a pivotal hub for the leather industry and a symbol of the Garut Regency. The data collection involves interviews with key stakeholders, including the Environmental Service, the leather tanning industry, and the affected community. The research concludes that while policies based on Government Regulation Number 22 of 2021 are in place, complementary local regulations are absent. The current implementation of environmental management continues to engender negative externalities in sectors such as agriculture, health, and environmental pollution. To address the shortfalls in achieving policy goals and objectives, it becomes imperative to establish local regulations that facilitate cost-sharing in the waste treatment process, utilizing Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) technology. Such measures are essential for upholding environmental quality for the residents of industrial areas.

Current treatment and recycling processes of industrial waste from tanneries in Ecuador and the world

This study aims to investigate the recycling and reuse processes of the waste generated by tanneries in Ecuador and the world. High-impact publications and government databases were used to gather relevant information on the topic and, thus, achieve the objective of the study. Several recycling and reuse processes of tannery solid waste were identified, including the production of adhesives, collagen, gelatin, amino acids, biofuels, biogas, and leather lubricants. Additionally, it was found that it is possible to recover chromium salts from wastewater and reuse them. The study also revealed that countries like India, Bangladesh, and China, the primary producers of leather, apply advanced recycling technologies in their tanneries. In contrast, countries like Italy, Germany, and Spain focus more on the chemical conversion of tannery solid waste. In Ecuador, there is a lack of publications on tannery waste recycling, and the few available ones focus on the reuse of trimmings, leather scraps, and the extraction of keratin from residual hair. This lack of interest in proper waste management in tanneries may be attributed to informality and the country's lax enforcement of environmental legislation. In conclusion, it is crucial to regulate the tannery industry sector in Ecuador and promote recycling and reuse processes that will bring economic benefits and sustainability to these industries. This study highlights the need to improve waste management in Ecuadorian tanneries and follow the example of countries that have implemented advanced recycling technologies.

Chemical Investigation and Separation of Chromium from Chrome Cake of BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate at Hemayetpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Leather tanning mainly depends on chrome tanning. A huge amount of basic chromium sulfate (BCS) is used in leather tanning. About 60–70% of BCS has been taken by leather and the rest of the amount is discharged as effluent and solid waste. In the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) of BSCIC Tannery Industrial Estate (Hemayetpur, Savar, Dhaka), the effluent which contained a high concentration of chromium is precipitated as solid chromium hydroxide with other elements which is called a chrome cake. Chrome cake is not exposed directly in the open space due to its toxic effect on human health as well as the environment. Human occupational experience distinctly indicates that, when inhaled, chromium compounds are respiratory tract irritants, resulting in airway irritation, airway obstruction, and lung, nasal, or sinus cancer. It is strongly suggested to extract Cr from the chrome cake before dumping it; otherwise, it will be a potential hazard to the environment. Herein, the chrome cake is characterized by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), UV-visible spectrophotometer, etc., and develops a method to separate chromium from chrome cake. ICP-OES and XRF analyses show that the total chromium contained in chrome cake is ∼17.45% and 20.7%, respectively. UV-visible spectrophotometer indicates that ∼0.04% of chromium is hexavalent. Afterward, chromium has been separated by using H2SO4 where the optimized concentration was found to be 7%. The separation efficiency of chromium from the chrome cake for optimized condition is obtained at ∼95%.

The efficiency of boric acid as an alternate to NaCl for the preservation of cattle hides.

The fresh buffalo hides (n = 6) were cut into two equal parts and categorized into three equal groups. The first group was treated with 50% NaCl; the second group hides were treated with 5% of boric acid (BA), and the third group hides were with NaCl + BA (10:1). Hair loss was seen at the sample margins of hides treated with 50% NaCl, with a slight odor. In the second group, there was neither hair loss nor a pungent smell was felt. The nitrogen content of the preserved hide was measured at different durations during the experimental period, i.e., 0h, 24h on day 7th, and day 14th. The nitrogen level reduced significantly (P < 0.05) from 0h to day 14th of the experiment in hides treated with 50% of NaCl and 5% of boric acid, while this trend was found non-significant (P > 0.05) in hides treated with the combination of NaCl + BA. At 0h, the moisture content for 50% of NaCl-treated hides was 64.82 ± 0.38% moisture content for 5% of boric acid was 63.89 ± 0.59, while for the NaCl + BA combination 61.69 ± 1.09 was observed. Moisture content for 50% of NaCl on day 14th was 38.87 ± 0.42; for boric acid, it was 37.76 ± 1.12, and for the combination of both, the moisture content was 34.56 ± 0.41%. A similar decreasing trend of moisture contents was found in hides treated with different preservatives. After 14days of treatment, the bacterial count for 50% of NaCl was 2 × 109; for boric acid, it was 1 × 109, and for the combination of both, the bacterial count was 3 × 109. The lowest pollution load was observed hides treated with the combination of NaCl + BA (10:1). Total solids (TS) were 21.69 ± 0.57 while total dissolved solids (TDS) were 21.10 ± 0.57, and total suspended solids were 0.60 ± 0.57mg/l. It is concluded from the present study that boric acid alone or in combination with NaCl efficiently reduced nitrogen content and bacterial count and can reduce water pollution in tannery and hence could be used as a preservative for the hide in the tannery industry.

In Vitro Effect of Molasses Concentration, pH, and Time on Chromium Removal by Trichoderma spp. from the Effluents of a Peruvian Tannery

The effluents generated by the tannery industry have a high content of chromium and other toxic elements, representing a potential threat to ecosystems. An eco-friendly alternative to treat these effluents is the use of microorganisms, such as fungi, with the capacity to biosorb heavy metals. The present work aims to determine the effect of the molasses concentration, pH variation, and time on the removal of total chromium using the filamentous fungus Trichoderma spp. An experimental design was adopted using pH (4 and 6), concentrations of molasses (0.5 and 1%), and time (8 and 12 days) as independent variables. The Trichoderma inoculum was constant in all the treatments. The different treatments were evaluated after 0, 8, and 12 days by taking 50 mL of sample from each bioreactor. The chromium concentration was subsequently determined in each sample. The results show that treatment 3 (1% molasses and pH 4) showed higher chromium removal after both 8 and 12 days. The concentrations of total chromium decreased from 665 mg/mL to values of 568 mg/mL by day 8 and 486 mg/mL by day 12. These values are, however, still above the maximum threshold imposed by Peruvian law regarding the discharge of non-domestic effluents into the sewage system. The results show that Trichoderma spp. can increasingly remove chromium from the effluent with longer incubation periods. However, future studies are necessary to determine the mechanisms of chromium biosorption by the fungus and the influence of other physicochemical parameters.

Strategies for Increasing Profitability and Sustainability of The Leather Tanner Industry with without Interesting Capital Structure

The bankruptcy of the leather tanning industry in Sukaregang Garut was mostly caused by a decrease in profitability due to an increase in the capital structure with an increase in external loans with an interest system. The purpose of this research is to determine the strategy for increasing the profitability and sustainability of the leather tanning industry with an interest-free capital structure. The data collection method was carried out by interviewing leather tanning industry players. The data obtained were analyzed using profitability ratio analysis, EEI and Altman Z-Score to determine the level of business continuity. There are three strategies for increasing the profitability and sustainability of the tanner industry, namely the strategy of interest-free loans, partnerships and strategies for increasing price and quality. From the analysis of the profitability ratio of the partnership strategy is the chosen strategy, the results of calculating the COGS per ft2 show that the partnership strategy is a strategy that has a fixed COGS value. Based on the results of the EEI analysis, all strategies for increasing the profitability and sustainability of the tannery industry are in the range of 0-1, meaning that the leather industry is Affordable but not sustainable, but the highest and most stable EEI value of all these strategies is the partnership strategy. The results of the sustainability analysis using the Altman Z-Score method show that the partnership strategy is the strategy that has the most high business sustainability value with a healthy status.

Tannery effluent treatment and its environmental impact: a review of current practices and emerging technologies

Abstract The tannery industry plays a significant role in the economy but poses a severe environmental threat due to its high water and chemical usage, leading to wastewater generation with a high concentration of pollutants. This wastewater contains a range of contaminants created throughout the leather manufacturing process, making effluent disposal a significant challenge for the industry. The tanning process also contributes significantly to the pH, biological oxygen demand (BOD), total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total dissolved solids (TDS), and concentrations of T Cr, Cr(III), Cr(VI), Cl−, sulfate, sulfide, and inorganic constituents in the wastewater. This review paper provides a concise overview of the origins and characteristics of post-tanning effluent, different treatment techniques, and applications of treated wastewater. Comparing the prominent tannery effluent technologies, adsorption and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) effectively improved wastewater biodegradability before biological treatment. AOPs, enzymatic, adsorption, and coagulation treatment effectively upgraded the effluent to desired levels for disposal. Additionally, membrane separation processes have shown high pertinency in cases where the treated effluent is intended for reuse, whereas hybrid technologies can be the answer for better and cost-effective results.

Innovative Collagen Based Biopolymers Tested as Fertilizers for Poor Soils Amendment.

Improving soil quality is of growing interest and, among optimal solutions, the reuse and recycling of biopolymers of pelt waste from the tannery industry have been proposed, one of them being for collagen hydrolysate with micronutrients and polymers incorporated, to be used as fertilizers for poor soils rehabilitation. As functionalization agents, polyacrylamide, starch and dolomite were included into biopolymer matrixes in order to enhance their specific efficiency. These fertilizers were adequately characterized for their physical-chemical properties, including nutrient content, and tested on three poor soils, while a fourth sample of normal soil was chosen for comparative purposes. These soils were also characterized for their texture and physical-chemical properties in order to establish the fertility state of the soils as a function of nutrient content. In this respect, a series of agrochemical tests were developed at laboratory scale, simulating real agriculture environments in a vegetation room, where a significant plant growth in height was observed for all the agro-hydrogels with nutrients encapsulated, and multiplication of the nodosities number was observed in the case of the soybean culture. The most significant effect was obtained in the case of the fertilizer functionalized with starch. Finally, the application dose of the organic fertilizers for specific culture plants was estimated, such as field cultures (cereals, corn), field vegetables, vineyards or fruit-growing plantations. These agro-collagen fertilizers are particularly recommended for amendment of field cereals and vegetables. The novelty of this study mainly consists of the recovery and recycling of the pelt waste as efficient fertilizers after their adequate functionalization with synthetic or natural biopolymers.

Comparative Analysis of Credit-Strength among Industries of Bangladesh: Altman’s Z-score Measurement

The main motive of the study is to explore the financial position of prominent industries in Bangladesh to give direction to investors for sound investment decisions. The Altman Z-score model has been used to assess the financial soundness of the 23 companies of five prominent industries in Bangladesh. Secondary data have been collected from the annual reports of the selected companies. This study found that 20% and 40% of the selected companies of the ceramic industry and tannery industry fall on the safe form respectively that means where investors can invest without any doubt as they are financially sound. Similarly, 28.57%, 40%, and 25% of the selected companies of cement, ceramic, and paper and printing industries stand in the grey zone respectively which indicates the companies have a good chance of bankruptcy within two years. Again 71.43%, 40%, 75%, 60%, and 100% of companies in the cement, ceramic, paper &amp; printing, tannery, and jute industries’ financial conditions are not satisfactory respectively as they fall in the distress zone. And only 20% of the selected industries fall in the safe zone. That means the overall financial soundness of the selected industries is not well. This study will be an important source for further study in the field of credit strength measurement. Every actor of society those are involved in the business (investors, lenders, workers, suppliers, financial institutions as well as the economy itself) can be able to make adequate decisions by the findings of the study.

PHOTODEGRATION OF METHYLENE BLUE AND TANNERY WASTEWATER BY C, N CO-DOPED TITANIUM DI-OXIDE

Water is the most essential part of biological life but it is often contaminated by dyes and causes aesthetic problems in addition to health effects. The scarcity of clean water is on increase. Ultrasonic procedures, ozonation, electrochemical treatment, membrane separation, adsorption, and photocatalysis are the modern techniques used in separating dyes from water. Most of these techniques have limitations, but the use of semiconductors in decolorization through photocatalysis has attracted the interest of researchers as an ecologically benign and cost-effective strategy. Titanium dioxide was used as a photocatalytic degradant having a band gap of Eg 3.2 eV. Doping is an effective method for narrowing the band gap of TiO2. In this study, an N and C co-doped TiO2 was used and the samples were placed in a UV chamber for photodegradation. Primarily, the technology was tested for Methylene Blue and after that, for the dismounted wastewater from Tannery industries. Primary and secondary filtering were done for both the Methylene Blue and Tannery wastewater. Primary filtering was done using normal filter paper and secondary filtering was done using a Sterile Syringe Filter having a 0.45µm PES. Photocatalysis using co-doped TiO2 in MB and wastewater has been demonstrated for various concentrations. Color removal of low-concentrated MB was more satisfactory than that of the higher concentration. The absorbance of the higher concentration of Methylene Blue showed significant errors. The color removal efficiency of TiO2 for Tannery wastewater was moderate.

Characterization of Tannery Effluent and Efficiency Assessment of Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Savar in Bangladesh

The industry discharges a large volume of effluent, many of which contain lots of chemicals and toxic substances that have the potential to cause distress to the environment. The study focused on analyzing various physicochemical parameters of the effluent discharge from the Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at the Savar Tannery Industrial Zone. The effluent was collected four times (pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon) a year, from 2021-2022. The effluent was inspected for vital water quality parameters, such as pH, COD, BOD, TDS, TSS, NO3-, SO42-, HCO3-, PO43-, Cl-, Na, Ca, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb. Most of the parameters exceed the standard permissible limit of the Department of Environment, Bangladesh (DoE, BD), NQES, and ISW-BDS for inland water. The mean concentrations of COD, BOD, TSS, and Cr were 337, 97.5, 209, and 6.1 mg/L, and these values were far above the permissible limit with a removal efficiency of 51%. The study observed that industrial discharge of unproperly treated effluent deteriorates the surface water quality and causes huge threats to aquatic life and sustainable water resource management.

Characterization and Removal Efficiency of Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP)

Tannery industries are one of the most pollution-generating industries in the world. Tannery wastewater is usually characterized by high BOD, COD, TDS, and TSS and a high percentage of dissolved organic and inorganic matter. The central effluent treatment plant (CETP) of industry plays a vital role in sustainable industrial waste management and saves different lives from harmful effects. The study aimed to analyze various physicochemical parameters of the composite tannery influent and effluent as well as the removal efficiency of the CETP of the Savar Tannery Industrial Zone in Bangladesh. It was carried out at Savar Upazila, situated in the northwest part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The samples were collected three times (pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon) in a year, from monsoon 2021 to pre-monsoon 2022. The major water quality parameters for the influents and effluents included pH, BOD, COD, TDS, TSS, NO3-, SO42-, HCO3-, PO43-, Cl-, Na, Ca, Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Pb. Most of the parameters, especially BOD, COD, TDS, and TSS after treatment, exceeded the standard permissible limits of effluent discharge prescribed by the ISW-BDS-ECR (1997), DoE-BD, and NEQS (2000), and these values were two times higher than the permissible limit. The DO value was four times lower than the permissible limit, indicating heavily polluted water. The concentration of the cations in the tannery effluents was in the following order: Na&gt;Ca&gt;Cr&gt;Fe&gt;Cu&gt;Zn&gt;Pb. The analysis results illustrated that the overall removal efficiency of the CETP was about 47%. The study observed that the performance of the CETP was not satisfactory, and hence it needs further improvement in the treating capacity for sustainable industrial wastewater management.

Effective removal of chromium from contaminated water using horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetland with Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum)

This study aims to explore the potential of using Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) as a low-cost alternative for treating wastewater contaminated with chromium (Cr) in the tannery industry. Traditional chemical treatment processes are costly, leading to many industries not committing to treatment. Phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove contaminants from the environment, could be a viable solution. The study conducted an experiment to test the tolerance and effectiveness of P. purpureum in treating wastewater containing Cr(VI) at concentrations of 20 ppm, 40 ppm, and tannery wastewater. The plant was grown in a constructed wetland pond using a batch system for 31 days. The results indicate that P. purpureum can survive and grow well in all treatments, showing tolerance to Cr. The plant's phytoremediation capacity was effective at 20 ppm of Cr(VI) as demonstrated by the chemical and physical characteristics of the medium (BOD, COD, pH, and TDS). The plant was able to remove a significant amount of total Cr and Cr(VI), with removal capacity ranging from 71.79% to 99.96%. The translocation factor (TF) for Cr in the roots was less than one, indicating that the plant has the potential to be used as a phytoremediator for Cr by accumulating it in its roots.

Optimization of Cr (VI) removal from aqueous solution with activated carbon derived from Eichhornia crassipes under response surface methodology

Tannery industries’ effluent contains a high concentration of Cr (VI) which has the potential to affect the environment and public health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the optimization of Cr (VI) adsorption by activated carbon (AC) derived from Eichhornia crassipes from an aqueous solution. The adsorbent was activated with dilute sulfuric acid followed by thermal activation. AC was characterized using proximate analysis, SEM, FTIR, X-ray diffraction, and the BET method. The Cr (VI) removal optimization process was performed using a central composite design under the response surface methodology. The proximate analysis showed that the moisture content, volatile matter, ash content, and fixed carbon of the activated carbon were 5.6%, 18.2%, 14.4%, and 61.8% respectively. The surface areas of the Eichhornia crassipes before activation, after activation, and after adsorption were 60.6 g/m2, 794.2 g/m2, and 412.6 g/m2 respectively. A highly porous structure with heterogeneous and irregular shapes was observed in the SEM micrograph. In the FTIR analysis, different peaks are indicated with various functional groups. The intensity of XRD peaks decreased as 2 theta values increased, which indicates the presence of an amorphous carbon arrangement. The point of zero charge (pHpzc) of the activated carbon was found to be 5.20. A maximum Cr (VI) removal of 98.4% was achieved at pH 5, contact time 90 min, adsorbent dose 2 g, and initial Cr (VI) concentration of 2.25 mg/L. Statistically significant interactions (P < 0.05) were observed between the initial Cr (VI) concentration and adsorbent dose as well as the initial Cr (VI) concentration and contact time. Langmuir adsorption isotherm fitted the experimental data best, with an R2 value of 0.99. The separation constant (RL) indicates that the adsorption process is favorable. The kinetic experimental data were best fitted with the pseudo-second-order model with an R2 value of 0.99 whereas the adsorption rate is controlled by intraparticle and extragranular diffusion processes. Generally, the AC has the potential to be a strong adsorbent candidate for wastewater treatment at the industrial level.

Magnetite-impregnated biochar of parthenium hysterophorus for adsorption of Cr(VI) from tannery industrial wastewater

The tannery industry inevitably generates toxic and catastrophic wastewater, which results in a huge threat to public health and water resources. Therefore, this work aimed to synthesize parthenium hysterophorus-based biochar–Fe3O4 composite for removal of Cr(VI) from tannery wastewater under 34 full factorial experimental designs of the Box–Behnken, which was analyzed using response surface methodology under four independent factors of pH (3, 6, and 9), initial Cr(VI) concentrations (40, 70, and 100 mg/L), contact times (30, 60, and 90 min), and adsorbent doses (20, 60, and 100 mg/100 mL). This composite adsorbent was described by a high BET surface area of 237.4 m2/g, XRD prominent peaks, SEM morphology corroborate and FTIR multifunctionalities of O–H at 3296 cm−1, the vibration of ketone C–OH at 1240 cm−1, and the vibration of C–O–C at 1147 cm−1 and Fe–O stretching at 542 cm−1. The maximum Cr(IV) removal efficiency of 91.8% was recorded at an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 40 mg/L, pH of 3, adsorbent dose of 100 mg/100 mL, and a contact time of 90 min, whereas the minimum Cr(VI) removal of 17.3% was observed at an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 100 mg/L, 20 mg/100 mL of adsorbent dose, pH of 9, and contact time of 30 min. The concentration of Cr(VI) in real wastewater was determined to be 85.13 mg/L and its remediation was found to be 81.8%. Langmuir’s model was the best fit with experimental data at R2 0.99 and qmax 400 mg/g, showing that the adsorption process was homogenous and monolayer. In conclusion, the adsorption results were encouraging, and biochar–Fe3O4 appears to be a potential candidate for Cr removal from wastewater.

REMOVAL OF CHROMIUM FROM TANNERY WASTEWATER USING MODIFIED CORN COBS

Chromium (Cr) is a major pollutant found in tannery effluent is detrimental to human health and the ecosystem. The present research aimed to remove Cr from tannery wastewater using corn-cobs as adsorbent. The tannery wastewater was collected from one of the tannery industries in Kano, Nigeria. APHA 2012 method was employed in establishing the physicochemical properties of the sampled wastewater. Using the batch method, effect of adsorbent dosage, pH and contact time on the adsorption of Cr by corn-cob was determined. Results show that the percentage removal of Cr from the wastewater ranging from 67% to 87% was obtained by using the adsorbent. However, the contact time (0, 10 and 20 minutes) of the adsorbent had significant (p&lt;0.05) difference on the concentrations (65.60, 37.65 and 25.38 mg/L) of Cr removed from the sampled tannery wastewater respectively. In conclusion, corn-cob has shown be an efficient adsorbent in the removal of Cr from wastewater.

Tannery: Environmental impacts and sustainable technologies

The tannery is an old industrial sector well-developed, plays an important role in the global economy, and has been heavily industrialized over the years in all countries. In developed countries, the legislation forces the tannery sector to develop clean and sustainable production. Due to the strict legislation policies, there was a continuous change in the distribution of the processing sites. There are two main reasons for this shift of the distribution, namely: 1) lower labour costs in some countries than in others; 2) fewer environmental restrictions in some countries than in others.The current tanning process is still mainly based on the traditional one, making use of chromium salts and being able to give leather of very high quality, despite its severe environmental drawbacks. Since its industrialization, the tannery has shown its heavy environmental impacts, caused by the operations and the processes done in the productive/supply chain, from the raw hides and skins to the final leather. Especially, this sector consumes a huge amount of water, which generates wastewater with high concentrations of pollutants (mainly, chromium(III), sodium sulfide, ammonium chloride, biocides, aldehydes, dyes, etc.). Emissions to the air and solid waste production are worth of consideration, too. At last, the health effects on the workers can give problems in the short as well as long term.Looking at the current distribution of the processing sites, most are in developing countries, where the legislation is still weak.Little amounts of leather derive from the green tannery, where the use of chromium is limited or completely avoided. The reason is the lower quality of the leather produced by the so-called “green technologies”.This paper analyzes the impacts deriving from the tannery industry due to the conventional chromium process. The reduced-chrome processes and green technologies are discussed, too, considering the role of nanotechnologies.

A Study of Export Barrier in Garut Leather Tannery Industry

The economic development of a country currently cannot be separated from the condition of global economy. Economic relations between country is an influencing factor for the development of both country involved. Therefore, export activity of an industry is very important for the development of a country’s economy. Based on data obtained through the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Indonesia, export distribution in the form of footwear is 86%, leather finished goods are 13%, and leather is 1%. According to these data, it can be seen that the contribution of the leather tanning industry which is included in Leather Goods is very small in the total export distribution of leather. Meanwhile, by carrying out export activities, the leather industry will benefitted because it will open access to new customers who will have the potential to increase revenue and long-term growth. The data for this research was collected through 52 factory owners in this industry. After the data has been collected, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to see how many factors become the barrier of exporting in Garut leather tannery industry. The result of this research is there are three factors that become the barrier to do export in Garut leather tannery industry, namely functional, international and governmental barriers. Meanwhile the result of descriptive analysis shows that Garut leather tannery industry perceive high cost of capital to finance exports, difficulties in organizing promotional activities abroad, and lack of financial resources to conduct market research in overseas markets as the barrier to do export activities. The findings suggest that the government should support both the knowledge and infrastructure regarding export for all the business owners in Garut leather tannery industry, meanwhile the business owners should also be active in searching for business opportunities in international market. For future studies, it was suggested to consider management’s entrepreneurship capabilities as a factor that can hinder exports.

A Study of Export Barrier in Garut Leather Tannery Industry

A Study of Export Barrier in Garut Leather Tannery Industry