"greenLIFE" Project in the plenary meeting of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee “Tanning &...

Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee "Tanning & Leather”Plenary meeting, 23 November 2016

Green Leather Industry For the Environment (greenLIFE)

Presentation of the project

Guido Zilli (Dani Spa)

Paolo Gurisatti (Stazione Sperimentale Industria delle Pelli)

WasteUseProductionRaw

materials

GreenLIFE: a contribution to the transition from linear economy to circular economy

The circular economy model is a possible reference for a new industrial economy

The circular economy is "an industrial economy that is conceptually regenerative and reproduces nature in actively

improving and optimizing the systems through which work" (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2012). The material flows in

industrial processes through two cycles:

• biological, in which the materials are plans to make a safe return in the biosphere (land, water, atmosphere)

• technical, where materials circulate remaining able to meet the high-level processes with quality and without impacting the

biosphere

TITLE Green Leather Industry For the Environment (greenLIFE)

TIMELINE 36 month (01/06/2014 – 31/05/2017)

BUDGET Budget: 2.260.000 € / European Union grant: 1.120.000 €

GOALS

• 20% reduction in water consumption in the beamhouse stage

• 20% decrease in chemicals used in the beamhouse stage

• 20% reduction in solid waste

• 15% recovery and re-use of by-products with industrial value

• a new knowledge hub to share ideas and technologies

Chemicals

supplier

Partnership structure

• A “supply chain” approach (beyond company gates), with strong

territorial roots

• Involvement of partners with different institutional functions

• Cooperation between competing companies

Tanneries

Fertilizersproducer

Wastewatertreatment

plant

Development of new liming processesResearch line n. 1

• Oxidative liming process

• Liming process with recovery and re-use of liming baths

• Enzymatic liming process

Development of a new tanning processResearch line n. 2

Research activities / 1

• Studying of a new organic-based tanning agent

• Testing to experimental and semi-industrial scale of the new organic-based product

Recovery and re-use of tannery and liming process by-productsResearch line n. 3

• Collection of process by-products

• Treatment or by products and experimentation of a new re-use technology

Water treatment system and new technology: potential impact assessmentResearch line n. 4

• Current water treatment district system

• Liming baths and characterisation of processing by-products

• Assessment of the new technology and potential impact on the water treatment Tannery District system

Environmental and social impact assessmentResearch line n. 5

Research activities / 2

Environmental and social impact assessment

• Environmental impact: data collection, analysis and perspective

• Socio-economic impact: data collection, analysis and perspective

Renewable

resources

Production of a new

tanning-agent

Soaking

Liming Water recovery / reuse

Hair recovery

Bath recovery

1

2

3

TanningBath recovery

Shavings recovery

Production of

new fertilizers

Some elements of a circular flows

Benefits of the oxidative process

• Production of by-products not contaminated by sulfide (fleshing, sludge)

• Elimination of sulfides / sulfates in wastewater to be treated

Oxidative liming / 1

• Oxidative hair removal

• Oxidative hair removal + bath recovery and reuse

• Reduction of water consumption

• Elimination of treatment systems for the removal of hydrogen sulfide

• Improving the environmental impact outside of the tannery

• Applicability in industrial scale as it has a similar configuration to the present one

• Process times comparable with those of the traditional one

• Production of finished leather which presents less smell

Plant configuration with heat exchanger

SCREWSCREEN

HEAT

EXCHANGER


DRUM

HAIR

RECOVERY

EXCHANGER

Decrease in water consumption

Conventional Liming Oxydative LimingOxydative Liming

with bath reusage


H2O 4,6 l/kg raw hide H2O 4,0 l/kg raw hide H2O 3,6-3,8 l/kg raw hide

Improvement in discharge parameters


Chlorides Sulfides Sulphur Total NitrogenSuspended

SolidsCOD

g ∆ % g ∆ % g ∆ % g N ∆ % g ∆% g ∆ %

Conventional liming 5.074 651 2.589 586 3.852 7.663

Oxidative liming 5.009 -1 0 -100 458 -82 555 -5 4.675 21 6.933 -10

Oxidative liming / bath recovery 4.804 -5 0 -100 359 -86 407 -30 2.597 -33 4.327 -44

Liming baths were subjected to recovery and treated as follows:

• Centrifugation

• Drying

• Grinding

• Granulation

• Pelletization

to get fertilizers with good content in phosphorus and nitrogen

pH 6,5

Salinità(dS/m) 1,2

N tot (%) 4,5

C tot (%) 17

S(SO 3 ) tot (%) 2,6

N amm (%) <0,1

N org(%) 4,5

Indice Rifrattometrico (°Brix) 49,4

Grado d'Idrolisi(%) 23,8

Amminoacidi liberi (%) 3

IDROLIZZATO DI PELO FINALE

Hair has been recovered and treated in order to get a Keratin hydrolisate that can be a good biostimulant

Multidisciplinary approach

Soil

Mineralizationcurve

Plant

Test in growthchamber – model

plants

Soil/plant

Trials in field –model plants

Mineralization curve

It illustrates the effects of soil temperature and moisture on the nitrogen release rate from organic sources

The dynamics of mineralization have been studied for a period of 5 months

Growth chamber – fertilizers action

It is studied the response of model plants to different concentrations of the product by foliar or root application. The

environmental conditions are controlled to avoid external interferences

Growth chamber – biostimulants action

Keratin hydrolisate Aminoacids and small peptides Biostimulant actions:

• Nutrient uptake

• Root and shoot growth;

• Quality;

• Anti-stress action

Green house …

It is studied the response of model plants to the soil application of products: how much of the nitrogen released is

“seen” and taken up by the root system? The environmental conditions are controlled to avoid external interferences.

and open field

The products that had good results in the previous research stages are tested in open field to evaluate the effect on the

crops and the interaction with soil and climate conditions.

the results are being processed and should be available by the and of the year

Some considerations about the other research lines

• Liming process with recovery and re-use of liming baths

• 16% decrease in sulfide use and water consumption

• New comprehensive process and product indexes to assess quality and environmental performance of

leather

• Enzymatic liming process

• At present pure enzymatic liming has not been successful; excellent results were obtained with a sodium

sulifde reduction of 65%sulifde reduction of 65%

• Development of a new tanning agent from renewable source

• Development and optimization of the tanning agent (production stability over time, increased diffusion

capacity, ..)

• Trials on a pilot scale (small drums)

• Assessment of the potential environmental impact of the new technology aon the water treatment Tannery District system

• Life Cycle Assessment about “treatment of wastewaters from the tannery of the district” almost finished

By-products

Raw hide

Incoming

Wastewater

By-productsBeam-house

Fertilizer industry

Fertilizer industry

Collagen /Keratin consumer industries

Recycle

High added-value sectors

Innovation

opportunities

Renewable

resources

Our innovation route – basic framework

Main process

outputMain Intput

Biotechnology

Wastewater

By-productsTanning

Fertilizer industry


Recycle


Wastewater

WasteWet end / Finishing Treatment

Leather

Non-renewable

resources

Water / Chemistry

Shoes / bags / car interiors /

garments / sofas / …

Product use

End of product life

By-products

Raw hide

Incoming

Wastewater


Fertilizer industry

Fertilizer industry


Recycle


Main process

output

Innovation

opportunities

Renewable

resources

Main Intput

Our innovation route –

areas “greenLIFE” is working on

Biotechnology

Wastewater

By-productsTanning

Fertilizer industry


Recycle


Wastewater


Leather

Non-renewable

resources

Water / Chemistry



Product use

End of product life

By-products

Raw hide

Incoming

Wastewater


Fertilizer industry

Fertilizer industry


Recycle


Main process

output

Innovation

opportunities

Renewable

resources

Main Intput

Our innovation route –

Future areas to work on

Biotechnology

Wastewater

By-productsTanning

Fertilizer industry


Recycle


Wastewater


Leather

Non-renewable

resources

Water / Chemistry



Product use

End of product life

Environment as a basic topic for cooperative research

Relationship with local communityEffort on communication actvities within a research project allowed

• Learning a multi-stakeholder perspective

(Public Administrations at multiple territorial levels, educational and research institutions, customers, suppliers, ...)

• Improving relationship with people living within or next to the leather district

• Development of unusual communication channels: website ( www.greenlifeproject.eu ), social networks (twitter,

linkedin, slideshare, ..) and improvement in their use

Employment

• During the project, 4 graduates have been hired by firms belonging to the partnership (Chemistry, Materials

Engineering, Leather tecnology)

• If the new technologies are introduced on a large scale it is to be expected a higher demand for skilled staff

• The project, through the comparison between stakeholders, is facilitating collective learning paths

So…

Thank you for your attention …

and for the ideas you will share with us

"greenLIFE" Project in the plenary meeting of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee “Tanning &...

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Transcript of "greenLIFE" Project in the plenary meeting of the Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee “Tanning &...