Management of Tannery Waste and Sustainability Policies in the Leather Industry

Abstract

The leather industry, one of the oldest and most stable in the world economy, has demonstrated the ability to transform raw materials into durable and valuable products. However, the leather tanning production process faces important challenges in terms of solid and liquid waste management which should help environmental sustainability. These contain a lot of solid waste and water, most of them toxic substances and pollutants. If not managed properly, this waste can have serious effects on the environment, affecting water quality or public health. Therefore, it is necessary to implement sustainable policies and use clean technologies to reduce the impact on the environment. The industry needs to find sustainable alternatives, such as using fewer chemicals and developing synthetic leather materials that mimic the properties of natural leather without environmental costs. It is also important to implement better and cleaner technologies, as well as strong control and enforcement of environmental regulations to reduce the negative impact of this industry. The "El Alce" industry, located in the Guano canton, Ecuador, is an example of how a tannery can strive to comply with current environmental regulations and adopt sustainability policies.