greenLIFE nella riunione Plenaria del dialogo sociale “Concia” alla Commissione europea Lo scorso 23 novembre 2016 a Bruxelles, organizzata dalle parti sociali, il sindacato europeo industriAll e Cotance, Confederazione delle associazioni nazionali dei conciatori europei Il progetto greenLIFE che vede coinvolte cinque aziende della filiera conciaria vicentina, Acque del Chiampo, Conceria Dani, Gruppo Mastrotto, Ikem, Ilsa, sarà presentato al meeting plenario del Comitato sul dialogo sociale, sezione concia ospitato dalla Commissione europea il prossimo 23 novembre a Bruxelles. La riunione segue l’adozione dello scorso dicembre 2015 di un manifesto redatto dalle parti sociali e dai rappresentanti industriali che sintetizza gli obiettivi per il futuro della concia europea, identificando le maggiori sfide. Tra queste la riduzione dell’impatto ambientale della filiera, la necessità di sviluppo in un’ottica di economia circolare e sancisce l’identità del settore come una industria del riciclo, la cui materia prima è di fatto un sottoprodotto dell’industria alimentare. Se dovessero continuare i trend di consumo e di crescita della popolazione - si legge nel manifesto - nel 2050 saranno necessarie le risorse di due pianeti e mezzo per soddisfarli. Lo sviluppo verso una economia circolare è quindi ineludibile e la sfida per il settore conciario riguarda principalmente la riduzione dell’uso di acqua e di prodotti chimici ad alto impatto, sottolineando la necessità di innovazione in questi ambiti. Ecco che il progetto greenLIFE si presenta ai rappresentanti europei come esempio di una fruttuosa collaborazione tra aziende e pubblico ( greenLIFE è stato finanziato per circa la metà del suo costo attraverso il programma LIFE dell’Unione Europea), che ha portato tra l’altro alla identificazione di sistemi di depilazione che potranno consentire un risparmio di acqua e di prodotti chimici fino al 20% , ma anche la valorizzazione di sottoprodotti in agricoltura e una diminuzione consistente di rifiuto solido. Relatori saranno Guido Zilli di Conceria Dani, coordinatore del progetto, e Paolo Gurisatti, presidente della Stazione sperimentale per l’industria delle pelli. Nuovi concianti naturali, provenienti da polisaccaridi derivanti da risorse rinnovabili, il monitoraggio dell’impatto ambientale dei diversi sistemi di calcinaio e concia, uno studio LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) per valutare l'impatto sulla depurazione delle acque in una prospettiva di ciclo di vita, sono altri risultati che sono stati illustrati alle parti sociali presenti a Bruxelles lo scorso 23 novembre.

1. 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)

4. WasteUseProduction
Raw
materials
GreenLIFE: a contribution to the transition from linear economy to circular economy

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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
Fertilizers
producer
Wastewater
treatment
plant

8. Development of new liming processes
Research line n. 1
• Oxidative liming process
• Liming process with recovery and re-use of liming baths
• Enzymatic liming process
Development of a new tanning process
Research 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-products
Research line n. 3
• Collection of process by-products
• Treatment or by products and experimentation of a new re-use technology

9. Water treatment system and new technology: potential impact assessment
Research 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 assessment
Research 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

10. Renewable
resources
Production of a new
tanning-agent
Soaking
Liming Water recovery / reuse
Hair recovery
Bath recovery
1
2
3
Tanning
Bath recovery
Shavings recovery
Production of
new fertilizers
Some elements of a circular flows

11. 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

12. Plant configuration with heat exchanger
SCREWSCREEN
HEAT
EXCHANGER
Oxidative liming / 2
DRUM
HAIR
RECOVERY
EXCHANGER

13. Decrease in water consumption
Conventional Liming Oxydative Liming
Oxydative Liming
with bath reusage
Oxidative liming / 3
H2O 4,6 l/kg raw hide H2O 4,0 l/kg raw hide H2O 3,6-3,8 l/kg raw hide

14. Improvement in discharge parameters
Oxidative liming / 4
Chlorides Sulfides Sulphur Total Nitrogen
Suspended
Solids
COD
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

15. Oxidative liming / 5

16. 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

17. 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

18. Multidisciplinary approach
Soil
Mineralization
curve
Plant
Test in growth
chamber – model
plants
Soil/plant
Trials in field –
model plants

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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
output
Main Intput
Biotechnology
Wastewater
By-productsTanning
Fertilizer industry
Collagen /Keratin consumer industries
Recycle
High added-value sectors
Wastewater
Waste
Wet end / Finishing Treatment
Leather
Non-renewable
resources
Water / Chemistry
Shoes / bags / car interiors /
garments / sofas / …
Product use
End of product life

24. By-products
Raw hide
Incoming
Wastewater
By-productsBeam-house
Fertilizer industry
Fertilizer industry
Collagen /Keratin consumer industries
Recycle
High added-value sectors
Main process
output
Innovation
opportunities
Renewable
resources
Main Intput
Our innovation route –
areas “greenLIFE” is working on
Biotechnology
Wastewater
By-productsTanning
Fertilizer industry
Collagen /Keratin consumer industries
Recycle
High added-value sectors
Wastewater
Waste
Wet end / Finishing Treatment
Leather
Non-renewable
resources
Water / Chemistry
Shoes / bags / car interiors /
garments / sofas / …
Product use
End of product life

25. By-products
Raw hide
Incoming
Wastewater
By-productsBeam-house
Fertilizer industry
Fertilizer industry
Collagen /Keratin consumer industries
Recycle
High added-value sectors
Main process
output
Innovation
opportunities
Renewable
resources
Main Intput
Our innovation route –
Future areas to work on
Biotechnology
Wastewater
By-productsTanning
Fertilizer industry
Collagen /Keratin consumer industries
Recycle
High added-value sectors
Wastewater
Waste
Wet end / Finishing Treatment
Leather
Non-renewable
resources
Water / Chemistry
Shoes / bags / car interiors /
garments / sofas / …
Product use
End of product life

26. Environment as a basic topic for cooperative research
Relationship with local community
Effort 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

27. So…
Thank you for your attention …
and for the ideas you will share with us