During assessment, a team comprised of U.S. and in-country experts in both pollution prevention and the facility's industrial processes gathers more detailed information on the sources of pollution, and identifies and analyzes opportunities for reducing this pollution. Summary This assessment evaluated a sheep hide tannery. The assessment was performed by an EP3 team comprised of an expert in electroplating and a pollution prevention specialist. If implemented, these pollution prevention changes will reduce the amount of chromium sulfate used for tanning by 25 metric tons per year, eliminate the generation of H2S, reduce the amount of waste water generated by 2,000 cubic meters per year, and reduce the chemicals needed to treat waste water. All five of the options identified can be quickly and easily implemented by the plant's staff.
None require complicated, expensive, or new technologies.
This facility is a tannery producing leather from sheep and goat hides. The facility tans approximately 2,000 sheep hides per day, for a total of 600,000 hides per year. Between 90 and 95 percent of the annual production hides are sheep hides for clothing, while the rest are goat hides for shoes. The wastes generated by the tannery come from the hides and the chemicals used in the production process. The tannery operates two staggered 8-hour shifts, and employs 45 permanent and 30 seasonal workers.