Leather industry experts discuss green ideas.

CHENNAI: Leather industry should make drastic changes and adopt advanced environmentally sustainable technologies, said former Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) director G Thyagarajan on Wednesday.

"If aircraft can use carbon composite to reduce pollution, why can't the leader industry apply the same concept," Thyagarajan said. He was speaking at the annual Leather Research Industry Get Together at CLRI in Chennai.

"It will be a breakthrough if leather industry use carbon sheet or carbon composite. Like the sole of shoes need not fully be leather, it can be a layer of carbon," he added.

On the first day of the two-day event, leather industry experts from across the country deliberated on how to be environmentally prudent.

Indian tanners should rethink on making low-cost lining leather and look to enhance products to increase export rates, said Rafeeque Ahmed, president, All India skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association (AISHTMA) and Federation of the Indian Export Organisation (FIEO).

"China did not even have tanning capacity; they were dependant on India for the leather. Now, many are setting up tannery in China whereas India has not seen any foreign investments," he said.

Even a 10% swing from China's footwear sector will double India's exports, he added.

He shared the idea of using solar energy to burn effluents and urged CLRI to effectively manage rejects like waste water so that they can be re-used as raw material.

On Thursday, CLRI will sign two separate memoranda of understanding with two companies for salt-free leather processing technology and generation of biogas from animal carcass waste.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com