A Cleaner Production Exercise of A Leather Manufacturing Company A Zimbabwean Experience

Abstract- In the leather sector different types of finished leather products are prepared from raw salted skins. About 130 different types of chemicals are used in leather manufacturing ranging from common salt sodium chloride to the very expensive chrome sulphate. The chrome tanning process is widely employed in many countries including tanneries in Zimbabwe. Many chemicals are used to prepare hides for tanning and after use these chemicals find their way into the environment. All three categories of waste i.e. gaseous liquid and solid are generated from the tanneries.This paper seeks to address the environmental pollution problems at a leather manufacturing company in Zimbabwe. An essential part of such a new approach is the concept of Cleaner Production CP an integrated preventative strategy aimed at minimising waste and improving the efficiency of processes products and services. Raw salted skins are mainly used in Zimbabwe and these result in many salts finding their way in the tanneries effluent. This research was therefore mainly concerned with salt reduction in the effluents by incorporating a chilling unit to the tannery though they are many Cleaner Production options in the leather manufacturing industry.