Tannery industries play a vital role for economy booming but the activities related with leather processing pose severe threat to three fundamental elements of nature, namely land, water and air. Longevity and prosperity of living beings on earth depends on healthiness of these natural elements. Due to globalization and industrialization, the quality index of environmental factors is reduced. The complexity of contaminants produced during tannery operation challenges scientific community to develop a process that mitigates pollutants load in an economical way. Even though several methods like adsorption, coagulation, ultrafiltration, advanced oxidation process, photo degradation, etc., can liquidate primary pollutants but it ultimately leads to generation of secondary pollutants, exorbitant capital investment, operation and maintenance cost. In order to avoid piling up of “treatment plants” scale-up costs, the promotion of circular economy in industries is important. In present day, the natural resources are excavated deep beneath earth’s lithosphere, converted them to useful products and throw them as waste once the material life is expired. This process is linear in contrast to circular economy (CE) where the used or worn-out materials are kept in utility loop through processes like overhauling, refurbishment, reuse and recycling. The natural resources are finite and if the consumption rate is not brought down to zero level, the human race and living beings will face the nature’s fury like global warming, climate change, loss of biodiversity, health complications and ultimately extinction. It is the responsibility of policy makers and scientific community to work in-tandem with each other to disengage economic activities from natural resources consumption. Circular economy practices are important in tannery industries to meet the regulatory norms and to attain sustainability in product manufacture. The objective of CE is to valorize the by-products produced during tanning process in one stage by using them in subsequent stages of process. An implication of circular economy principles in tannery operation is a boon because it minimizes resource consumption, prevent environmental degradation, convince stakeholders and smoothen the environmentalists. It is a tactics to attain equilibrium between rate of industrial growth, environmental health conservation and economic growth without compromising the grade of each. CE practices have gained momentum among industries and academicians owing to its resource and environmental benefits apart from showing the pathway to achieve millennium development goals (MDGs) put forwarded by United Nations for the wellbeing of global community. This particular chapter highlights the strategies to implement circular economy practices to optimize water and chemical use along with frameworks to attain sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Fostering Circular Economy Principles in Tannery Sector: Accomplishment Strategies

章节
发表日期：

2025年

查看全文

Magesh Kumar Marichamy

摘要

Tannery industries play a vital role for economy booming but the activities related with leather processing pose severe threat to three fundamental elements of nature, namely land, water and air. Longevity and prosperity of living beings on earth depends on healthiness of these natural elements. Due to globalization and industrialization, the quality index of environmental factors is reduced. The complexity of contaminants produced during tannery operation challenges scientific community to develop a process that mitigates pollutants load in an economical way. Even though several methods like adsorption, coagulation, ultrafiltration, advanced oxidation process, photo degradation, etc., can liquidate primary pollutants but it ultimately leads to generation of secondary pollutants, exorbitant capital investment, operation and maintenance cost. In order to avoid piling up of “treatment plants” scale-up costs, the promotion of circular economy in industries is important. In present day, the natural resources are excavated deep beneath earth’s lithosphere, converted them to useful products and throw them as waste once the material life is expired. This process is linear in contrast to circular economy (CE) where the used or worn-out materials are kept in utility loop through processes like overhauling, refurbishment, reuse and recycling. The natural resources are finite and if the consumption rate is not brought down to zero level, the human race and living beings will face the nature’s fury like global warming, climate change, loss of biodiversity, health complications and ultimately extinction. It is the responsibility of policy makers and scientific community to work in-tandem with each other to disengage economic activities from natural resources consumption. Circular economy practices are important in tannery industries to meet the regulatory norms and to attain sustainability in product manufacture. The objective of CE is to valorize the by-products produced during tanning process in one stage by using them in subsequent stages of process. An implication of circular economy principles in tannery operation is a boon because it minimizes resource consumption, prevent environmental degradation, convince stakeholders and smoothen the environmentalists. It is a tactics to attain equilibrium between rate of industrial growth, environmental health conservation and economic growth without compromising the grade of each. CE practices have gained momentum among industries and academicians owing to its resource and environmental benefits apart from showing the pathway to achieve millennium development goals (MDGs) put forwarded by United Nations for the wellbeing of global community. This particular chapter highlights the strategies to implement circular economy practices to optimize water and chemical use along with frameworks to attain sustainable development goals (SDGs).