Everyone loves a leather bag, coat or even couch because of its distinctive smooth finish. It is how we imagine leather is by nature, but the truth is that to make leather smooth is sometimes dangerous work.
Leather needs to be sanded to achieve its smooth finish, and just like with a piece of wood, sanding leather releases microscopic particles into the factory air, along with many of the hazardous chemicals used in the leather tanning process, such as chromium. On their very own workfloor, leather workers can be exposed to this hazardous industrial waste, buffing dust, breathing it in and sometimes developing chronic respiratory problems.
This was one of the problems that the partners of the ‘Effective waste management and sustainable development of the MSME tanning companies in Bantala leather cluster’ project wanted to address. This project, funded by the EU under its Switch Asia programme and The Netherlands enterprise agency (RVO) under its Fund for Responsible Business, brought together partners from Europe and India (including the International Polytechnic for Industrial and Economic Development (PISIE), the Calcutta Leather Complex Tanners Association (CLCTA), Stahl, Dugros, and Solidaridad) to develop techniques and deepen the capacities of leather workers in the Bantala cluster in order to reduce waste and improve safety and opportunity in the local tanneries.
Naturally, one of the questions they faced was, what do do about this hazardous dust?
Cooloo: turning waste products into new opportunities.
That’s where Cooloo comes in. Cooloo is a Dutch design and circular technology company that specializes in transforming local waste—such as textiles, cork, leather, and minerals—into sustainable, high-end coatings and materials for furniture, interiors, and construction. And they know exactly how to handle leather dust. So the project brought them on board to pilot their innovative technique in the Bantala Leather Cluster.
So how exactly can Cooloo’s approach help with the buffing dust problem? Instead of allowing this fine, toxic material to circulate in the factory air or end up in a landfill where it can leach chemicals into the ground, Cooloo’s system captures and “locks” these particles by immediately integrating the dust into a liquid state.
This acts as a liquid version of recycled leather. Whereas traditional upholstery involves cutting flat hides and creating even more scrap waste, this mixture is sprayed directly onto a furniture frame or surface. The result is a seamless, leather-like coating. Because the hazardous dust is now chemically bonded within the coating, it is perfectly safe for the end consumer and the environment.
The challenges of piloting new techniques.
After initial conversations with Cooloo were concluded and a plan put in place, hurdles began to emerge. COVID-19 with its attendant shutdowns and travel restrictions immediately staggered progress. Cooloo’s team were unable to come to India and demo their technology.
Even getting the technology to India proved a challenge. Building this supply chain was time-consuming for staff in Solidaridad India, with the powder coating machine proving a difficult item for Solidaridad to acquire. The chemical binder developed by Cooloo that is essential for this process was a bigger headache. Solidaridad, not being an industrial importer, faced significant procedural and logistical hurdles importing this chemical agent into India.
However persistence paid off, and with the support of Cooloo a powder coating machine was procured, the chemical binder made its way finally through customs, and Cooloo’s team arrived in Bantala for demonstrations.
From pilot to supply chain
Cooloo’s Ricco Fiorito and Nicky Schraven lead seminars and demonstrations in multiple tanneries across the cluster to build understanding of this approach. Further trials were conducted using the Cooloo binder to specifically assess its adaptability within the local production context of the Cluster.
These trials were a success, establishing a technical viability for this process in the Bantala Cluster. However this is only the first step. In order to scale this process, and achieve its real potential to reduce waste, improve safety and provide new commercial opportunities, more is needed. A robust supply chain for the technology and essential components need to be built from the ground up, and commercial opportunities need to be determined and explored. and commercial viability needs to be built.
While the project has come to an end, the work on this has just begun. During Cooloo’s second visit, additional demonstrations and interactive sessions were organized, targeting industry owners to enhance engagement and explore commercial opportunities. These efforts must be strengthened both at the grassroots level and within corporate frameworks to enable large-scale adoption.
Solidaridad and Cooloo will continue their efforts to embed this innovation in Bantala in the time to come.
Learn more about Cooloo’s innovative approach at their website.