Workshop on ECOTAN, the Gateway to Boost Egypt Leather Productivity and Quality 

Within the framework of Meet in Africa Leather Fair

Sunday 26th of November 2006 – from 12:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

 ECOTAN Project is funded by the European Commission (EC) and implemented by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) in cooperation with the Spanish Technological Institute for Footwear and Related Industries (INESCOP). 

Project Objectives:

Working with the Egyptian tanneries to increase their competitiveness through:

1. Production costs minimization.

2. Quality improvement.

3. Applying new technologies in tanning and finishing processes.

4. Establish of new markets for the Egyptian products.

5. Increase the added value.

6. Increase productivity.

7. Certification through environmental compliance.

8. Development of new industries besides leather tanning (e.g. gelatin, wool, glue).

Project Services:

• Providing a Laboratory for Environmental Analysis:

-        analysis of wastewater due to tanning before and after treatment.

-        Cr VI in leather (wet blue, crust and finished leather)

-        Atmospheric emissions (volatile organic compounds (VOC))

-        Noise Control

• Providing a tanning pilot drum for helping Egyptian tanneries to apply new technologies in tanning process:

-        soaking using biodegradable agents

-        dehairing without sulphur

-        chrome-free tannage: aldehydes, oxazolidine

-        solid and high exhaustion dyeing

-        pickling free from salt

-        bactericides and fungicides free from  PCP

• Providing a mobile wastewater pilot plant for helping Egyptian tanneries in the treatment of wastewater through introducing chemical physical technology.

• Training tanneries technicians on the latest and cleanest technologies applied worldwide in tanning processes and on wastewater treatment and chemical analysis.

• Transfer technology in tanning industry to improve products quality and establish new markets.

• Technical assistance in minimizing loss and materials conservation for better profitability

Expected Returns :

1.   Increase competitiveness.

2.   Establish new markets for local products.

3.   Increase the added value.

5.   Increase productivity and products quality.