Jose Pac

Term Paper

British Literature

Cleaner Production is equal to a Healthier Environment

Today problems like the loss of biodiversity, water contamination, droughts,

desertification, global warming, and the deterioration of the ozone layer are gradually

increasing. All of which negatively affect the health of human beings and present a

threat for all life on earth. Parallely, awareness of these environmental problems is also

growing in the different sectors of todays society (Ladino,1). Specifically, in the

Guatemalan industrial sector, environmental protections are being prioritized in order to

respond to the new national and international demands for a cleaner production. The

Leather Industry has been identified as one of the most contaminant businesses in the

country. Therefore the implementation of new technologies that are more efficient and

significantly reduce the contamination of the environment is necessary to have an

environmental friendly production. Through an investigation of the Leather Tanning

Association of Guatemala (ACG) it has identified that the best available technology in

the Tanning Leather industry can be obtained through international relationships

between Guatemala and other countries like Ecuador, which can reduce the

environmental impact of the solid and liquid waste which are generated in such industry

. This also means that in every leather factory a new didactic reformation needs to be

introduced (Buestan, Curtiembre Industria Sustentable, 5). One that will create
preventive practices which will work to reduce the amount of residue by using resources

more effectively and optimizing production in a more stable and competitive way.

Ultimately contributing to the reduction of the global environmental problems and

preventing its terrible consequences.

One of the major reasons this problem is being addressed in Guatemala is that

the leather Tanning industry represents a significant impact in the development of the

economy because it generates many jobs and contributes to many other diverse

activities and businesses. In the productive chain all types of businesses are involved.

This includes the farmers who raise the cattle whose skin is then selled to the tanneries;

chemical providers who sell the chemicals to the tanneries; the pharmaceutical and

gelatin businesses that buy the collagen from the tanneries in order to produce their

products; the different specialized technicians that contribute to production

effectiveness; a variety of different machinery, electricity, and water providers; and all

the different businesses that are involved in the manufacturing of leather products that

can range from shoe production to upholstery for automobiles (Buestan, Informe

Technico Grupal,10-23).

Currently, there are a total of 22 factories in Guatemala of which 14 are located

in the city of Quetzaltenango, 2 in San Marcos, 1 in Huehuetenango, 4 in Guatemala

city, and 1 in Coban (Munixela,1). Together these factories produce an average of

650,000 leather sheets per year. From this, a very little amount is exported for it to later

be used in different types of footwear. All of the production combined is estimated to

have an outcome equivalent to 780 million U.S dollars and represents a 1.4 percent of

the national gross domestic product. Most of these factories do count with adequate

machinery and have survived many years for they have privately held shares and have
transmitted knowledge within their family and following generations. From the 22

factories 80 percent of them are SMB's (small and medium businesses) that count with

no more than 500 employees. After implementing new technologies and reform the

processes in every factory the outcome of the Tanning Industry can be increased and

therefore facilitate the reduction of the contaminants (Buestan, Curtiembre Industria

Sustentable, 2-3).

Nevertheless, in order to fully comprehend the topic it is essential to understand

the process of production, its flaws, and where the contamination is being produced.

The Leather Industry is divided into four major divisions; raw leather production,

tannery, saddlery and craftsmanship, and footwear. From these four divisions the

tannery division is the one that generates the biggest environmental impact. The

tanning leather process is where the leather undergoes a series of physical and chemical

actions which make it into a more durable material (Ladino, 3-4).

Phase one in the tanning process is the deliming operation. This is where

the leather is placed in a drum (a big container that rotates constantly) where the main

objective is to remove the hair from the leather; this takes place in an average of 24

hours. This involves at least ten different chemicals with a medium alkaline or ph level

of approximately twelve. In this step, 70 percent of the total contamination done in the

whole process is produced. The reason is that by adding various chemical agents the

hair and the soluble proteins are destroyed in the effluent. Consequently, it provokes a

high BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) and COD (chemical oxygen demand) which is

a pollutant (Kral, 35). After this, physical and mechanical processes get involved. One is

the removal of the endodermis of the leather which produces solid waste that consists of

grease and proteins. This accounts for 30 percent of the original leather mass which
without any additional curing process this solid waste can be highly pollutant

(Germillac, 1). Right after a process called the split is performed where

metaphorically speaking two different sheets or layers are obtained from a single

leather. The principal product (or the primary sheet) is called upper leather . The

subproduct (or the secondary sheet) is called the split with which a leather imitation

can be produced (Jader, 1) Additionally if it is not furtherly processed, this can be used

in collagen related industries which produce gelatin or pills in the pharmaceutical

business for domestic use (Buestan, Curtiembre Industria Sustentable, 22) .

Having these chemical, mechanical, and physical processes done the leather is

taken into drums a second time. Here the ph levels are reduced gradually by the

application of chemicals such as ammonium sulfate, sodium sulfate, sulfuric acid,

formic acid, and salt. All of these together prepare the leather for the application of

tanning product. Both the primary product and the secondary product from the split can

undergo this tanning process. There two types of tanning products; one has a vegetable

base which is produced from trees or tree bark and the other one has a mineral base

known as basic sulfate of chrome(Planet, 1). The vegetable based tanning product is the

oldest one in use today. The tannins (molecules that react with collagen) which are

found in trees and tree bark is what gave the product its name; tannings or tanning

products. The tanning of the chrome has a characteristic which allows it to create a very

strong bond with collagen molecules. This is what gives the leather its formidable

durability (Hagerman, 2). However, the effluent of this phase contains high levels of

chrome. This chrome is called CR3 which is not poisonous, but it does generate high

levels of COD in the effluent. In the end of this phase the effluent has a ph level of 3.8

which is an acid. After being in the drum for 24 hours, the leather in this point of

production is called wet blue. The physical and mechanical processes in this phase
include the draining and shaving the leather. The leather sheets can be shaved to a

certain width according to the different products that would be produced such as

footwear, clothing, or upholstery. Both the liquid produced in the drainage and the solid

waste produced in the shaving are pollutants (Buestan, Curtiembre Industria

Sustentable, 40-43).

Phase three in the leather production is the re-tanning. This is the least

contaminant step in the process due to the high fixation the chemicals added have on the

leather. Approximately, a total of 20 or more chemicals are added into the drum but the

number varies between the different kinds of leather like leather for clothing, upholstery

for automobiles or domestic use, footwear for security, for kids, for ladies, and for a

variety of other specific areas where a different kind of texture and durability is needed.

The leather spends 6 hours in the drum in this stage. During this 6 hours chemicals with

multiple variations of ph levels are poured in at different times. This elevates and lowers

the ph levels constantly which is something essential to obtain the high fixation that was

mentioned earlier (INECE, 40). Due to the liquid absorbed by the leather a second

drainage is required and the leather has to be dried until it has a 16 percent of humidity

in order to prepare it to the following mechanical process called softening. The

softening of the leather is done by a different machine and finally the leather is ready for

phase four which will give the leather its final finishes (INECE, 41).

In phase four there are hundreds of different finishes that can be done to the

leather giving it different colors, textures, and designs. Different colors need a different

preparation and some may require more than one layer. However, no painting process

takes more than a day. During the painting processes the pain sprays in the machines
release a small amount of ammonia gases into the environment which represent a

significant amount over the span of a year (M.A, 1).

In the end of the production, the contamination is very high. Therefore in

Guatemala a pro-environment movement was sparked as environmental damage

awareness grew. The first one to show this initiative was the leather tanning factory in

Coban. In 2014 they hired an Ecuadorian Engineer to help them with this process. His

name is Marco Buestan and he is a chemical engineer who is very knowledgeable about

the leather tanning industry, its contaminants, and the way to reduce them. He was

involved in a movement called A Cleaner Production which had a prominent success

in Ecuador from 2010 to 2012. After working with the Coban factory for two years, in

2016 he returned to Ecuador, but rumors about his abilities started to revolve within

other factories in Guatemala. This led 7 leather tanning factories to contact Buestan in

early May and showed their interest in hiring him. After settling an agreement Buestan

visited Guatemala in August of 2016 and made a thorough evaluation of all seven

factories. After a month he returned to Ecuador with the promise to come back and give

them a complete plan to each one of how to have a cleaner production (Pac).

In November of the same year he returned with a new set of ideas and suggested

the creation of an association that would be legally recognized by the government. By

this time the an extra 5 factories showed interest in being involved in the growing

movement. Paperwork started to be submitted to the local government of

Quetzaltenango in order to create the association but unfortunately it was estimated to

take about two years to complete the process(Pac).

At the same time a one month course was being conducted by Marco Buestan to

instruct the factory owners on how to have a cleaner production. However this course
needed legitimacy which could be obtained by being recognized by the Environment

Ministry or MARN (given name by its initials in spanish; Ministerio de Ambiente de

Recursos Naturales) of Guatemala. Consequently, talks with the Governor of

Quetzaltenango, Claudia Avila, and the environment vice-minister, Alfonso Alonso,

were being led by the leather factory owners and Marco Buestan. Together they agreed

to conclude the course and give it legitimacy by the accreditation of the MARN and the

government. This officially took place at Tertulianos in Quetzaltenango the 17 of

December in 2016 where all 22 leather tanning factories were represented as well as

Alfonso Alonzo and Claudia Avila. At this event the leather factory owners came

together and identified themselves as the Leather Tanning Association of Guatemala or

ACG (Given name for spanish initials; Asociacin de Curtidores de Guatemala).

Successfully, the promise of signing an agreement in the following year was

made(Buestan, Interview).

The agreement was anticipated to identify the goals and actions that the ACG

would have in the benefit of the environment in exchange of Gubernamental support. It

was also agreed that both the Leather Tanning Association of Guatemala and the

Environment Ministry could give suggestions and parameters to form the agreement.

These were to be discussed and negotiated in January of the following year. Moreover,

the news were made public by the Environment Ministry (Xela Web).

Since the news were published publicly it caught the attention of the Ecuadorian

embassy whom offered the Guatemalan government to officially mark these activities as

an international relation between Guatemala and Ecuador (Xela Web). This benefited

the Association and Marco Buestan by leading the Guatemalan Government to grant a

visa to Buestan that allowed him to stay as much as two years in Guatemala without
having to leave the country. This way his collaboration could be extended and have no

interruption. Additionally Ecuador changed his ordinary passport to an official

passport. Two days later Buestan returned to Ecuador to craft the ACGs suggestions for

the agreement (Buestan, interview).

Later in January of 2017 Marco Buestan returned with the suggestions for the

agreement. The ACG and the MARN had a meeting where the suggestions from both

sides were analyzed and very little changes were made. The agreement was fused and

then signed by the president of the Tanning Association of Guatemala, Rene

Mazariegos, the environment vice-minister, Alfonso Alonzo, and by the environment

and natural resource minister, Sydney Samuels. The agreement had many different

points that covered the various situation that could be encountered in the future (Xela

Web).

The agreement was based on a single point and had a series of sub points. The

base point was that both sides would be coordinated to foster the use of renewable

resources and consequently promote a healthier environment. Additionally the sub

points in the agreement settled all of the following conditions (these are not all of the

sub points found in the agreement): The MARN and the ACG have the compromise to

promote the activity between all the businesses involved in the Leather Tanning

Industry production process by exchanging technology that could benefit the

environment; both sides have to investigate and create the information that is required to

implement new methods of analysis of the liquid waste produced in leather tanning

production process; both sides agree to offer tools with the objective of having an

intellectual and technical advancement of MARNs technicians, consultants, laboratory

personnel, and other professionals through a series of reunions in order to have more
accurate factory evaluations. Together these points generated a huge advancement to the

reduction of pollution in Guatemala thanks to the international collaboration offered by

Marco Buestan (MARN/ACG, 2-4).

Favorably, this boosted the process to make the Tanning Association of

Guatemala or ACG a legally recognized entity which was officially accomplished on

February 21 in 2017. After this, Marco Buestan continued to guide the ACG in order to

reduce the environmental impact (Buestan, interview).

Having explained the process and the way Guatemala has increasingly worked

towards the reduction of the environmental impact in the leather tanning industry, it is

important to identify specifically how the reduction of the environmental impact is

being done and how it can be reduced even more. The name of the project being

implemented is A Cleaner Production. Its complete meaning is the continuous

application of an environmental preventive and integrated strategy in the productive

processes to reduce the relevant risks to humans and the environment. This creates high

economic savings for the factories through the improvement of the general efficiency of

the production and the reduction of treatment costs of the residue(Buestan, Informe

Technico Grupal 5) .

The first action to accomplish would be to fulfill the technical recommendations

that Marco Buestan has highlighted. This includes the creation of a registry of water and

chemical consumption, the creation of better signs and labels across the factories,

implement safety gear for workers, the classification of providers, an improvement in

the chemical product storage, and the application of new technologies throughout the

production process(Buestan, Informe Technico Grupal, 5).

 Secondly factories have been instructed to fulfill a series of environmental

recommendations. The first recommendation is to take a preventive action and separate

the hair from the effluent produced during the deliming operation with the objective to

reduce up to a 40 percent of the organic waste found in the final effluent. Although this

will eliminate a 40 precent of the organic waste it only reduces the contamination that

the deliming process represents for the complete tanning process by a 30 percent

(Ladino, 40). Additionally the remaining water has to be sieved for it to be recycled

which also reduces the amount of chrome or Cr2O3. Being the most contaminant steps

in the production process the deliming operation and the tanning operation are given a

priority and it is instructed to the factories to focus on these steps first. To deal with the

effluents produced in these steps the factories are instructed to create a first tank of

homogenisation equalizer for the oxidation of sodium sulfurs. This homogenisation tank

is going to serve for the effluent to be representative of the entire tanning process.

Although there are some precautions that need to be taken before mixing the effluent

from the tanning process and the effluent from the deliming process. Considering that

the effluent from the deliming process is an alkaline liquid (a liquid with a high ph

level) and the tanning effluent is an acid (has a low ph level) they cannot be combined

without previous treatments for otherwise at the moment of contact a series of chemical

reactions will elevate and lower the ph level constantly making the treatment of the

liquid impossible. Therefore the oxidation of chrome in the tanning process and the

oxidation of sulfides in the deliming process is needed to make both effluents alkaline

(oxidation consists of very complicated chemical reactions that do not contribute with

the focus of this report and therefore won't be furtherly explained). After this is done the

effluents can be stored in containers where chemicals are transported denominated as

totems, which have a capacity of 1000 liters. The goal is to transport this liquid to
treatment facilities for which Marco Buestan has proportioned the know-how

(knowledge of how to do it) to the Tanning Association of Guatemala and through

another chemical process create a environmental friendly liquid waste (Ladino, 16-17).

Before Marco Buestan had intervened, liquid waste from the tanning process

was taken into government owned laboratories. These laboratories identified that the

effluent contained Cr2O6 or hexavalent chrome which is extremely poisonous but what

was really being produced was a trivalent chrome or Cr2O3 which is not poisonous.

After a thorough investigation, Buestan was able to deduce why the laboratories were

giving that evaluation. The problem was that to analyze the quantity of chrome in the

effluent the workers at the laboratories were heating the effluent to high temperatures

and oxidizing it at the same time. This made the trivalent chrome to be converted into

hexavalent chrome. Marco fixed the problem by recurring to the laboratories in the

USAC (San Carlos University) in Quetzaltenango and instructing them of how to

conduct the effluent evaluation. Effectively these laboratory did give the right

evaluation and concluded that in the tanning process a trivalent chrome was being

produced, not a hexavalent chrome (Pac).

Currently the Tanning Association of Guatemala is planning to make an

agreement with the USAC for them to conduct all evaluations of the effluent produced

in the tanning process in the future. This has the promise of benefiting the Tanning

Associations integrants by giving them fair evaluations and at much lower fees

compared to the government conducted evaluations. It is also projected that the USAC

will receive a considerable amount of economic reward that will allow them to expand

their laboratory (not their personal income) due to that the USAC is a non- lucrative
establishment. Although it is yet to be signed, it is a potential win-win situation that

Marco Buestan was able to construct (Buestan, Interview).

By analyzing the aid that has been granted by Marco Buestan, it can be

confirmed that the best available technologies in the Tanning Leather Industry can be

obtained by fostering international relations with other countries like Ecuador in order

to reduce the solid and liquid waste produced in such industry. These technological

advances have reduced the environmental impact by reducing resource expenses,

educating producers, eliminating flaws in the governmental evaluations, and

eliminating pollutants produced. This way the Leather Tanning Industrys development

is boosted as it may comply with national regulations and uphold a transparent business.

Together the ACG, MARN will continue to work together with other countries to seek a

better future for the Leather Tanning Industry, Guatemala, and the world humans inhabit

today.

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