Transparency is leverage for new businesses

SSIP (Italian Leather Research Institute) presentation at the ILM webinar March, 7 - 2018

Transcript

2. TRANSPARENCY IS LEVERAGE FOR NEW BUSINESSES Paolo Gurisa+ President SSIP (ILRI - Italian Leather Research Ins8tute) Naples March, 7 – 2018
3. THREE DRIVING FORCES Transparency is required by wastewater treatment authori8es. Two main concerns: a) presence of pollu8ng molecules; b) reduc8on of organic sludge and safe gasifica8on Transparency is required by clients. LWG, EPD and ZDHC are forcing leather producers to cer8fy chemicals contained in products and processes. Great discussion on methods is rising Transparency is a basic condi8on for exploi8ng the poten8al of new technologies for organic waste transforma8on in new by-products and recycled raw materials suited for commercialisa8on
4. WASTEWATER TREATEMENT CHALLENGES Tradi8onal treatments (chemical-physical and biological) face new problems in reducing metal molecules and recalcitrant COD, mainly when wet-blue and wet- white flow together in the same sewage collec8on system Ozonisa8on, ac8vated carbons and MBR treatments, applied at the end of the depura8on system, fail in segrega8ng polluted molecules (beyond high power consump8on) The perspec8ve of early selec8on of specific pollutants in innova8ve sewage collec8on systems and the introduc8on of new treatment technologies (prior to exis8ng plants) drive to smarter and automa8c control systems (4.0)
5. ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY SOCIAL NEEDS Leading trade organisa8ons (mainly in the fashion system) encourage the claim for safe and environment friendly products. ZDHC, as a volunteer agreement among producers and distributors, may be considered a “scaffolding structure” of a new market system (sustainable) LWG, EPD and other cer8fica8on processes force leather producers and chiefly chemicals developers to construct a “transparent” value chain, in order to reduce technical and commercial conflicts A great discussion has been launched, among technical experts and laboratories par8cipa8ng to ZDHC, in order to approve efficient methods (tests on tex8le are different from tests on leather)
6. THE NARROW PATH OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY Tracking and tracing methods and smart technologies facilitate the separa8on of proteins and other organic materials, as valuable inputs for new bio-chemical and bio-technology processes However specific regula8ons (or, beger, the absence of specific knowledge and regula8ons) on “substances of animal origin” treatments, complicate the legal framework of leather waste materials transforma8on, even though investment poten8al and commercial interest are rising New products, by-products and recycled raw materials need to be cer8fied as “non waste” in the Circular Economy market system. This perspec8ve requires new methods for con8nuous checking of de-composi8on processes
7. THREE EXAMPLES Bio-s8mulants for intelligent agriculture. These compounds come out hydrolysing processes transforming shaving powder in innova8ve materials that carry no traces of dangerous contaminants Bio-plas8cs and bio-gas, produced thanks to advanced biotechnologies, are materials completely different from the original input (waste and sludge) Kera8ns proteins recovered by hair, thanks to advanced extrac8on processes, do not contain any trace of the original cagle “organic” features, diseases and DNA structure
8. Biomass produc-on (SBR) PHA quenching or extrac-on PHA accumula-on Fermented stream storage tank Solid/liquid separa-on unit
9. Towards a new technology and legal framework When recycled materials, even of animal origin, are transformed with advanced bio-tech and bio-chemical processes they can be classified as “non waste” products and/or raw materials good for the Circular Economy applica8ons The development of a transparent technical and commercial value chain is highly dependent by an advanced regula8on system, providing investors and consumers with detailed informa8on and knowledge about new products and compounds