Lecture by the leading expert in energy recovery

Great interest at Adoberia Bella for the presence of Doctor Xavier Elias

On 29 November, Adoberia Bella, the headquarters of Leather Cluster Barcelona, hosted the lecture "Energy and material recovery from waste. The case of the tannery", delivered by the international environment and energy expert, Doctor of Industrial Engineering Xavier Elias.

Doctor Xavier Elias advises governments on environmental matters, has lectured at several universities and is a leading authority on energy recovery and the circular economy, subjects on which he has published a number of books.

The lecture, which brought together more than 50 professionals, was an initiative of the Research, Circular Economy and Chemistry Committee of Leather Cluster Barcelona, promoted with the support of Intraval-Tradebe, with the aim of broadening knowledge on the subject as part of the drive towards waste management and minimisation.

The presentation closed with a debate session in which participants highlighted the sector's financial effort in wastewater management, which in Igualada alone has exceeded 60 million euros over the past 10 years, as well as the projects being carried out by Leather Cluster Barcelona for the more efficient recovery of the waste generated in the leather tanning process, such as the hair obtained in the unhairing process, the various leather trimmings, the residues of adipose tissue known as fleshings, and the recovery of the sludge from wastewater treatment.

The leather sector is a key player in the Circular Economy, because it adds value to a waste product of the food industry and transforms it into a consumer article that is useful to society, with a long service life and high biodegradability.