United for a Sustainable Leather Industry

Focused on research and innovation with new technologies for the leather sector, it develops projects aimed at producing premium eco-leather and improving the sustainability of tanning processes.

A3 Leather Innovation Center

A platform for cooperative competitiveness that promotes strategic and transformative projects to boost the Catalan leather sector's ecosystem, aligned with sustainability, circular economy, sustainable fashion, and shared value.

Leather Cluster Barcelona

A pioneering waste management company, Tradebe specializes in converting waste into valuable resources through innovative solutions, contributing to a greener and more sustainable future.

Tradebe

Collaborative Network
IDR is part of a collaborative network involving universities, associations, municipalities, and specialized companies. Together, we carry out R&D projects and promote sustainability within the leather industry.

Who We Work With

As part of Leather Cluster Barcelona, IDR has continuously improved processes in the leather sector through an innovative biological treatment system that has significantly reduced the industry's environmental impact.

This collective effort drives a forward-thinking leather industry, firmly committed to efficiency and environmental responsibility, bringing value both to the production chain and the local community.

The Sustainable Revolution of the Leather Sector

Our founding members include leading companies from the leather sector, the Igualada City Council, and representatives from the textile and chemical industries, all committed to environmental sustainability.

Members

We aim to become an international benchmark in advanced industrial water treatment systems, leading the leather sector's transition toward a zero-impact circular water economy.

Our organizational structure is based on the active collaboration of our members through committees and working groups advising on traceability, technical development, and environmental impact. This ensures that every decision contributes to a more sustainable production cycle.

Thanks to this alliance, IDR has become a unique platform in Catalonia, dedicated both to treating wastewater from leather tanning processes and managing liquid industrial waste from other sectors.

After twenty years in operation, IDR has become one of the pioneering plants in Europe for industrial wastewater treatment and is now a reference point in the water industry. Over the years, it has treated wastewater from the tanning companies of Igualada affiliated with LCB, alongside other industries, and has been visited by sustainability professionals from over 30 different countries.

The Tanners' Treatment Plant

Projects Directory

Igualadina de Depuració i Recuperació (IDR) is a corporate initiative led by Leather Cluster Barcelona (LCB), in collaboration with tanners from the Rec district of Igualada. It was founded with a clear mission: to treat wastewater from the leather sector and ensure a cleaner, more environmentally respectful water cycle.

Thanks to this alliance, IDR has become a unique platform in Catalonia, driven by a shared commitment: to promote a more sustainable leather industry.

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IDR works across several areas to promote sustainability and innovation in the leather sector.

Our areas of activity

We lead R&D projects aimed at optimizing existing processes and implementing cutting-edge technologies that enable increasingly comprehensive and sustainable purification—moving toward a circular economy and zero-impact model.

Innovative Solutions for Emerging Environmental Challenges

We promote the development of alternatives to reintegrate purified water into the production process, contributing to a more circular system and optimizing the use of water resources.

Circular Economy

We are committed to reducing the ecological impact of the leather sector by treating wastewater from the leather transformation process using biological methods, minimizing its environmental footprint.

Environmental Sustainability

We apply advanced treatment processes to ensure the highest quality of purified water, protecting the environment through efficient water management at every stage of purification.

Water Quality

At IDR, we are dedicated to providing sustainable purification solutions, constantly innovating to embrace circular economy models and moving toward a more efficient and environmentally responsible industry.

Our Mission

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Our founding partners include leading companies from the leather industry, along with the City Council of Igualada and representatives from the textile and chemical sectors—all united by a strong commitment to environmental sustainability.

Partners

Featured Projects

IDR is the only authorized treatment plant in Catalonia specializing in the processing of non-hazardous industrial liquid waste.

We add value to Catalonia's industrial sector by offering specialized water purification services for external companies, using advanced technology and sustainable processes.

Liquid Waste Management for a Cleaner Industry

Operated by a team of highly specialized professionals in industrial water treatment, the facility upholds strict quality control throughout every stage of the process and fully complies with current environmental regulations.

This facility is a testament to our shared commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future, prepared to meet the environmental challenges of today and tomorrow.

Innovative Water Treatment for a Sustainable Future

Igualadina de Depuració i Recuperació

We are IDR

Research, Innovation and Development

Featured projects

These systems remove contaminants such as salts, heavy metals, and organic compounds, improving efficiency while reducing energy and chemical consumption. This enables more sustainable water management aligned with global environmental goals.

Technologies for Advancing Towards Zero Impact

We collaborate with tanning companies, innovation centers, and other stakeholders in the sector to optimize wastewater treatment and advance circular water economy models that enable resource reuse within the leather industry—thereby reducing the consumption of natural resources.

R&D Projects for New Environmental Challenges

IDR, a pioneer in biological water treatment, drives sustainability and continuous innovation in wastewater management for the leather industry.

With the willingness to share knowledge and facilitate innovation in the sector, IDR makes its testing facility available to other companies for advanced tertiary treatment.

IDR Test Bed

Pioneers in Biological Wastewater Treatment

Every day, specialized technicians from the treatment plant collect water samples from the 26 associated companies for analysis. The results obtained allow for precise understanding of the composition of each company's wastewater, enabling them to take the appropriate measures to minimize environmental impact.

Once at the treatment plant, the water undergoes physical, chemical, and biological processes to remove solids, suspended matter, and dissolved substances such as organic material and nitrogen, as well as color. Finally, the treated water is returned clean to the environment, meeting all established environmental standards.

A tour of the facilities and the treatment process

With constant and rigorous monitoring, we analyze wastewater daily, allowing us to accurately understand its composition and make real-time improvements to reduce environmental impact.

Advanced Technology in Service of Water

The wastewater is treated with oxygen to support the growth of specific bacteria that break down organic matter and transform pollutants through the natural nitrogen cycle. In the final stages, oxygen-free (anoxic) bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas, returning clean water to the environment with minimal impact.

This system offers a highly sustainable solution that reproduces nature's logic at every step.

Biological Purification: Water, Air, and Life in Harmony

The water purification process

Each day, specialized technicians from the treatment plant collect water samples proportional to the volume discharged by the 26 companies. These samples are analyzed in a specialized laboratory located at the A3 Innovation Center of the University of Lleida, on the Igualada Campus.

These analyses allow for precise knowledge of the composition of each company's wastewater and help detect any variation or anomaly. Thanks to this data, companies can adjust their processes to reduce environmental impact, while the treatment plant continuously adapts its treatment system to ensure optimal performance.

This constant adaptation between the companies and the treatment plant improves process efficiency, reduces pollution, and ensures sustainable water management.

Water samples from the tanneries

Once physically and chemically pre-treated, both industrial and municipal water enters Biological Reactor I. This tank is aerated using diffusers, and it fosters the growth of bacteria and protozoa essential for the degradation of organic matter.

From here, the water flows through two secondary clarifiers where the sludge settles by gravity. The clarified water is transferred to a feed tank for Biological Reactor II, while the settled sludge is either sent for sludge treatment or recirculated to maintain the appropriate biomass volume in the reactor.

Biological Reactor I

The plant includes four SBR (Sequential Batch Reactor) tanks, which are configurable to perform both nitrification and denitrification processes. Typically, two reactors are used for each process. These reactors are unique in their ability to carry out all phases of biological treatment within a single tank: filling, reaction, settling, decanting, and sludge purging.

The water enters the nitrification reactors, where specialized bacteria convert ammonium into nitrates through aeration. The resulting clarified water is then directed to Biological Reactor III.

Biological Reactor II

In denitrifying reactors, bacteria transform nitrates to nitrogen gas, which is released to the atmosphere, by adding new organic matter (desulfurized water) and in the absence of air. At the same time, tertiary treatment for color reduction is carried out using a coagulant.

Sludge from all biological reactors is collected in a biological sludge sump, from where it is pumped to sludge treatment.

Finally, the resulting clarified water reaches the outlet sump and is discharged to the municipal collector, which subsequently reaches the Vilanova del Camí municipal treatment plant.

Biological Reactor III

Water from the industrial line passes through a pH correction system to adjust it for the following stages of treatment. Part of the industrial water is directed straight to the first biological reactor, while the rest is treated in desulfurization tanks, where sulfides are transformed into sulfates through the addition of liquid oxygen. Once desulfurized, the water flows into the first biological reactor.

In addition to water treatment, the plant also includes deodorization systems such as chemical scrubbers. Air extracted from the pumping wells, desulfurization basins, and selective storage tanks is chemically treated to ensure no harmful pollutants are released into the atmosphere.

pH Adjustment and Desulfurization

Water enters the treatment plant's intake wells via collectors: one for industrial water and one for municipal water. These two water lines remain separate until they reach the first biological reactor. In these intake wells, coarse solids are removed using a clamshell bucket and filtration screens.

After the coarse solids are removed, the pumping well moves the water to the next phase, where medium-sized solids are extracted using two step screens. Finally, in the grease and sand traps, fats are removed by flotation, and sand is settled out by decantation.

Each type of waste removed at this stage is collected in separate containers for proper management.

Coarse screening

The facilities include a laboratory where daily analytical controls are carried out to ensure the efficiency of the treatment plant and to analyze the liquid waste received. From the offices, the plant is managed and monitored, ensuring coordinated operation and overall control.

The plant has two blower rooms to supply air to the reactors and tanks that require it. Nebulizers are also installed at strategic points throughout the plant to prevent the spread of unpleasant odors near the facility.

Additionally, there are three tanks dedicated to the selective and temporary storage of liquid waste, allowing for differentiated treatment based on the specific characteristics of each type.

Management and Maintenance Facilities

Sludge stabilization is carried out by adding lime slurry in the sludge chamber. Once stabilized, the sludge enters centrifuges for dehydration. A polyelectrolyte is also added to the centrifuge to flocculate the sludge and extract as much water as possible. The clarified water produced during this process is returned to Biological Reactor I.

Using an Archimedes screw, the dehydrated sludge is transported to storage silos, from where it is sent to the Jorba Composting Plant for bio-stabilization.

Deodorization systems are also in place here, using biological scrubbers. Air extracted from the sludge treatment room is biologically treated to prevent the release of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.

Stabilization and Dehydration of Sludge

Bio-stabilization of sludge takes place at the Jorba Composting Plant. The sludge delivered to the plant is unloaded and mixed with shredded wood to facilitate the bio-stabilization process. This mixture is moved into a decomposition area called the "meseta," where decomposition begins.

Subsequently, the entire meseta is turned over to aerate the material and promote further decomposition. When the temperature reaches 70 °C, hygienization occurs.

Finally, during the turning and screening phase, the grey compost is separated from the wood using a trommel screen. The wood is recirculated in the system, while the grey compost is properly managed.

Sludge Bio-stabilization

The water from Biological Reactor III will be treated through a flotation system to enhance quality before being discharged into the municipal collector.

DAF (Dissolved Air Flotation)

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Industrial Liquid Waste Management

Check the LER codes of the waste we are authorized to treat.

LER Codes List

We are pioneers in Catalonia for combining two core activities:

·       Industrial and urban wastewater treatment

·       Non-hazardous liquid waste management

Thanks to our advanced treatment technology, IDR can handle a wide variety of non-hazardous liquid waste streams with full environmental assurance.

Environmentally Guaranteed Liquid Waste Management

Our philosophy of continuous improvement drives us to optimize treatment processes through customized physicochemical and biological treatment tailored to each type of waste.

Non-Hazardous Liquid Waste Management Services

Leading the transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable industry.

Commitment to the Environment and to People

At our treatment plant, we are committed to sustainability and respect for the environment. Thus, all our energy comes from 100% renewable sources. The CNMC officially certifies that we use exclusively clean energy, reflecting our commitment to reducing environmental impact.

100% sustainable energy use certificate

ISO 14001:2015: Environmental management in the Treatment of wastewater and non-hazardous liquid waste

ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety in the Treatment of wastewater and non-hazardous liquid waste

ISO 9001:2015: Quality in the Treatment of wastewater and non-hazardous liquid waste

Our audits and certifications demonstrate our dedication to upholding best practices in sustainability, innovation, and safety across all our services.

Environmental Certifications and Audits

We conduct regular environmental audits and maintain certifications to ensure our practices meet the highest standards of sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Environmental Audits

Our biological treatment process optimizes the use of microorganisms to replace chemical agents, with the goal of minimizing environmental impact and promoting more sustainable and eco-friendly solutions.

Reduction in Chemical Use

100% of the energy we consume comes from renewable sources, and we operate our own solar panel system to enhance energy efficiency.

Renewable Energy

We take worker safety very seriously, with strict protocols in place to guarantee a safe working environment and full compliance with all health and safety regulations.

Occupational Safety and Risk Prevention

At IDR, our commitment to sustainability is reflected not only in our water treatment technology but also in the internal practices we adopt to minimize our environmental impact and ensure a safe and responsible working environment.

The Treatment Plant's Sustainable Commitment

This collaborative model has enabled IDR's partner companies to become greener and more competitive, setting a new standard of excellence in the tanning industry.

Looking ahead, we continue to innovate and explore circular economy models to move towards an increasingly efficient and environmentally responsible industry.

Our results from the beginning to the present

For centuries, tanners have recovered this byproduct of the food industry and recycled it into high-value sustainable consumer goods. This practice not only reduces waste but also promotes responsible use of resources.

Byproduct Valorization

At IDR, we are committed to the circular economy as the foundation for sustainable development. Tanners recover hides—byproducts of meat consumption, the main protein source for over 90% of the global population—and recycle them to prevent waste. These hides are transformed into elegant, noble, and useful products for society, contributing to sustainability through their durability and by being both biodegradable and compostable.

Commitment to the Circular Economy

The Sustainable Life Cycle of Leather

Catalan tanners, members of Leather Cluster Barcelona, remain committed to the zero-waste model. The cluster drives several initiatives to optimize the valorization of byproducts and reduce waste generated throughout the entire production process within the leather industry's value chain.

Path Towards Zero Waste

The wastewater treatment plant in Igualada, which currently treats the wastewater from 26 companies, is a pioneering model in Europe. Its advanced biological system significantly reduces both water consumption and the pollutant load associated with leather processing.

The Path Towards a Zero-Impact Industry

IDR enables wastewater from leather industry companies to contribute to sustainability efforts, driving a more environmentally responsible industry.

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