Chrome-free leather tanning!
An important and revealing front-page article on the subject was published in a local English daily on 18 April, which should be of interest to the environment protectors and owners of tanneries. It was reported that most tannery owners were reluctant to adopt this safe and interesting new development in leather tanning from BCSIR. The authorities should call the tannery owners and explain the advantages of this process. They should give them a simple and easy written pamphlet; if necessary with sketches, and cost and other savings, explaining and describing the new tanning process.
This is the best way to convince the tanneries, since they are set in their proven ways, and normally reluctant to change. Also, BCSIR should train the concerned tannery owners and technicians on how to do the tanning with the new chemical instead of the one they now use. This sort of mutual bilateral interaction will be useful in convincing the tannery owners in a positive manner. After all, changing an established process needs understanding and it should be convincing for the users.
The prospective users must be told and shown that using the new chemical, in no way deteriorates the quality of yield of finished tanned leather!
The important fact of preventing skin and other infections and diseases because of using chromium salts in tanning must be explained to the workers.
The crux of the issue is 'operating costs' for the changed process. One positive step will be to offer lower import duty and taxes, if the new chemical is to be imported, compared to the chromium compounds now in use; so that specific cost per unit area of leather is reduced, This will be the catalyst as all manufacturers consider seriously any idea of cost reduction.
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