ABSTRACT. Leather industry has to cope nowadays with major environmental problems because of the polluting processes. Therefore, increasing the environmental efficiency in the leather sector is the major aim of leather, auxiliary materials and equipment manufacturers. The development of new tanning agents and new technologies is required to cope with the increasingly higher environmental pressure on the current tanning materials and processes such as tanning with chromium salts. This paper presents the main results obtained in the framework of INNOVA LEATHER project. The original contribution of this project in solving the above problems has involved the use of solid titanium wastes (cuttings) resulting from the process of obtaining highly pure titanium (ingots) in the preparation of new tanning compounds intended to increase the environmental efficiency of the leather sector. Also, within the above line, the aim is to obtain wetwhite leather by an organic tanning process in order to reduce chromium in tannery effluent. Another result obtained in the project is valorization of wet white leather waste as raw material for obtaining new biodegradable auxiliaries with application in agriculture, cosmetics and chemicals. KEY WORDS: tanning agents, wet white, FOC leather, waste valorization, cosmetics, soil remediation, sustainable development MATERIALE ªI TEHNOLOGII INOVATOARE PENTRU O PRODUCÞIE DURABILÃ ÎN SECTORUL PIELÃRIE-ÎNCÃLÞÃMINTE REZUMAT. Industria de pielãrie trebuie sã facã faþã în prezent unor probleme de mediu majore datorate proceselor poluante. Prin urmare, creºterea eficienþei de mediu în sectorul de pielãrie este obiectivul major al producãtorilor de piele, materiale auxiliare ºi echipamente. Este necesarã dezvoltarea unor noi agenþi de tãbãcire ºi noi tehnologii pentru a face faþã presiunii de mediu din ce în ce mai mare asupra materialelor ºi proceselor de tãbãcire actuale, cum ar fi tãbãcirea cu sãruri de crom. Aceastã lucrare prezintã principalele rezultate obþinute în cadrul proiectului INNOVA-LEATHER. Contribuþia originalã a acestui proiect la rezolvarea problemelor menþionate mai sus a implicat utilizarea deºeurilor solide de titan (ºpan) rezultate din procesul de obþinere a titanului foarte pur (lingouri) în prepararea unor noi compuºi tananþi cu scopul de a creºte eficienþa ecologicã a sectorului de pielãrie. De asemenea, în acelaºi context, scopul a fost de a obþine piele wet-white printr-un proces de tãbãcire organicã, pentru a reduce cantitatea de crom din efluenþii din tãbãcãrie. Alte rezultate obþinute în cadrul proiectului sunt valorificarea deºeurilor de piele wet-white ca materie primã pentru obþinerea unor noi auxiliari biodegradabili cu aplicaþii în agriculturã, produse cosmetice ºi substanþe chimice. CUVINTE CHEIE: agenþi tananþi, wet white, piele fãrã crom, valorificarea deºeurilor, cosmetice, remedierea solului, dezvoltare durabilã DES MATÉRIAUX ET DES TECHNOLOGIES INNOVANTES POUR LA PRODUCTION DURABLE DANS LE SECTEUR DU CUIR ET DES CHAUSSURESRÉSUMÉ. L'industrie du cuir doit main...

This paper presents key elements of the revised waste proposals. From the new waste proposals will benefits the economy, citizens and the environment. Clear rules, common standards and support for the use of more secondary raw materials will create a safe and sustainable supply of raw materials to the industry. This helps create new jobs, supports innovation and boosts competitiveness. Improved waste management rules will reduce landfill and tipping fees. Smarter use of resources is not only good for business, but will also help protect the environment preserve essential resources for current and future generations, and create synergies for industries which most depend on it-such as tourism, agriculture and food manufacturing.

Novel cross-linked hydrogels were synthesized as potential materials for the development of smart biofertilizers. For this purpose, hydrogels were prepared using collagen hydrolysate recovered from tannery waste. The water-soluble polymer poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (P(SSNa-co-GMAx)) was among others used for the cross-linking reaction that combined hydrophilic nature with epoxide groups. The synthetic procedure was thoroughly investigated in order to ensure high percentage of epoxide groups in combination with water-soluble behavior. The copolymer did not show cytotoxicity against normal lung, skin fibroblasts, or nasal polyps fibroblasts. Through the present work, we also present the ability to control the properties of cross-linked hydrogels by altering copolymer’s composition and cross-linking parameters (curing temperature and time). Hydrogels were then studied in terms of water-uptake capacity for a period up to six days. The techniques Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (1H NMR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC), and Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were applied for the characterization of the synthesized copolymers and the cross-linked hydrogels. Three samples of biofertilizers based on collagen hydrolysate functionalized with P(SSNa-co-GMAx) and starch and having nutrients encapsulated (N, P, K) were prepared and characterized by physical–chemical analysis and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis-Scanning Electron Microscope (EDAX-SEM) in terms of microstructure. Preliminary tests for application as fertilizers were performed including the release degree of oxidable organic compounds.

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The area of interest is the synthesis and study of properties of new types of hydrogels made from pelt waste, in order to recover waste from tanneries. Leather processing in tanneries results in about 500-600 kg of pelt waste from a ton of raw hides. These hydrogels are made using smart processes in order to then be applied in agriculture, for preservation of water in the soil or for controlled release of fertilizers, pesticides but also for the development of additivated agricultural film biodegradable over time (between 1 month and 6 months). Hydrogels that are based on biopolymers, compared with hydrogels based on synthetic polymers, have the advantage of biodegradability, biocompatibility, and a low level of toxicity. The paper presents the production of biodegradable polymer mixtures obtained from hydrolysis and enrichment of the resulting hydrolysate with phosphorus and potassium. Hydrogels with collagenous structure are tested using a high-performance instrumental analysis system (FT-IR-ATR, UV-Vis-NIR, SEM, EDAX, etc). The paper presents an experimental model for obtaining hydrogels with collagenous structure from pelt waste resulting from the liming process.

The study aims at reusing and recycling the protein hide waste from the leather industry in ecological conditions by elaborating an innovative procedure in order to obtain a collagen matrix functionalized with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) nutrients to be used for preparing smart fertilizers. This is an interdisciplinary approach, as it starts from hide waste raw material as a critical industrial waste, which is then subjected to several technological steps by selection of optimal processing parameters, followed by product fabrication at the laboratory, and next scales to the industrial pilot plant to obtain novel agro-hydrogels. In this context, the technology scheme for collagen hydrolysate with encapsulated nutrients was proposed and the process parameters were optimized by functionalization of agro-hydrogels with various natural and synthetic polymers, such as polyacrylamide, poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) copolymer, starch or dolomite. Based on the laboratory experiments, a pilot plant was constructed and tested. Taking as reference the collagen hydrolysate with encapsulated nutrients, the new fertilizers were adequately characterized by chemical analysis, determination of biodegradability and the degree of release of oxidable compounds in water. Based on the biodegradation mechanism and kinetic analysis of oxidable compounds release, adequate arguments are evidenced to demonstrate that these fertilizers can be applied for amendment of poor agricultural soils.

Hydrogels have drawn the interest of researchers over the past decade, due to their intrinsic properties for applications in medicine, agriculture [1,2], food industry, pharmaceuticals, environmental protection and biomaterials, etc. Obtaining hydrogels with collagen structure by hydrolyzing pelt waste and using them for applications in agriculture is a novelty, considering that the collagen structure is currently used only in medicine. The paper presents an experimental model for obtaining hydrogels with collagenous structure from pelt waste resulting from the liming process. As a biological material, the hydrogel with collagen structure is a complex medium, optimal for the development of a variety of biodeteriogenic organisms due to a considerable amount of protein as well as the presence of lipids and carbohydrates that provide an excellent nutrient substrate for many biological species. During the phase of incorporation into the soil of the collagen hydrogel, proteolytic bacteria develop particularly, stimulated by humidity and possibly by temperature, thus producing biodegradation.The paper presents the methodology for studying the biodegradability of collagen hydrogel with encapsulated nutrients.

This paper presents the 7th EAP-the new general Union Environment Action Programme to 2020. Through this Programme, the EU has agreed to step up its efforts to protect our natural capital, stimulate resource-efficient, low-carbon growth and innovation, and safeguard people's health and wellbeing-while respecting the Earth's natural limits. It's a common strategy that should guide future action by the EU institutions and the Member States, who share responsibility for its implementation and the achievement of its priority objectives. It identifies three key objectives: a) to protect, conserve and enhance the Union's natural capital; b) to turn the Union into a resource-efficient, green, and competitive low-carbon economy; c) to safeguard the Union's citizens from environment-related pressures and risks to health and wellbeing.