Skip to main content
ARS Home » Northeast Area » Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania » Eastern Regional Research Center » Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #383593
Research Project: Commercial Products from Lipids and Fibers

Location: Sustainable Biofuels and Co-products Research

Title: Conversion of tannery waste into value-added products

Author
item CHEN, NUSHENG - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE)
item Brown, Eleanor - Ellie
item Liu, Cheng Kung

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2021
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: This chapter examines various state-of-the-art technologies to convert tannery waste into value-added products. Leather tanning utilizes byproducts from the meat industry to manufacture high-quality-leather goods, while also results in an enormous amount of tannery wastes. The improper disposal of these wastes has imposed a heavy burden on our environment and caused considerable economic loss. With the above-mentioned concerns, recent efforts have been exerted to advance the transformation of tannery wastes to valuable coproducts and reduce the contamination of waste. Various types of wastes are generated at different stages of leather making process including raw trimmings, fleshings, chrome shavings, buffing dust, keratin hair, etc. To explore their alternative use, the following main areas have been extensively studied by researchers: preparation collagen or its hydrolysate for multiple applications, production of biobased materials, adsorbent materials, bioenergy application, agricultural fertilizer, animal dietary and fermentation feedstock. We have carefully reviewed existing technologies and opportunities for the valorization of tannery wastes, as well as discussed the challenges we have to face. The objective of this chapter is to allow readers to have a clear picture of the potential of using tannery wastes as a low-cost raw material to yield value-added products, which could overcome environmental problems and generate economic profits.