The leather chemical industry is a key component of the tanning sector’s supply chain, producing leather goods for tanneries based on designs created by fashion house designers and submitted to the tanneries. Developing a product involves developing or substantially modifying various stages of the production process, in terms of both the nature and type of chemicals used and the operating conditions of the chemical, physical and thermal processes to which the leather is subjected.

Chemical manufacturers therefore not only develop new products but also new leather treatment processes, supplying tanneries not only with raw materials but also with what are known as ‘formulations’ – that is, protocols for carrying out production processes. It should be noted that raw hides (with the hair still on), as received from slaughterhouses, undergo at least ten chemical processes (from re-greening to tanning, retanning and finishing), interspersed with mechanical and thermal processes (dehairing, splitting, drying, stretching and fulling), before they are ready for sale.

With the evolution of the REACH regulation, the international ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) programme, and the requirements set out in fashion houses’ specifications, the tanning chemicals industry is at the forefront of the supply chain in making the Italian fashion system increasingly sustainable and competitive, through the transition to processes based on reduced consumption of energy, raw materials and water, which, in the tanning sector, is the main component of processes alongside leather.

This transition is based on three key points:

• The reduction, and ultimately the elimination, of hazardous raw materials that have a high environmental impact and are derived from fossil fuels, such as metal-based tanning agents, glutaraldehyde and bisphenols.

• The development of new products derived from natural (bio-based) sources that are biodegradable and multifunctional, capable of replacing various products in terms of their technological functionality, thereby simplifying operational processes and reducing energy, raw material and water consumption.

• Develop new, more efficient processes for the production of chemicals and the processing of leather, so as to generate wastewater, emissions and waste that have a reduced environmental impact, are more biodegradable and are therefore less resistant to treatment in wastewater treatment plants.

Il fine ultimo di questa strategia di implementazione di pratiche di sostenibilità è l’estensione e il consolidamento a tutta la filiera moda, così che ogni soggetto appartenente a questa possa essere in grado di dichiarare i propri impatti ambientali che sommati assieme forniscono l’impatto ambientale complessivo del prodotto finito, come le calzature, articoli di abbigliamento e di pelletteria. This objective is in line with, and ahead of, future market demands in accordance with the new draft European regulations on eco-design and the electronic product passport (Regulation 2022/0095 of 30 March 2022) and the fight against greenwashing (Regulation 2023/0085 of 22 March 2023).

In this regard, KLF Tecnokimica srl has launched a programme to expand and modernise its production facilities through an investment involving the opening of a new production site in S. Croce and the purchase and upgrading of various chemical production plants. The aim of the SMART-KLF project is to develop an Industry 4.0 production process control system that integrates individual process equipment (reactors, auxiliary heating/cooling systems, process sensors, loading tanks with automated loading) through the use of industrial PCs connected to a governance software platform, which is in turn integrated with the company’s management software.

The governance software will be implemented using AI algorithms to develop and implement a system for monitoring and optimising production. To round off the measures aimed at implementing practices to improve sustainability performance, KLF intends to embark on a process to obtain ISO 14001 and SA 8000 system certifications and to assess circularity. For the implementation of the SMART KLF project, the company will engage qualified suppliers to provide the following services, which fall under the DIGITAL & SMART section.

CLASS A Services B.5.9 – Industrial communication network (Industrial Internet of Things) B.5.10 – Artificial Intelligence CLASS B Services B.5.1 – Development of ‘Horizontal/Vertical Integration’ solutions B.5.2 – Implementation of ‘Cloud computing’ solutions B.5.4 – Cybersecurity CLASS C services B.6.1 – Sustainability certification support services B.6.4 – Circular economy support services.

Project duration: January 2024 – January 2025
Total budget: €150,000.00
Co-funding from the Region of Tuscany: €93,500.00