Santa Croce sull’Arno takes another step toward a more sustainable tanning industry. At Conceria BCN, the experimental station connected to the European project ReVOC4LIFE has officially entered into operation. The initiative was launched to develop innovative solutions for reducing atmospheric emissions and recovering materials and resources within the production cycle. BCN’s facility hosts the project’s pilot plant, designed to operate on an industrial scale within the Tuscan tanning district.
The most innovative aspect of the project is the use of KEU (sintered granulate), a by-product obtained from the treatment of sludge generated by the tanning industry. KEU is employed as a sorbent material to help remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air streams. The main objective of ReVOC4LIFE is to demonstrate that a waste-derived material can be successfully valorized in a high-tech process, providing a practical example of the circular economy in action. In addition to the use of KEU, the system also aims to recover solvents and reuse water in a closed-loop circuit, thereby reducing the overall environmental impact of conventional emission-abatement systems.
The first results presented by the project have shown encouraging signs. The prototype installed in Santa Croce sull’Arno has demonstrated promising potential in reducing VOC and PM10 emissions, lowering water consumption, and recovering part of the removed solvents. This achievement extends beyond the host tannery, potentially paving the way for solutions that can be replicated throughout the tanning district and, in the future, in other industrial sectors as well.
English (UK) 
Italiano