The Dutch leather chemicals and coatings supplier, Stahl, runs four centres of excellence where candidates from universities and tanneries are trained as leather technicians.

These centres, or campuses, are in the Netherlands, India, China, and Mexico.

The Stahl Campus Mexico is in the city of León, in Guanajuato state, and has been training a small group of students. Emphasis is laid on best practices in environmental care and sustainability.

Three participants from CICUR (Leather Industry Chamber of Guanajuato) attended a week-long beamhouse and tanning training at the centre of excellence at Stahl Mexico. Participants learned about conventional and Stahl’s sustainable solutions for leather processing.

The students observed the different possibilities and advantages of the sustainable processes, when compared to conventional systems as they processed hides using both technologies.

Here is an in depth look at all the topics the participants learned on Stahl Campus:

• Use of Postbiotics in leather processing
• Reduction of odour in the process and into the leather
• Liming process with reduced use of Sulphides and Lime
• Unhairing with hair saving
• Process time and water usage reduction
• Prevention with hydrogen sulfide gas
• Optimisation in chrome tanning
• Tanning free of metals
• Improving the quality and presentation of the tanned leather
• Reduction of contaminants in the process wastewaters