China sets new targets for leather industry pollution
17/02/2014
“China’s leather making industry tops the world in terms of scale of production, but there are prominent problems, for example, the large pollution load, mixed contents in wastewater, different pollution management levels, and little effort in promoting cleaner production,” said an official.
The MEP estimates tanneries generate 160 million tonnes of wastewater every year, containing about 404,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide,16,000 tonnes of ammonia nitrogen and 1,280 tonnes of chromium.
The new plan – part of a wider programme to cut pollution across a number of industries – has called for inspections of tanneries across the country. The MEP says small “non-competitive companies which own outdated production facilities, low-level technologies and poor environmental pollution treatment facilities” will be closed.
Pictured: Shanghai in smog
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