Stahl opens centre of excellence in India
Leather chemicals manufacturer Stahl formally opened its centre of excellence in Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh in India.
It explained that this centre will focus its efforts on sustainable leather technologies and is part of a five-year public-private partnership between Stahl, campaign group Solidaridad, volunteer organisation PUM Netherlands and local stakeholders.
Stahl said its aim is to reduce pollution, increase water efficiency and improve working conditions in the Kanpur and Unnao leather clusters, among the most important in India. The state government in Uttar Pradesh ordered the area’s 260 tanners to stop processing for months in an attempt to keep pollution levels in the River Ganges low for ritual bathing downriver at Allahabad during the 2019 Ardh Kumbh Mela religious festival.
The company said its centre of excellence would help leather manufacturers in this part of India introduce environmentally friendly technologies and processing methods and to train local tannery staff in best practice.
Its director of sustainability, Michael Costello, said: “Our experts will work side by side with tanners and other local partners to share knowledge and showcase the latest sustainability-driven solutions and technologies, with a particular focus on reducing water pollution in the nearby tanning clusters.”
