Natuzzi financial results announced

Italy

Published: 30 April, 2010

The board of directors of Natuzzi, a world leading furniture company, announced on March 25 the
financial results for the full year 2009.

Net sales for full year 2009 were €515 million, decreasing by 22.6% with respect to €666 million reported in 2008. Upholstery sales were €451 million down by 23.3% from €588 million in 2008. The contribution by geographic area was: Europe 46.7% (excluding Italy); Americas 31.0%; Italy 11.9% and rest of the world 10.4%.For full year 2009 the group reported an industrial margin of €186 million, or 36.0% on total net sales, up from 28.1% in 2008. Operating loss was €10.6 million compared to an operating loss of € 35.0 million reported in 2008.The group reported a net result of €17.7 million for full year 2009 as compared with a net loss of €61.9 million for 2008, with an improvement of approximately €44.2 million.

Balance sheet

Natuzzi Group ended Year 2009 with a Net Financial Position of €58.5 million. Net cash increase of €24.7 million was mainly due to a reduction in working capital. Long term debt totaled €5.9 million. Shareholder equity was €325 million.

Pasquale Natuzzi, chairman and ceo, commented: ‘We are very pleased with the Natuzzi Group positive trend in the key economic margins occurred during 2009. Such result, achieved despite decreasing sales as a consequence of the ongoing global crisis, is mainly due to the deep restructuring process started in 2009 and still in progress. Bringing the group back to profitability is an ambitious but a reachable goal toward which the whole management is fully committed.’

1st May the labour day. Is industry paying full attention and caring about their labours?

We are very thankful for those labors who sacrificed their lives against capitalism and they fought for their right. Its all  because of them that we have some right while working in industry we have duty hours and salary package and some other facilities. We all must remember those brave people who came on Chicago roads for their right I always teach my family to learn more and more and to become a skilled and useful citizen. How deeply they are interested in study look at them. I do not want to make them a labor.     
May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half of a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European pagan and neopagan festivals such as Samhain. May Day marks the end of the uncomfortable winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations.

As Europe became Christianized the pagan holidays lost their religious character and either changed into popular secular celebrations, as with May Day, or were merged with or replaced by new Christian holidays as with Christmas, Easter, and All Saint's Day. In the twentieth century, many neopagans began reconstructing the old traditions and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival again.
Origins

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian, with the festival of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May 1. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.[2]
 Asia
 India

In India, ‘May Day’ is commemorated as ‘Labour Day’. The ‘Labour Day’ begins with the United States labour movement in 19th century. The labour movement was started on May 1, 1886 in United States. Some labour organizations in the country called on strike because they wanted 8-hour working days. There was carnage in Haymarket Square in Chicago on May 4th. A rebel threw a bomb into that area. Nearly 12 people including a few police officers died. About 100 people were wounded.

The rebels did not find an urgent result. But they gained a successful result slowly. When 8-hour working days became a reality, it became a standard in many countries around the world. ‘Labour Day’ was therefore selected as a day for rallies, processions and speeches. ‘Labour Day’ is a most important holiday in United States, Russia and other socialist nations.

‘Labour Day’ is an event observed on May 1 in many countries around the globe. ‘Labour Day’ is now frequently a day for processions and parades. Nevertheless, in current years, the commemoration of this day has obtained a new roll, where the workers and trade organizations claim for safety and give the financial growth a humane countenance.

MAY is the stylish month of the year and MAYDAY is stylish day of the year.
 China

1 May is celebrated as Labour Day in China. It is a public holiday.
[edit] Europe
[edit] England

Roodmas was a Christian Mass celebrated in England at midnight on May 1.
Morris dancing on May Day in Oxford, England 2004.

Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a Maypole. Much of this tradition derive from the pagan Anglo-Saxon customs held during "Þrimilci-mōnaþ"[3] (the Old English name for the month of May meaning Month of Three Milkings).

May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries. With Christianity came agricultural feasts such as Plough Sunday (the first Sunday in January), Rogationtide, Harvest Festival and May Day. It is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings. Since May 1st is the Feast of St Philip & St James, they became the patron saints of workers. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give farm labourers a day off. Perhaps the most significant of the traditions is the Maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons.

The May Day Bank Holiday, on the first Monday in May, was traditionally the only one to affect the state school calendar, although new arrangements in some areas to even out the length of school terms mean that the Good Friday and Easter Monday Bank Holidays, which vary from year to year, may also fall during term time.

1 May 1707 was the day the Act of Union came into effect, joining England and Scotland to form the Kingdom of Great Britain.

In Oxford, it is traditional for May Morning revellers to gather below the Great Tower of Magdalen College at 6.00am to listen to the college choir sing traditional madrigals as a conclusion to the previous night's celebrations. It is then thought to be traditional for some people to jump off Magdalen Bridge into the River Cherwell. However this has actually only been fashionable since the 1970s. In recent years the bridge has been closed on 1 May to prevent people from jumping, as the water under the bridge is only 2 feet (61 cm) deep and jumping from the bridge has resulted in serious injury in the past yet there are still people who insist on climbing the barriers and leaping into the water, causing injury.[4]

In Durham, students of the University of Durham gather on Prebend's Bridge at 5am to see the sunrise and enjoy festivities, folk music, dancing, madrigal singing and a barbecue breakfast. This is an emerging Durham tradition, with patchy observance since 2002.

A good example of more traditional May Day festivities is still witnessed in Whitstable, Kent where the Jack in the Green festival was revived in 1976 and continues to lead an annual procession of morris dancers through the town on the May Bank Holiday. A separate revival occurred in Hastings in 1983 and has become a major event in the town calendar. Padstow also holds its annual 'Obby 'Oss festival. A traditional Sweeps Festival is performed over the May bank holiday in Rochester, Kent where the Jack In the Green is woken at dawn on the 1st of May by Morris dancers.
 Sawbridgeworth

The town of Sawbridgeworth in Hertfordshire is well known for its mayday celebrations; Getting lagged in one of the 11 fine Public Houses around the town and finishing off at the Good In'Tent' for the world renowned, and as one man put it a "brilliant hog roast". This tradition has gone on for many years and will undoubtedly continue to do so untill the day hell freezes.
 Maydayrun

The Maydayrun involves thousands of motorbikes taking a 55-mile (89 km) trip from London (Locksbottom) to the Hastings seafront, East Sussex. The event has been taking place for almost 30 years now and has grown in interest from around the country, both commercially and publicly. The event is not officially organised; the police only manage the traffic, while volunteers manage the parking.
 Cornwall - South West England

Padstow in Cornwall holds its annual 'Obby-Oss' day of festivities. This is believed to be one of the oldest fertility rites in the UK; revellers dance with the Oss through the streets of the town and even through the private gardens of the citizens, accompanied by accordion players and followers dressed in white with red or blue sashes who sing the traditional 'May Day' song. The whole town is decorated with springtime greenery, and every year thousands of onlookers attend. Prior to the 19th century distinctive May day celebrations were widespread throughout West Cornwall and have recently been revived in St. Ives and in 2008 will be revived in Penzance.

Kingsand, Cawsand and Millbrook in Cornwall celebrate Flower Boat Ritual on the May Day bank holiday. A model of the ship The Black Prince is covered in flowers and is taken in procession from the Quay at Millbrook to the beach at Cawsand where it is cast adrift. The houses in the villages are decorated with flowers and people traditionally wear red and white clothes. There are further celebrations in Cawsand Square with Morris dancing and May pole dancing.
Finland

While most celebrations take place on Mayday eve (see Walpurgis Night in Finland), May Day itself is a public holiday that is the only carnival-style festivity in the country. People, particularly students party on this day, arranging picnics and wearing the student cap. However, all political organizations, including right and left wing parties, also arrange speeches and such events.
 Ireland

A traditional May Day has been celebrated in Ireland since pagan times as the feast of Bealtaine and in latter times as Mary's day, bonfires are lit to mark the coming of summer and to banish the long nights of winter. (Officially Irish Mayday bank holiday is now on the first Monday in May).
 France

On May 1st, 1561, King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom on the 1st of May, to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them free of taxation. It is also traditional for the lady receiving the spray of lily of valley to give a kiss in return. Now, people may present loved ones with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers [5]
 Germany
A stamp from East Germany celebrating the 100-year anniversary of International Workers Day on 1 May 1990.

In rural regions of Germany, especially the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht celebrations of Pagan origin are traditionally held on the night before May Day, including bonfires and the wrapping of maypoles, and young people use this opportunity to party, while the day itself is used by many families to get some fresh air. Motto: "Tanz in den Mai!" ("Dance into May!"). In the Rhineland, a region in the western part of Germany, May 1 is also celebrated by the delivery of a tree covered in streamers to the house of a girl the night before. The tree is typically from a love interest, though a tree wrapped only in white streamers is a sign of dislike. On leap years, it is the responsibility of the females to place the maypole, though the males are still allowed and encouraged to do so.
[edit] Scotland

In St Andrews, some of the students gather on the beach late on April 30 and run into the North Sea at sunrise on May Day, occasionally naked. This is accompanied by torchlit processions and much elated celebration.

Both Edinburgh and Glasgow organize Mayday festivals and rallies. In Edinburgh, the Beltane Fire Festival is held on the evening of May eve and into the early hours of May Day on the city's Calton Hill.
[edit] Pacific

In Hawaii, May Day is also known as Lei Day, and is normally set aside as a day to celebrate island culture in general and native Hawaiian culture in particular. While it was invented by a poet and a local newspaper columnist in the 1920s, it has since been adopted by state and local government as well as by the residents, and has taken on a sense of general spring celebration there. The first Lei Day was proposed in 1927 in Honolulu. Leonard "Red" and Ruth Hawk composed "May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i," the traditional holiday song. Originally it was a contemporary fox trot, later rearranged as the Hawaiian hula song performed today.
Americas
May Day festivities at National Park Seminary in Maryland, 1907.

May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. In some parts of the United States, May Baskets are made. These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The basket giver would ring the bell and run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the fleeing giver. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.[citation needed]

Modern May Day ceremonies in the U.S. vary greatly from region to region and many unite both the holiday's "Green Root" (pagan) and "Red Root" (labor) traditions[6]. Among the largest is the May Day Parade and Pageant created by In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, an event that has happened every year since 1975 in Minneapolis and now attracts some 35,000 people.

May 1 also is recognized in the U.S. as Law Day.[7]
 International Workers' Day
Approximately 700,000 people at a May Day concert in Rome [8]
Main article: International Workers' Day

May Day can refer to various labour celebrations conducted on May 1 that commemorate the fight for the eight hour day. May Day in this regard is called International Workers' Day, or Labour Day. The idea for a "workers holiday" began in Australia in 1856; after a Stonemason's victory, April 22nd was "Eight-Hour Day", a public holiday.[9][10] With the idea having spread around the world, the choice of May 1st became a commemoration by the Second International for the people involved in the 1886 Haymarket affair.[11]

The Haymarket affair occurred during the course of a three-day general strike in Chicago, Illinois, United States that involved common laborers, artisans, merchants, and immigrants.[12] Following an incident in which police opened fire and killed four strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. plant, a rally was called for the following day at Haymarket Square. Towards the end of the rally, as police moved in to disperse the event, an unknown assailant threw a bomb into the crowd of police. The bomb and resulting police riot left at least a dozen people dead, including seven policemen.[13] A sensational show trial ensued in which eight defendants were openly tried for their political beliefs, and not necessarily for any involvement in the bombing.[14] The trial led to the eventual public hanging of four anarchists.[15] The Haymarket incident was a source of outrage from people around the globe. In the following years, memory of the "Haymarket martyrs" was remembered with various May Day job actions and demonstrations.[16]

May Day has become an international celebration of the social and economic achievements of the labour movement. Although the commemoration of May Day as International Workers' Day received its inspiration from the United States, the U.S. Congress designated May 1 as Loyalty Day in 1958 due to the day's perceived appropriation by the Soviet Union.[17] Alternatively, Labor Day traditionally occurs on the first Monday in September in the United States. People often use May Day as a day for political protest, such as the million people who demonstrated against far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen in France, or as a day for protest against government actions, such as rallies in support of undocumented workers across the United States.

Clariant Q1 improvement

Switzerland
Published: 29 April, 2010

Clariant, the specialty chemicals maker, announced on April 29 sales of CHF 1.817 billion in the first quarter 2010, compared to CHF 1.604 billion in the previous year, an improvement of 13% in Swiss Francs and 16% in local currency. However, sales were still clearly behind pre-crisis levels. The Q1 results the new Leather Services business were highlighted as performing well. (US$1 = CHF 1.08)

Sales improved significantly compared to the low base a year ago and also strengthened on a quarter-on-quarter basis. Especially in the business units (BU) Pigments, Additives, Leather Services and Masterbatches, sales growth was above the average group level. At the regional level, growth in Asia - and particularly in China with local currency sales growth of +65% - outperformed the other regions compared to the first quarter of 2009. Europe and North America showed double-digit sales growth while Latin America remained slightly behind as the region had showed resilience against the downturn in the previous year.
The gross margin improved to 28.7% from 18.9% a year ago. This positive development was a result of mainly three effects. Firstly, 20% higher sales volumes that led to improved capacity utilization rates and therefore significantly lower idle facility costs. Secondly, a favorable business / product mix with higher margin businesses recovering from trough levels seen in the previous year. And thirdly, the absence of any material inventory de- or revaluation effects. While sales prices dropped 4%, raw material costs fell 1% compared to the first quarter 2009, resulting in a negative squeeze at the gross margin level. However, sales prices increased from the fourth quarter 2009, as a result of the stringent focus on managing the gross margin by adapting sales prices where appropriate. Clariant will continue to increase sales prices in order to react to higher raw material costs.
Mainly as a result of some project-related one-time costs, SG&A increased to CHF 307 million compared to CHF 281 million during the same period a year ago. In percentage of sales SG&A costs fell to 16.9% from 17.5%.
Resulting from a higher gross margin and the positive impact of the decisive implementation of restructuring measures, the operating income (EBIT) before exceptional items reached CHF 183 million and improved significantly - not only compared to the previous year quarter (CHF -13 million) - but also compared to the third and fourth quarter of 2009. The EBIT margin before exceptional items improved to 10.1% from -0.8% a year ago.
Restructuring and impairment costs amounted to CHF 110 million. The number of job positions was reduced to 17,331 from 17,536 during the quarter. However, despite these restructuring expenses, Clariant reported a net profit of CHF 10 million compared to a net loss of CHF 91 million a year ago based on the favorable development of the operating income.
Cash flow from operations amounted to CHF 159 million and was at about the same level as in the previous year period (CHF 156 million). Contrary to a year ago when the reduction of net working capital was the main driver, cash flow generation in the first quarter this year was mainly driven by the improved operational performance. Net working capital as a percentage of sales was lower at 20.2% and in reach of our below 20% target at the end of 2010.
Clariant continued to strengthen its balance sheet by increasing its cash position to CHF 1,241 million compared to CHF 1,140 million at the end of 2009. Net debt was further reduced to CHF 378 million and the company's gearing - net debt divided by equity - further improved to 20%.

Outlook
In spite of a better than expected economic environment in the first quarter the global economy will recover only slowly. Based on this scenario and giving reference to the fact that the second half of the year is normally weaker than the first half, Clariant expects mid single digit sales growth compared to 2009. Operating cash flow will remain strong.
As announced previously, 2009 and 2010 are restructuring years. The continuation of the restructuring efforts will result in a further reduction of job positions as well as further site and plant consolidation. Restructuring and impairment costs will amount to CHF 250 - 300 million in 2010.
Clariant will continue to focus on generating cash, reducing costs and reducing complexity, resulting in a positive impact on the operating result. First quarter operating income must not be taken as a basis for the full-year result due to the still fragile economic environment. The EBIT margin before exceptional items is expected to be above the 2008 level of 6.6%.
Clariant confirms its target of an above industry average return on invested capital (ROIC) by the end of 2010.

CEO Hariolf Kottmann commented: ‘We have made good progress in our restructuring efforts and continued to deliver solid results on the back of lower costs, higher capacity utilization and an improved demand due to an economic environment that developed more favorably than expected. Going forward, we expect the economic recovery to remain fragile and raw material costs to further rise heading into the seasonally weaker second half of the year. Consequently, we do not anticipate an operating performance at the same strong level of the first quarter. As we have stated previously, 2009 and 2010 are restructuring years and our goal is to close the performance gap to our peers. Hence we will decisively focus on managing our margins and vigorously continue our restructuring efforts in 2010. Under the current business conditions, the EBIT margin before exceptional items for the full-year is expected to be.’



Clariant improve but demand remains weak
Switzerland
Published: 04 November, 2009

Clariant, the worldwide specialty chemicals maker, announced on November 4, sales of CHF 1.69 billion ($1.65 billion) in the third quarter, compared to CHF 2.09 billion ($2.05 billion) during the same period in the previous year. This represents a 19% decline in Swiss Francs, and 14% in local currency.

Sales stabilised during the third quarter. Although there was a modest pick up in some businesses and regions, overall demand remained at low levels with no signs of a sustainable upward trend. Volumes declined by 11% and prices were 3% lower compared to the third quarter 2008.
All divisions contributed to the recovery in operating income before exceptional items over the last three quarters. The stringent focus on restructuring as well as a slight recovery in demand - in particular in the Textiles and Leather businesses - led to an improved profitability of the Textiles, Leather & Paper Chemicals Division.
During the quarter the company continued to invest in restructuring efforts. Overall 1,917 job positions have already been made redundant and a further 800 have been identified. The total headcount of the company by year-end is expected to be below 18,000 compared to 20,102 at the end of 2008.
Clariant ceo, Hariolf Kottmann commented: ‘The focus on improving cash flow, decreasing costs and reducing complexity continued to have a positive impact on our results. Sales declines of more than 20% in some businesses indicate that despite a stabilisation in demand we are still far from a sustainable recovery. In this environment, our cost savings have not yet been sufficient to fully compensate for the demand weakness. As we need to close the performance gap to our peers and as we don’t see a sustainable recovery in our industry in the next quarters, we will continue to implement additional restructuring and cost saving measures.’
Outlook
For the full year 2009, Clariant expects sales in local currencies to decrease 16-20% compared to 2008. Cash flow is expected to remain strong as a result of ongoing stringent net working capital management. In the traditionally weak fourth quarter, Clariant expects an improved operating income before exceptional items compared to the fourth quarter of 2008
Going forward Clariant will continue its restructuring efforts with estimated restructuring costs of CHF 200-300 million ($196-294 million) in 2009 and further job reductions in 2009 and 2010.

Industrial wastewater treatment

Leather industry
In many countries directives have been issued concerning the quality of waste to be discharged directly into a main drain or indirectly into a central treatment plant. For small and medium sized enterprises an independent treatment plant is uneconomic and a system of discharge into central treatment plant is preferable. The minimum requirement for the substance to be discharged differs considerably from one country to another. The average values indicated refer to Germany.
Settling substances
Max. 0.5 mg per liter.
A distinction is made between biodegradable and non-biodegradable solids. Measures for reduction: mechanical separation (sieves, coarse filter). Add highly polymerized sedimentation agents or flocculating agents such as iron sulphate, or aluminum chloride.
Aluminum

Max. 3 mg per liter
Thought to inhibit growth in plants and to be one of the factors causing Alzheimer disease, however this has not yet been proven. Measures for reduction: flocculation of the residual liquors, washing and rinsing floats by adding alkalies.
Ammonia nitrogen
Max. 10 mg per liter.
Is produced through the use of nitrogen-containing products and disturbs biological degradation in the wastewater treatment plant by nitrification and high chemical oxygen demand. Measures for reduction: use nitrogen-free products, especially in the deliming process.
AOX
Max. 5mg per liter
AOX =refers to substances containing adsorbable, organically bound halogen. They exit particularly in chlorinated fatliquoring agents. Measures for reduction: use AOX- free products.
Chloride (salt)
A limit value does not exit yet. Very high concentration may promote destructive attack of cement building material or inhibit biological degradation. Measure for reduction:
Do not introduce the very large amount of curing salt into the production process. Reduce the amounts employed in pickling by using non-swelling acids.
Chromium (III) compounds
Max. 1 gm per liter
Measure for reduction:
Use tannage methods with a high degree of exhaustion, short-float methods, recirculation of residual and washing floats and recycling by precipitation and redissolution, good fixation of chromium salts in the leather.
Chromium (VI)
Discharge not allowed: do not use oxidizing agents if processing chrome-tanned leathers in the beamhouse.
COD and BOD values
COD = Chemical oxygen demand. Max. 160 mg/O2 per liter.
BOD = biological oxygen demand in 5 days.
Max. 25 mg/O2 per liter.
Measure for reduction: do not use oxygen –demanding products, cut down oxygen demand by flocculation, sedimentation and biological degradation.
Iron content
Max. 3 mg per liter
Substances extractable with petroleum ether (fatty substances)
Max. 20 mg per liter.
Natural and synthetic fatty substances are not bio-degradable. Measures for reduction: remove adherent fatty substances to a large extent by preliminary fleshing before processing, dispose of fatty connective tissue from fleshing (furrier`s waste) separately after liming, collect degreasing floats separately, allow them to settle down and remove suspended fat by decanting. Remove fat and oils discharged into the collecting or settling basin by means of a separator.
Halogen organic solvents
Discharge not allowed: if their use is necessary in degreasing systems they should recycled by redistillation
Hydroxyl ethylated phenols (APEO)
In Germany no longer produced owing to voluntary renunciation on the part of the manufactures.
APEO surfactants are hardly biodegradable and their metabolites are toxic to fish. Can be replaced by fatty alcohol polyether hydroxylates without problems.
Phosphorus (total)
Max. 2 mg per liter.
Phosphate ions can cause eutrophication of the waters if they exit in large amounts. In most causes limit values are insignificant when the phosphate is discharged indirectly because larger waste water treatment plants are equipped with phosphate precipitators. Mainly contained in detergents and cleaning agents and in some synthetic fatliquoring agents on the basis of phosphoric esters.
Free phenols
Max. 10 mg per liter
The products may contain different amounts of free phenols depending on the manufacturing processes of synthetic tanning agents based on phenols. In the past years industry has succeeded in producing tanning agents containing small amount of free phenols or not containing free phenols at all.
pH value
A pH value of 6.0 -9.0 is demanded
The limit values can be met in most cases by mixing acid and alkaline waste water floats. If the pH value is below or above this limit, acid or alkali should be added for neutralization.
Sulphates
Max. 200 mg pr liter
If present in high concentrations, cement building material may be attacked and destroyed. Measure for reduction; use products having a low sulphate content for beamhouse processes and replace sulphuric acid by other inorganic or organic acids.
Sulphides
Max. 1 mg per liter
Waste water containing sulphides should be collected separately in a collection basin as a split stream. Discharging it directly in treatment plants causes the formation of dangerous hydrogen sulphides by the presence of acid waste water floats.
Measure for removal of sulphides:
1. Catalytic further oxidation by ventilation and addition of manganese sulphate or manganese chloride (180- 200 g per m3)
2. Treatment by introducing flue gas. To dispose of large quantities of sulphide-containing floats, or if the amounts of flue gas are insufficient. Sulphuric dioxide should be additionally introduced.
3. Precipitation of sulphide by adding iron (II) sulphate. The iron (II) sulphide which is formed is deep black. It can be converted into brown iron (III) hydroxide by intensive ventilation. The disadvantage of this method is that very large amounts of sludge are produced.
Sulphite
Max. 1gm per liter
Measure for reduction
Reduce the use of products containing sulphite.
Temperature
Max. Discharge temperature 35 0 C
Toxic substances
Discharged not allowed
Biological degradation in treatment plants is disturbed by the presence of toxic, organic compounds and may be inhibited completely. The waste water is tested by the fish test. A dilution ratio of 1: 5 must not be toxic.
Water polluting substances
According to the German Water Conservation Law water-pollutants are solid, liquid or gaseous substances which are capable of changing the physical, chemical and biological properties of water unfavorably.
The water –polluting substances have been classified in four classes of pollutants (WGK) and listed in a catalogue:
WGK 3 = highly water-polluting substances
WGK 2 = water-polluting substances
WGK 1= slightly water –polluting substances
WGK 0 = substances which in general have no water- polluting effect.
The assessment of water-polluting potential is based on specific properties of the substances:
Acute toxicity for mammals, aquatic toxicity for fish dolphins, algae and bacteria, biological degradability a biotic degradability (hydrolyses, photolysis, oxidation)
Soil mobility ability to accumulate biologically, carcinogenic effect, teratogenic effect




Iron and steel industry
The production of iron from its ores involves powerful reduction reactions in blast furnaces. Cooling waters are inevitably contaminated with products especially ammonia and cyanide. Production of coke from coal in coking plants also requires water cooling and the use of water in by-products separation. Contamination of waste streams includes gasification products such as benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, cyanide, ammonia, phenols, cresols together with a range of more complex organic compounds known collectively as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
The conversion of iron or steel into sheet, wire or rods requires hot and cold mechanical transformation stages frequently employing water as a lubricant and coolant. Contaminants include hydraulic oils, tallow and particulate solids. Final treatment of iron and steel products before onward sale into manufacturing includes pickling in strong mineral acid to remove rust and prepare the surface for tin or chromium plating or for other surface treatments such as galvanisation or painting. The two acids commonly used are hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. Wastewaters include acidic rinse waters together with waste acid. Although many plants operate acid recovery plants, (particularly those using Hydrochloric acid), where the mineral acid is boiled away from the iron salts, there remains a large volume of highly acid ferrous sulfate or ferrous chloride to be disposed of. Many steel industry wastewaters are contaminated by hydraulic oil also known as soluble oil.
[edit] Mines and quarries
The principal waste-waters associated with mines and quarries are slurries of rock particles in water. These arise from rainfall washing exposed surfaces and haul roads and also from rock washing and grading processes. Volumes of water can be very high, especially rainfall related arisings on large sites. Some specialized separation operations, such as coal washing to separate coal from native rock using density gradients, can produce wastewater contaminated by fine particulate haematite and surfactants. Oils and hydraulic oils are also common contaminants. Wastewater from metal mines and ore recovery plants are inevitably contaminated by the minerals present in the native rock formations. Following crushing and extraction of the desirable materials, undesirable materials may become contaminated in the wastewater. For metal mines, this can include unwanted metals such as zinc and other materials such as arsenic. Extraction of high value metals such as gold and silver may generate slimes containing very fine particles in where physical removal of contaminants becomes particularly difficult.
Food industry
Wastewater generated from agricultural and food operations has distinctive characteristics that set it apart from common municipal wastewater managed by public or private wastewater treatment plants throughout the world: it is biodegradable and nontoxic, but that has high concentrations of biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solids (SS).[1] The constituents of food and agriculture wastewater are often complex to predict due to the differences in BOD and pH in effluents from vegetable, fruit, and meat products and due to the seasonal nature of food processing and postharvesting.
Processing of food from raw materials requires large volumes of high grade water. Vegetable washing generates waters with high loads of particulate matter and some dissolved organics. It may also contain surfactants.
Animal slaughter and processing produces very strong organic waste from body fluids, such as blood, and gut contents. This wastewater is frequently contaminated by significant levels of antibiotics and growth hormones from the animals and by a variety of pesticides used to control external parasites. Insecticide residues in fleeces is a particular problem in treating waters generated in wool processing.
Processing food for sale produces wastes generated from cooking which are often rich in plant organic material and may also contain salt, flavourings, colouring material and acids or alkali. Very significant quantities of oil or fats may also be present.
Complex organic chemicals industry
A range of industries manufacture or use complex organic chemicals. These include pesticides, pharmaceuticals, paints and dyes, petro-chemicals, detergents, plastics, paper pollution, etc. Waste waters can be contaminated by feed-stock materials, by-products, product material in soluble or particulate form, washing and cleaning agents, solvents and added value products such as plasticisers.
Nuclear industry
The waste production from the nuclear and radio-chemicals industry is dealt with as Radioactive waste.
Water treatment
Water treatment for the production of drinking water is dealt with elsewhere. (See water purification.) Many industries have a need to treat water to obtain very high quality water for demanding purposes. Water treatment produces organic and mineral sludges from filtration and sedimentation. Ion exchange using natural or synthetic resins removes calcium, magnesium and carbonate ions from water, replacing them with hydrogen and hydroxyl ions. Regeneration of ion exchange columns with strong acids and alkalis produces a wastewater rich in hardness ions which are readily precipitated out, especially when in admixture with other wastewaters.
Treatment of industrial wastewater
The different types of contamination of wastewater require a variety of strategies to remove the contamination.[2][3]
Solids removal
Most solids can be removed using simple sedimentation techniques with the solids recovered as slurry or sludge. Very fine solids and solids with densities close to the density of water pose special problems. In such case filtration or ultrafiltration may be required. Although, flocculation may be used, using alum salts or the addition of polyelectrolytes.
Oils and grease removal
Main article: API oil-water separator


A typical API oil-water separator used in many industries
Many oils can be recovered from open water surfaces by skimming devices. Considered a dependable and cheap way to remove oil, grease and other hydrocarbons from water, oil skimmers can sometimes achieve the desired level of water purity. At other times, skimming is also a cost-efficient method to remove most of the oil before using membrane filters and chemical processes. Skimmers will prevent filters from blinding prematurely and keep chemical costs down because there is less oil to process.
Because grease skimming involves higher viscosity hydrocarbons, skimmers must be equipped with heaters powerful enough to keep grease fluid for discharge. If floating grease forms into solid clumps or mats, a spray bar, aerator or mechanical apparatus can be used to facilitate removal.[4]
However, hydraulic oils and the majority of oils that have degraded to any extent will also have a soluble or emulsified component that will require further treatment to eliminate. Dissolving or emulsifying oil using surfactants or solvents usually exacerbates the problem rather than solving it, producing wastewater that is more difficult to treat.
The wastewaters from large-scale industries such as oil refineries, petrochemical plants, chemical plants, and natural gas processing plants commonly contain gross amounts of oil and suspended solids. Those industries use a device known as an API oil-water separator which is designed to separate the oil and suspended solids from their wastewater effluents. The name is derived from the fact that such separators are designed according to standards published by the American Petroleum Institute (API).[3][5]
The API separator is a gravity separation device designed by using Stokes Law to define the rise velocity of oil droplets based on their density and size. The design is based on the specific gravity difference between the oil and the wastewater because that difference is much smaller than the specific gravity difference between the suspended solids and water. The suspended solids settles to the bottom of the separator as a sediment layer, the oil rises to top of the separator and the cleansed wastewater is the middle layer between the oil layer and the solids.[3]
Typically, the oil layer is skimmed off and subsequently re-processed or disposed of, and the bottom sediment layer is removed by a chain and flight scraper (or similar device) and a sludge pump. The water layer is sent to further treatment consisting usually of a Electroflotation module for additional removal of any residual oil and then to some type of biological treatment unit for removal of undesirable dissolved chemical compounds.

A typical parallel plate separator[6]
Parallel plate separators[6] are similar to API separators but they include tilted parallel plate assemblies (also known as parallel packs). The parallel plates provide more surface for suspended oil droplets to coalesce into larger globules. Such separators still depend upon the specific gravity between the suspended oil and the water. However, the parallel plates enhance the degree of oil-water separation. The result is that a parallel plate separator requires significantly less space than a conventional API separator to achieve the same degree of separation.
Removal of biodegradable organics
Biodegradable organic material of plant or animal origin is usually possible to treat using extended conventional wastewater treatment processes such as activated sludge or trickling filter.[2][3] Problems can arise if the wastewater is excessively diluted with washing water or is highly concentrated such as neat blood or milk. The presence of cleaning agents, disinfectants, pesticides, or antibiotics can have detrimental impacts on treatment processes.
Activated sludge process
Main article: Activated sludge


A generalized, schematic diagram of an activated sludge process.
Activated sludge is a biochemical process for treating sewage and industrial wastewater that uses air (or oxygen) and microorganisms to biologically oxidize organic pollutants, producing a waste sludge (or floc) containing the oxidized material. In general, an activated sludge process includes:
• An aeration tank where air (or oxygen) is injected and thoroughly mixed into the wastewater.
• A settling tank (usually referred to as a "clarifier" or "settler") to allow the waste sludge to settle. Part of the waste sludge is recycled to the aeration tank and the remaining waste sludge is removed for further treatment and ultimate disposal.
Trickling filter process
Main article: Trickling filter


Image 1: A schematic cross-section of the contact face of the bed media in a trickling filter


A typical complete trickling filter system
A trickling filter consists of a bed of rocks, gravel, slag, peat moss, or plastic media over which wastewater flows downward and contacts a layer (or film) of microbial slime covering the bed media. Aerobic conditions are maintained by forced air flowing through the bed or by natural convection of air. The process involves adsorption of organic compounds in the wastewater by the microbial slime layer, diffusion of air into the slime layer to provide the oxygen required for the biochemical oxidation of the organic compounds. The end products include carbon dioxide gas, water and other products of the oxidation. As the slime layer thickens, it becomes difficult for the air to penetrate the layer and an inner anaerobic layer is formed.
The components of a complete trickling filter system are: fundamental components:
• A bed of filter medium upon which a layer of microbial slime is promoted and developed.
• An enclosure or a container which houses the bed of filter medium.
• A system for distributing the flow of wastewater over the filter medium.
• A system for removing and disposing of any sludge from the treated effluent.
The treatment of sewage or other wastewater with trickling filters is among the oldest and most well characterized treatment technologies.
A trickling filter is also often called a trickle filter, trickling biofilter, biofilter, biological filter or biological trickling filter.
Treatment of other organics
Synthetic organic materials including solvents, paints, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, coking products and so forth can be very difficult to treat. Treatment methods are often specific to the material being treated. Methods include Advanced Oxidation Processing, distillation, adsorption, vitrification, incineration, chemical immobilisation or landfill disposal. Some materials such as some detergents may be capable of biological degradation and in such cases, a modified form of wastewater treatment can be used.
Treatment of acids and alkalis
Acids and alkalis can usually be neutralised under controlled conditions. Neutralisation frequently produces a precipitate that will require treatment as a solid residue that may also be toxic. In some cases, gasses may be evolved requiring treatment for the gas stream. Some other forms of treatment are usually required following neutralisation.
Waste streams rich in hardness ions as from de-ionisation processes can readily lose the hardness ions in a buildup of precipitated calcium and magnesium salts. This precipitation process can cause severe furring of pipes and can, in extreme cases, cause the blockage of disposal pipes. A 1 metre diameter industrial marine discharge pipe serving a major chemicals complex was blocked by such salts in the 1970s. Treatment is by concentration of de-ionisation waste waters and disposal to landfill or by careful pH management of the released wastewater.
Treatment of toxic materials
Toxic materials including many organic materials, metals (such as zinc, silver, cadmium, thallium, etc.) acids, alkalis, non-metallic elements (such as arsenic or selenium) are generally resistant to biological processes unless very dilute. Metals can often be precipitated out by changing the pH or by treatment with other chemicals. Many, however, are resistant to treatment or mitigation and may require concentration followed by landfilling or recycling. Dissolved organics can be incinerated within the wastewater by Advanced Oxidation Processes.

Skin tanning (sun bathing)

Skin obtained from animal after slaughtering is brought in tannery for making a useful product this is carried out through tanning by mean of chemical and then dyeing and finishing. Animal skin tanning during live is not in practice.
But some humans are very fond of their skin tanning especially who has white skin and this skin tanning of human is carried out in sitting directing in sun light artificial tanning baths. Sun tanning is the act of exposing the skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, for the purpose of darkening skin color, either during sun bathing or using artificial sources, such as tanning beds.
Tanning is a natural process, whereby the skin creates the brown-colored pigment called melanin, to protect it against the harmful UV rays in sunlight, but operates equally with artificial UV radiation. There are two different mechanisms involved.
Firstly, the UVA-radiation generates oxidative stress, which in turn oxidises pre-existing melanin. This leads to rapid darkening of already existing melanin. Secondly, there is an increased production of melanin (melanogenesis).[1] It is a reaction of the body to photodamage from UVB.[2] Melanogenesis leads to delayed tanning. It first becomes visible about 72 hours after exposure.[1] The tan that is created by an increased melanogenesis lasts much longer than the one that is caused by oxidation of existing melanin.
Darkening of the skin is caused by an increased release of the pigment melanin into the skin's cells after exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes and protects the body from direct and indirect DNA damage absorbing an excess of solar radiation, which can otherwise be harmful. Depending on a person's genetic profile, some people can darken quickly and deeply whereas others do not darken much at all.
The ultraviolet frequencies responsible for tanning are often divided into the UVA and UVB ranges.
UVB
Ultraviolet B radiation is in the wavelength range 280 to 320 nm.
• triggers the formation of CPD-DNA damage (direct DNA damage) which in turn induces an increased melanin production[2]
• is more likely to cause a sunburn than UVA as a result of overexposure. The mechanism for sunburn and increased melanogenesis is identical.[3] Both are caused by the direct DNA damage (formation of CPDs)
• reduced by virtually all sunscreens in accordance with their SPF
• is thought to cause the formation of moles and some types of skin cancer
• causes skin aging (but at a far slower rate than UVA.)
• produces Vitamin D in human skin
UVA
Ultraviolet A radiation is in the wavelength range 320 to 400 nm. It is present more uniformly throughout the day, and throughout the seasons than UVB. UVA causes the release of preexisting melanin from the melanocytes to combine with oxygen (oxidize), which in turn creates the actual tan color in the skin. UVA seems to cause cancer less than UVB, but causes melanoma, a far more dangerous type of skin cancer than other types. It is blocked less than UVB by many sunscreens but is blocked to some degree by clothing. When tanning in a tanning bed that mainly produces UVA rays the tan goes deeper into the skin as well as lasting longer which allows the tanner to keep the desired color with fewer visits.
Cultural history
A man sunbathing




Throughout history, tanning has seen several fluctuations in popularity. In early civilizations with a class system, social distinctions existed between those of tanned complexion and those without. This class system often separated those deemed to be high class and those who were not. This distinction was physically manifested in the color of one’s skin. Those who often spent long hours working in the sun were often grouped together as lower class.[4] Women even went as far as to put lead-based cosmetics on their skin to artificially augment their appearance.[5] However, these cosmetics slowly caused their death through lead poisoning. Achieving this light-skinned appearance was brought about in many other ways, including the use of arsenic to whiten skin, on to more modern methods such as full length clothes, powders, and parasols. This fair-skinned trend continued up until the end of the Victorian era. Niels Finsen was awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine in 1903 for his “Finsen Light Therapy”.[6] This therapy was to cure infectious diseases such as lupus vulgaris and rickets. Vitamin D deficiency was found to be a cause of rickets disease, and exposure to the sun would allow Vitamin D to be produced in a person. Therefore, sun exposure was a remedy to curing several diseases, especially rickets. Shortly thereafter, in the 1920s, Coco Chanel accidentally got sunburnt while visiting the French Riviera. Her fans apparently liked the look and started to adopt darker skin tones themselves. Tanned skin became a trend partly because of Coco’s status and the longing for her lifestyle by other members of society. In addition, Parisians fell in love with Josephine Baker, a “caramel-skinned” singer in Paris. Those who liked and idolized her wanted darker skin so they could be more like her. These two French women were two trendsetters of the transformation of tanned skin being viewed as fashionable, healthy, and luxurious.[7][8][9]
In the 1940s, women’s magazines started using advertisements that encouraged sun bathing. At this time, swimsuit's skin coverage began decreasing and tanning oil came out. The bikini made its appearance in 1946. Louis Reard was the French designer who introduced the bikini. In the 1950s, an ever-growing trend was to use baby oil as a method to tan more quickly. The first self-tanner came about in the same decade and was known as “Man-Tan,” and often led to undesirable orange skin.[5] Coppertone, in 1953, brought out the little blond girl and her cocker spaniel tugging on her bathing suit bottoms on the cover of their sunscreen bottles; this is still the same advertisement they use today on their bottles of sunscreen. In the latter part of the 1950s, silver metallic UV reflectors were common to enhance one’s tan. In 1971, Mattel introduced Malibu Barbie, which had tanned skin, sunglasses, and her very own bottle of sun tanning lotion. The same decade, specifically 1978, gave rise to tanning beds and sunscreen with SPF 15. Today there are an estimated 50,000 outlets for tanning, whereas in the 1990s there were only around 10,000.[10] The tanning business is a five-billion dollar industry.[10] In some other parts of the world, fair skin remains the standard of beauty. The geisha of Japan were renowned for their brilliant white painted faces, and the appeal of the bihaku (美白?), or "beautiful white", ideal leads many Japanese women to avoid any form of tanning.[11] There are exceptions to this, of course, with Japanese fashion trends such as ganguro emphasizing almost black skin. The color white is associated with purity and divinity in many Eastern religions. In India, dark skin is heavily associated with a lower class status, and some people resort to skin bleaching to achieve a skin color they view as more socially acceptable.
Sociological perspective
According to several studies, both men and women view a tanned body as more healthy than a pale body,[13] even though tanning sometimes leads to an unhealthy body by way of blistered or burnt skin, wrinkles, and skin cancer. This represents a conflict between one’s health and the social values of being perceived as healthy or physically attractive. Some people prefer to appear healthy and conform to society’s expectations, rather than curtail risk by avoiding sun damage.[14] The image one conveys through having bronzed skin is largely responsible for the ever-growing trend of tanning today.[14]
Tanning controversy
More recently, some researchers have advised that tanning in moderation may be healthier than is commonly believed. Edward Giovannucci, professor of medicine and nutrition at Harvard states that according to his research, people who have sufficient vitamin D due to UV exposure, and other intake, may prevent 30 deaths for each one caused by skin cancer.[15] His research also suggests that diet accounts very little for vitamin D-3 necessary for curbing cancer. Michael Holick, Boston professor of dermatology, claimed that moderate exposure to sunlight probably reduces risk to many forms of cancer, diabetes, seasonal affective disorder, and other diseases.[16] These researchers are vigorously opposed by most dermatologists, for example, Dr. Elewski, president of the American Academy of Dermatology, argued that minutes of exposure to sunlight can be dangerous, and that people can get all the vitamin D they need through supplements. Large clinical studies have found vitamin D produced both through exposure to sunlight and through dietary supplements dramatically decreases cancer risk, and helps cancer recovery. See Vitamin D for more details.
Dressing for tanning
To maximize tan coverage, some people minimize the amount of clothing they wear while tanning. Depending on local community standards and personal choice, some people suntan without clothes, while others suntan topless, and others wear very brief swim wear, such as a microkini. Some people suntan in the privacy of their back yard, where they can at times wear what they choose, and some countries have set aside clothing-optional beaches (also known as naturist, nude or nudist beaches), where Excessive exposure to direct sunlight is considered potentially harmful to a person's health. To avoid sunburn a person should stay out of the sun for long periods of time. If long sun exposure cannot be avoided or is desired one may cover themselves or use sunscreen or various over-the-counter creams to reduce the risks from UVA and UVB exposure. The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) number on a sunscreen product shows its rated effectiveness. Products with a higher SPF number provide greater protection against ultraviolet radiation. However in 1998, the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science reported that some sunscreens advertising UVA and UVB protection do not provide adequate safety from UVA radiation and could give sun tanners a false sense of protection.

For those who choose to tan, some dermatologists recommend the following preventative measures:

Make sure the sunscreen blocks both UVA and UVB rays. These types of sunscreens, called broad-spectrum sunscreens, contain more active ingredients. Ideally a sunscreen should also be hypoallergenic and noncomedogenic so it doesn't cause a rash or clog the pores, which can cause acne.
Sunscreen needs to be applied thickly enough to make a difference. People often do not put on enough sunscreen to get the full SPF protection. In case of uncertainty about how much product to use, or discomfort with the amount applied, switching to a sunscreen with a higher SPF may help.
Research has shown that the best protection is achieved by application 15 to 30 minutes before exposure, followed by one reapplication 15 to 30 minutes after the sun exposure begins. Further reapplication is only necessary after activities such as swimming, sweating, and rubbing.[17]
The rays of the sun are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m,[18] so frequent shade breaks are recommended during these hours. Sun rays are stronger at higher elevations (mountains) and lower latitudes (near the equator). One way to deal with time zones, daylight saving time (summer time) and latitude is to check shadow length. If a person's shadow is shorter than their actual height while standing, the risk of sunburn is much higher.
Wear a hat with a brim and anti-UV sunglasses, which can provide almost 100% protection against ultraviolet radiation entering the eyes.
Be aware that reflective surfaces like snow and water can greatly increase the amount of UV radiation to which the skin is exposed.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends the use of sunscreens, wearing sun protective clothing and avoiding the sun altogether.

Recent evidence indicates that caffeine and caffeine sodium benzoate increase UVB-induced apoptosis both in topical and oral applications. In mice, UVB-induced hyperplasia was greatly reduced with administration of these substances. Although studies in humans remain untested, caffeine and caffeine sodium benzoate may be novel inhibitors of skin cancer.[19]

Tanning and sunscreen
In his book Physician's guide to sunscreens Nicholas J. Lowe pointed out, that one of the reasons for customers to reject sunscreen use is the reduction of tanning that is associated with good sunscreen protection.(chapter 7 page 81)[20] He then reports about several tanning activators. The specific substances which he writes about are different forms of Psoralen. These substances were known to be photocarcinogenic since 1979.[21][22][23] Despite the obvious photocarcinogenic effects the authorities disallowed Psoralen

Greenpeace!

I am not a tree hugger and I have not one single good word for PETA, therefore I suppose that the title of this Limeblast ‘Greenpeace’ surprises you. I read in this magazine (July page 6) and a daily newspaper about this report that Greenpeace have published about the Amazon and its relation with the meat and leather industry in Brazil. You can find this article on the web at http://www.greenpeace. org/international/press/reports/slaughtering- the-amazon and it presents very interesting reading about matters that we have little or no knowledge about. Reading the Greenpeace article, of which you find bits and pieces woven into my text, I believe that any code of conduct should include also the refusal to buy hides and skins from those companies that profit from the destruction of the Amazon rainforest.

Greenpeace conducted a three-year long investigation and concluded that the cattle sector in the Brazilian Amazon is the largest driver of deforestation in the world in order to create grazing ground for cattle, because Brazilian cattle mainly feed on grass. The driving factor behind the will to increase grazing land is the ever increasing demand for meat in the world. With income generally on the rise, the demand for beef also increases. Brazil is by and large the biggest producer and exporter of beef. Brazil features a livestock of 223,805,000 bovine animals with an estimated take-off rate of 37.6 million head, making it the biggest producer of hides worldwide. Brazil supplies more or less one third of the total beef production in the world! Ten years from now, Brazil will double that.
The leather trade can obviously do very little about this deforestation because we buy the hides, the by-product, from the meat industry and not from the cattle farmers. Greenpeace disagrees and erroneously labels hides as a co-product of the meat industry and not a by-product. That is a statement of convenience and not a statement of fact! I suggest someone tries to raise animals without a hide. The leather industry takes a big burden off the backs of the meat industry by processing the hides and skins and stops them from putrefying. Leather is in no way profiting from the destruction of the rainforest!
Greenpeace mentions three big cattle and meat producers in Brazil: Bertin, JBS and Marfrig. I looked them up and these are multinational heavyweights in the meat industry. JBS slaughters some 22,600 head per day! On their websites, Marfrig and JBS make no mention of any social or environmental policy at the time of writing this Limeblast. JBS states that their values are Planning, Determination, Discipline, Availability, Sincerity, Simplicity. The words environment and social responsibility are missing. The Bertin Group, instead, have published a press statement on their website that says that the company complies with the Action Plan for Amazon Deforestation Prevention and Control (PPCDAM), respects Decree Law no. 6.514 – which prohibits purchase, mediation, transport or commercialisation of a product or sub-product of animal or vegetable origin, produced in embargoed areas, takes part in the National Pact for Eradication of Slave Labour and uses information disclosed by agencies like the INCRA (National Institute of Colonisation and Agrarian Reform) to certify that the producer is not using land taken over illegally.
Greenpeace disagrees and states that
limiting its criteria to farms that have been convicted is not good enough. In the case of deforestation violations, the average processing time of a fine at IBAMA (the Brazilian environment agency) is 7 years. This makes Bertin’s criteria ineffective. Furthermore the Greenpeace investigation found farms that deforested in 2008 and currently continue to deforest, and nevertheless frequently transport shipments of animals to Bertin’s slaughterhouses. Greenpeace says they have identified tens of farms that have fines for illegal deforestation and are regular suppliers to Bertin. They may not have been convicted yet but these farms still do not comply with the law. In relation to the purchase of animals from areas under embargo, the Federal Prosecution Office is suing Bertin for their continued purchases from embargoed areas in the Amazon state of Para, precisely violating the Decree 6.514 that they affirm they fulfill. Farms that have been in a scenario of violence against landless people are regular suppliers of Bertin. In the case of slave labour, there is a case of a supplier of Bertin’s that was named in the ‘slave labour dirty list’ in 2008, but the workers were freed in 2007.
Greenpeace points out that Brazilian leather is supplied to blue chip companies like sportswear, car and upholstery manufacturers, the US military, etc. etc. We talk therefore a huge value chain which is worth tens of billions of dollars, employing directly or indirectly a couple of million people, all over the world. These companies have a code of conduct and they may want to look into this matter and cleanse their supply line.
It is obvious that Greenpeace is right, and that the Amazon rainforest MUST be conserved and that deforestation MUST be halted. The trick is to develop a way of achieving this without killing industries that employ thousands. There is an international fund for the conservation of the Amazon rainforest which hopes to collect $21 billion by 2021, of which up to May 2009 only $110 million had been committed, mainly by Norway and Germany.
Pressuring manufacturers of leather products that use Brazilian leather through calls for a boycott of their goods by the
general public makes no sense, because the public’s memory is very short. Therefore, a totally different action plan would be necessary in which good sense, overall social responsibility and collaboration must be the main factors.
We need alternatives for those stake holders who believe that the destruction of the rain forest is the only possible solution to their need for more grazing land for their cattle. Greenpeace say that they have an alternative proposal for a fund for ‘Forests for Climate’ which would provide the funds needed in order to protect tropical forests http://www.greenpeace.org/international/ campaigns/climate-change/forests_for_
climate and http://www.greenpeace.org/ international/press/reports/forests_for_
climate_factsheet. This proposal is said not to be at the expense of sustainable development but would work with local communities to effectively preserve forests and forest resources for everyone’s benefit.
Let’s however not forget that ‘green’ implies also big money, jobs, consultancies etc. Many scientific studies predict global warming at a pace that, by the end of this century, Europe would become an
extension of the Sahara desert in some places and be inundated by the rising oceans in others. I am not saying we should pollute, on the contrary! We must avoid pollution, not repair. We must maintain nature, not destroy it! But we must remain also with our feet on the ground. Many of the alarmist prognoses serve secondary agendas. Nature is patient. It moves in its own ways and over a period of time it balances itself. Hot periods are followed by cold periods. High tide by low tide.
The Greenpeace report has produced some very important developments in a very short time, including the World Bank pulling out of a US$90 million loan to Bertin, and Marfrig having announced a moratorium on deforestation for cattle with immediate effect.
Congratulations!
Now let us look at the highlights of my direct correspondence with Greenpeace:

The LWG supports hide traceability systems in Brazil (leather international mag.)

Brazil
Published: 28 April, 2010

The Leather Working Group (LWG) has been working closely with Greenpeace and other NGO’s in support of their campaign to eliminate deforestation in Brazil caused by cattle ranching. The LWG recognises the importance of leather as a co-product of the meat industry and as a consequence has now included a section on hide traceability within its latest environmental stewardship document due to be launched later this year.

As many of the brands within the LWG, the adidas-group, Clarks International Ltd, New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc, Nike Inc, Puma, The Timberland Company, work with suppliers (i.e. leather tanneries) that are assessed using the LWG environmental stewardship protocol this will ultimately ensure that the origin of the materials within their supply chain is known and traceable back to the meat packing plant where the hides originated. A number of the LWG member brands have shown early and active support of Greenpeace’s “Commit or Cancel” policy, which states that purchasing contracts will be cancelled if suppliers of leather products cannot meet the stated sourcing requirements.

To ensure that the Leather Working Group traceability system is effective beyond the meat packing plant it is essential that the major packers JBS S.A., Marfrig Alimentos S.A., and Minerva S.A. obtain confirmation that all direct suppliers have registered their farms using geographically-referenced polygons by the extended deadline of November 13, 2010. By July 5, 2010, as an interim step, the meat packing companies must obtain confirmation that all direct suppliers have registered their farms using at least one geographically-referenced point. The LWG brands urge immediate and positive action to get this task done as an urgent priority.

Acknowledging the important role of the Brazilian government in protecting the Amazon rainforest, members of the LWG encourage governmental and local authorities in Brazil to continue in their efforts to provide clear legal guidance and an effective enforcement process.

Greenpeace support LWG action
Brazil
Published: 28 April, 2010

Major retail brands such as Adidas, Clarks, Nike and Timberland issued on April 27 a last-chance message to leather suppliers – they will drop any supplier using farms not registered by the Brazilian Government by July. The registration of cattle farms is a vital first step to protect the Amazon from further deforestation.

Members of the Leather Working Group issued a statement on April 27 in support of Greenpeace’s campaign to eliminate deforestation in Brazil caused by cattle ranching.
Sarah Shoraka, Greenpeace’s Amazon campaigner, said: ‘It’s clear that top names like Nike, Clarks and Timberland remain committed to making sure that the leather in their shoes hasn’t come from areas of the Amazon rainforest that have been trashed. If their suppliers don’t pull their finger out, then these top shoe companies are going to drop them. And that will really send a signal to the Brazilian cattle industry that it needs to clean up its act.’

How to Waterproof Leather Garments & Footwear

Leather that has been dampened or exposed to excessive amounts of moisture loses its natural oils, leaving leather items stained, discolored, dry, and stiff.



Waterproofing - which all devoted shoe & handbag lovers perform diligently - involves applying a chemical shield that will help to preserve leather's quality, workmanship and value.

Know Your Leather
There are several different types of leather that are used in making many different stylish leather products. In order to safely protect your purchases protecting leather boots from harsh weather you must first identify which type of leather you're dealing with.

Heavy silicone sprays and waxes, for example, cannot be used on thin, delicate split leathers such as suede. Likewise, you would receive inadequate waterproofing protection from a nubuck leather coating if you applied it to a winter or hiking boot.

Use the Right Treatment Strength
Items that will be worn outdoors frequently in damp or wet conditions should be treated with maximum protection regularly. Boots and shoes worn during cold winter months need extra care and benefit from heavier oils, waxes and dressings. Dress soft gloves, suede shoes, and nubuck coats that are rarely exposed to moisture are adequately treated with lighter silicon-free treatments.

It's Suede, Be Gentle!
Split leathers such as suede and nubuck should never be treated with traditional oils, waxes or silicone sprays. Heavy duty oils and waxes change the color and texture of delicate leathers. When shopping for an appropriate waterproofing product for these leathers, look for one that specifically states it can treat nubuck and suede.

Spot Check Leather First
Before applying any chemicals to leather, play it safe and perform a spot check, as many leather cleaners and protectors can alter the color and/or texture of leather.

Treat a small (preferably hidden) patch of leather, allowing the solution to soak in overnight - if you are satisfied with the results the next day, go ahead and protect the rest of the item.

Dressing, Oils & Waxes
Heavy duty dressings, waterproofing oils and waxes are sold as brush-on or rub-on products. They are usually oil-based and combine tanning agents (to help extend the life of your leather) with waterproofing agents (that bond to the material).

These heavier waterproofing agents generally work well on products containing mixed ingredients (nylon and leather), hiking boots and other outdoor leathers. Many heavy oils, such as mink oil, also condition leather, leaving the leather product softer and more supple.

Waxes, oils and dressings can be applied with a soft cotton rag or shoe brush. How to apply:

1.Remove all excess dirt and debris from the leather you want to coat. Pay careful attention to seams and stitching. Leather can be brushed or scrubbed.
2.Using a clean cloth or brush, apply a generous amount of product on all areas of the leather, especially on seams, where garments or footwear are more vulnerable.
3.Using a brush or cloth, work product into the leather as evenly as possible.
4.Using a soft clean cotton rag, wipe off excess oil, wax or dressing from the leather.
5.Allow to stand overnight.

Spray Protectors
Sprays are more convenient to use, as they take significantly less time to apply. Silicone sprays repel water and give material a slippery feel. Oil based silicone sprays are ideal for boots, shoes, jackets, mittens and other garments subject to harsh weather conditions.

Acrylic copolymer sprays are the best option for protecting split or nappy leathers such as nubuck and suede. This type of spray covers leather well, but remains flexible and still allows the material to breathe.

1.Clean leather you will be treating with a soft cloth.
2.Use spray products in a well-ventilated area, away from sparks or flames. Hold can 6 inches away from leather and spray an even coat over the material.
3.Allow leather to dry completely.
4.Repeat, as necessary.

Huge pay-out for toxic sofa victims

United Kingdom
Published: 26 April, 2010

Insurers for a number of High Street chains in the UK have been ordered to pay up to £20 million ($31 million) in compensation to 2,000 people who received chemical burns from leather sofas made in China. Burns were caused by dimethyl fumarate (DMF) sachets used to prevent mould growth during shipment. The ruling was made by the high court in London on April 26.

The victims are expected to get about £9,000 ($13,700) each plus other expenses for loss of weddings, holidays and wages. Lawyers representing around 2,000 people believe it is the largest group consumer action in British legal history.

The group that owns retail outlets Argos and Homebase, furniture chain Walmsleys and other smaller firms had admitted liability for selling the contaminated Chinese-made sofas.

Land of Leather customers did not get the pay-out, after an earlier ruling. Last month the court ruled that victims who bought their furniture from the now dissolved Land of Leather would not be in line for a pay-out. Its insurers, Zurich, successfully argued that the company had breached the terms of its insurance policy, and therefore it did not need to pay out.

Sheep rearing in Pakistan

Source of leather raw material

Sheep rearing in Pakistan is as old as the Indus valley civilization. Sheep rearing is the important source of employment and income for the villagers and wandering tribes of Pakistan. Sheep rearing in Pakistan is widely distributed including mountainous regions, pastures on plateau as well as agricultural lands. Warm and dry areas are ideal for sheep rearing because grass of small height is attractive feed for sheep. Sheep are reared here for wool, mutton and skin. Since other cattle are not kept in the areas of severe climate, sheep and goats are reared because they can bear hard weather. This is the reason that sheep are reared in the desert of Thal, Chulistan, tribal areas and Baluchistan plateau. As Pakistan produces wool used in carpet knitting, she imports high grade wool from Australia and New Zealand. The species which are reared for wool includes Bibric, Hernai, Rakhshni, Hasht Nagri, Kaghni, Bumbi, Kacchi, Gomal and Domino. Pakistan, for sheep rearing and wool production, occupies 10th and 13th position respectively at world level. Woolen textile and product industry is vast in Pakistan but due to shortage of high grade wool it is suggested that local species of sheep should be replaced by cross breed so that not only local need of wool may be fulfilled precious foreign exchange be also saved.

Saigon TanTec win energy efficiency prize

Germany/Vietnam
Published: 23 April, 2010

The ISA TanTec tannery in Saigon, Vietnam has been awarded second prize in the German Energy Efficiency Awards by the German Energy Agency (EnergieEffizienz). Viessmann Werke, a heating technology system manufacturer won the first prize.

Building on the experience of their comparable production facility in China, tanners ISA TanTec have implemented an integrated energy and environmental management system for their new plant in Saigon.

Saigon TanTec uses on average only 33 mega joules (MJ) of energy per square metre of leather, in comparison with a leather industry standard of approximately 52 MJ (calculation by BLC – Leather Technology Centre).

The aim of the energy and environmental management system was to make an efficient use of energy, water and chemicals and to carry out continuous monitoring and calculation of the overall energy requirement of the production process. The reduction in energy requirement was achieved by optimising individual formulations, lighting and air conditioning systems and by in-process measures.

Saigon TanTec were awarded the 2nd prize in view of their all-round approach and consistent implementation of innovative technologies in the field of energy and environmental engineering. The company’s strategic energy and environmental management, which takes a holistic view of production and is directed to continuous, environmentally focused optimisation of the entire production. With its ‘LITE Leather’ label, the company has created a mark, recognised in the leather industry, which identifies leather produced in an energy and resource efficient manner.

The savings achieved by Saigon TanTec such as the 40% cut in energy consumption and the reduction in CO2 emissions of 2,700 tonnes per year.

Air conditioning has been replaced with an open design optimised for airflow as well as a 50% reduction in water consumption and 15% reduction in chemical consumption has been achieved.

Clariant to showcase in Guangzhou
China
Published: 22 April, 2010

Visitors to the 2010 Guangzhou Leather Fair, Guangzhou, China, June 1-3 will be see Clariant’s new collection of leathers, based on their spring-summer 2011 colour and fashion trends. Leathers covering most types, including shoe uppers, handbags, garments, and sofas will be shown. On booth 0110 0112 & 0131 0133 in hall 11.2, Clariant will demonstrate how innovative products and processing techniques, offering environmental benefits and optimum processing economy, can enhance the natural beauty of leather with the look and performance to suit individual customer requirements.

Under the motto: ‘Clariant – Always One Shoe Step Ahead’ Clariant will showcase innovative highlights from wet-end to finishing, created through their global approach to fashion and article development. New specifications constantly require adjustment and innovation.



Highlights from Wet End

Innovative systems for full and soft chrome or chrome free leathers

Clariant continues to use leading edge technology in order to provide chemicals that meet today’s requirements for ecological, innovative and aesthetically pleasing leathers, while giving the tanner maximum added value and process simplicity:

Chrome Free Collections

Chrome free leather, using Clariant’s pretanning system Granofin® F-60 in synergy with the retanning agent Tanicor® SCU.

Nappa and Sofa Collections

Clariant offers Natural Nappa and Superb Sofa collections produced using its specialty retanning and fatliquoring systems, Tergotan® PMB and Tergotan TSP. These intelligent polymer retanning agents deliver even softness, tightness and grain pattern. Tergotan
PO-60, a brand new development from Clariant, is a true retanning and softening polymer that gives superb softness / tightness when used as a replacement for conventional retanning agents and fatliquors. On a phenol and formaldehyde free basis, it can meet even the toughest ecological legislation. In combination with Clariant’s specialty fatliquoring systems featuring the new Derminol® SO-31, a highly softening synthetic fatliquor, Clariant can offer total solutions for all nappa and sofa requirements.

Vegetable looks and handles from chrome and chrome free substrates

To meet current market trends for vegetable type leathers Clariant presents a full range of new articles with that classical vegetable look and feel using our new specialty fatliquors: Derminol DDS and Derminol PUA. These products along with innovative processing techniques offer the tanner the opportunities to produce beautiful vegetable type articles with the simplicity and economy of traditional chrome leathers.

From the Finishing side Clariant presents the following innovations:


Elegant Upgrading

Elegant upgrading continues to play an important role in today’s leather manufacture. The importance of cutting yield and increased profitability are still at the forefront of Clariant’s finishing developments. As one of the market leaders in specialty chemicals and in upgrading technologies, Clariant offers its customers complete tailor-made solutions with real benefits.

Finishing techniques for upgrading using Melio® Aquabase and Melio Ground systems provide solutions for the low grade raw materials currently available and meet the current requirements of the market. In particular, customers can take advantage of the outstanding upgrading and natural looks obtained with Clariant’s highly innovative cationic prebase compound Melio Ground UP.

Melio Aquabase Technique – to cover hide defects

Melio Aquabase M-90

This new innovative development is used to cover deep defects, in order to make them invisible after finishing. Melio Aquabase M-90 is applied by hand with a spatula. The application is extremely simple due to its special composition which allows application without drying too quickly and enables buffing without smearing. Melio Aquabase M-90 is suitable for a wide range of leathers, including automotive, shoe upper and upholstery leathers.

Beautiful rich wax effects and versatility for both shoe and upholstery styles

Melio 06-F-88

Clariant offers a new water-based wax with excellent burnishability along with high gloss and a natural waxy touch that make it suitable for both shoe and upholstery leathers. Clariant’s new Melio 06-F-88 gives versatility and ease of use to the Finisher.

New Aqualen® topcoat systems for all requirements

Aqualen Top DC-2050.B / Top GC-2051.A

Clariant’s new topcoat system based on Aqualen Top DC-2050.B (dull) and Aqualen Top GC-2051.A (gloss) is a brand new development especially for soft leathers such as furniture leather or shoe upper nappas.

Both products can be mixed in any ratio in order to adjust the desired level of gloss or dullness. Common to both products and therefore the whole system is the very elegant optic achieved as a result of the softness, very high resistance to rubbing and flexing, no hardening even after long period of time, and a very natural appearance and pleasant feel.

Melio WF-5238 / WF-5243

Two new developments to compliment our already outstanding aqueous topcoat systems. Melio WF-5238, a highly concentrated silicone with a luxurious smooth feel which also improves physical properties of aqueous topcoats, and Melio WF-5243, an additive with a natural pleasant handle and the ‘wet touch’ feel which now features strongly in customer requirements.

Neosan® 2000 – the intelligent pigment system

These pioneering casein free aqueous pigment dispersions offer new customized solutions with outstanding advantages. They are Arizona-proofed for outstanding heat and light fastness as well as hot light ageing properties. When used with Clariant’s Pelcroma® Computer Color Matching, accurate, true and brilliant colors are assured.

Supronil® HK dyes

Discover Clariant’s very well established Supronil HK range, a complete range of versatile colors suited to today’s fashion demands.
China goes to WTO on footwear duties
China/European Union
Published: 09 February, 2010

China filed a complaint against European Union shoe tariffs at the World Trade Organization as Beijing continued its legal assault on what it says is unfair Western protectionism. Europe has grown increasingly concerned about China's balance of trade and what some critics view as its artificially weak currency.

China, which joined the WTO in 2001, filed its first unfair trade case against the European Union in July 2009, also involving antidumping duties.
The latest move appeared intended to increase pressure on the European Union, which had itself been sharply divided over extending the shoe tariffs.
In a statement issued by its mission in Geneva, where the WTO is based, the Chinese government said Europe's actions ‘violated various obligations under the WTO and consequently caused damage to the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese exporters.’ It added that China ‘had repeatedly consulted’ with the European Union but said that its concerns ‘had not been properly addressed or settled.’
In an eight-page legal complaint, the Chinese government requested consultations on both the original 2006 decision to impose the shoe duties and last year's move to extend them. The EU and the U.S. have sought to stem the flow of Chinese imports with special duties.
In the EU case, China is taking on one of the most important tariff increases ever levied, which has negatively impacted its shoe industry. The 16.5% tariffs are antidumping duties, meant to punish goods that are sold below cost and hurt the sales of domestic producers. The EU duties were inaugurated in 2006 and extended for 15 months in December 2009. At the same time, shoe imports from Vietnam were hit with a 10% tariff.
The EU dismissed the complaint. ‘Antidumping duties are not about protectionism’, said spokesman John Clancy. ‘They are about fighting unfair trade.’ The measures, he said, were imposed only on ‘evidence that dumping of Chinese products has taken place and that this is harming the otherwise competitive EU industry.’