Now in its third generation and close to its fourth, the Upimar Tannery has been producing leather for almost a century …

Many years have passed since the manual production of the first generation to the current 4.0 production, nevertheless, the leathers produced have remained linked to artisan production.

Address

Via Provinciale Francesca Nord, 242
56022 Castelfranco di Sotto(PI)

Sustainability

UPIMAR and LUFRAN have modified many phases of the traditional tanning process in order to reduce the environmental impact and to improve the quality of the processing waste, all in the framework of circular bio-economy and the “zero waste” strategy. To obtain these implementations some chemical and engineering innovations has been introduced to maximise the concept of recycling and recovery of processing baths.

The introduction of innovative process systems allows the reuse of traditional processing baths. This involves various process steps, with very different chemical characteristics and pollutant parameters, and with specific criticalities related to the possibility of recycling.

UPIMAR and LUFRAN carry out the entire tanning process, from the raw hide to the finished leather. The innovations have involved both the beamhouse process up to the hide stabilisation phases (tanning), the characterisation (re-tanning/dyeing/fatliquoring) and the finishing. Each operational phase, with its own specific characteristics and criticalities, has been reviewed and implemented in its own way, identifying where “direct” recovery was possible and proceeding with the new process, and instead where preliminary chemical/physical treatment was necessary before reusing the exhausted baths.

In addition to the implementation of bath recycling systems, UPIMAR and LUFRAN have introduced technologies and products aimed at improving the environmental impact of the processing baths and waste, using products of biological origin to replace all or part of the impacting chemicals.

Substances such as biodegradable surfactants, auxiliaries in aqueous solution, enzymes with different actions, products of natural origin, dyes, and pigments free of heavy metals, and more eco-friendly tanning and re-tanning agents have been added.
All this, of course, while maintaining the quality and product standards of the finished product, with the aesthetic aspects desired by customers and with the appropriate performance requirements.