The Veneto Leather District located in the Chiampo valley in Tuscany, northern Italy, is the main production centre of the Italian leather sector with about 12,000 employees in over 600 companies belonging to the supply chain. The annual turnover of over 3 billion euros and just this district generates about 13.5% of the world turnover in the tanning sector.

Leather making and the tanning process can be prejudicial to the environment, rivers and water supply and with the aim of eliminating tannery waste and effluents, a project called “Tanning towards zero environmental impact” has been approved to protect the Veneto Leather District.

The project will serve to consolidate the leadership of the Italian leather sector not only in terms of quality, but also from the point of view of state-of-the-art environmental standards.

The mayors of the thirteen municipalities of the Chiampo Valley Basin Council approved on July 15 the project which will involve the Aquaeducti of Chiampo, Environment Company of Chiampo, as well as the Veneto Leather District in partnership with other industrial institutions of the leather sector such as Assomac, UNPAC, the AICC and in agreement with the National Union of Tanning Industry – UNIC.

The impact on the Chiampo valley will be beneficial in terms of environmental and social sustainability, aimed at improving the quality of life and work in the municipalities.

Conceived in the context of the European Green Deal and the United Nations 2030 Agenda, according to a long-term perspective of sustainable environmental, economic and social development, the “Tanning towards zero environmental impact” project will be financed by funding from the regional and national government.