Kings International Ltd. wins UNIDO Innovation Award (INNA) 2017 for Best Practices in the Tanning Sector
08 August 2017,
Kings International Ltd; Established in 1994 is a leading Manufacturer-exporter of Saddlery and Harness goods since 25 years. It is Government of India Recognised Star Export House. It currently employs around 275 workers engaged in the processing wet-salted bovine raw hides through to the finished leather stage producing value-added leather products, such as harness and saddlery goods, pets and hunting accessories, wallets, belts and bags, etc.
It has state-of-the-art-technology tannery deploying eco-friendly tanning process, modern, purpose-built, mechanized Saddlery/Belt making facility and has received awards and recognitions for Outstanding Exports Performance, Quality Assurance, Design, Marketing, Environment Sustainability, Best Business Practices, Brand Promotion, Productivity, etc.
In and around Kanpur, there are hundreds of small, medium and large tanneries processing various animal hides and skins to produce the leather that is manufactured into a wide array of leather products, including shoes, clothes, belts and bags, destined for markets in Europe and North America.
The tanning process uses toxic chemicals and produces acidic effluents. When tannery wastewater is discharged without being treated it pollutes the soil and ground water and contaminates waterways, including the nearby River Ganges.
The Kanpur Leather Development Project, implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is introducing cleaner technologies to help tanneries to both reduce the negative impacts on people’s health and the environment, and save money on water and energy costs.
The cleaner technologies introduced include processing chilled hides, hair-save unhairing/liming, desalting salted raw hides, recycling of lime liquors, use of water-saver devices in fleshing machines, and use of solar energy to generate hot water and hot air systems.
As part of the project, this year, UNIDO, together with the Council for Leather Exports and the Kanpur Unnao Leather Cluster Development Company, organized an innovation award contest to turn the spotlight on the Kanpur tanneries that have successfully implemented cleaner technologies.
The winners of the inaugural contest were announced at an award ceremony in Kanpur on 21 July.
A jury comprised of leading industry representatives and international experts awarded Kings International Ltd; as the winner in the category of “raw hides to finished leather”.
The company was selected as the best in its category for its energy and water conservation, waste management, recycling and reuse of resources, technological innovations, and advances in workers’ safety and occupational health.
As well as introducing at least 10 measures to monitor, control and prevent pollution at source, Kings has introduced an energy conservation and management system to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. The latter includes the installation of around 100 air-driven ventilators in the tannery sheds and the first phase of a solar power plant that will run the entire factory on green energy.
Kings International Ltd has been a BSI Group India key account and has been certified for ISO 9001, ISO 14001, BS OHSAS 18001, SA 8000, PAS 7000 and also has its current profile on BSI VerifEye Directory.
