Background The footwear and leather industry constitutes to the fifth largest industrial sector in Egypt, employing more than 250,000 people. It is estimated that there are around 300 tanneries in Egypt. For most of the tanneries the drainage system of the district is not always adequate for the large amount of effluents. Furthermore the poor environmental standards in the tanning industry encourage the overuse of chemicals, which tend to increase the quality of waste coming from the leather industry. The tanning industry in the Egyptian sector suffers from complex problems associated with: Poor applied technologies in tanning processes Lack of environmental awareness Untrained workers Huge generated amounts of wastes due to inefficient use of resources Low export levels due to non-compliance with environmental requirements Limited investment in the sector Through the use of large quantities of chemicals and water, the Egyptian tanning industry has a significant environmental impact, particularly with solid wastes and wastewater. The majority of tanneries, responsible for 85% of the leather produced in Egypt, are located in the densely populated section of Misr Al Kadima in southern Cairo. Poor environmental standards encourage the overuse of chemicals, which in turn increases the quantity of waste produced. Objectives The overall objective of the Ecotan project was to demonstrate and promote the use of clean technologies in the Egyptian tanneries by means of creating an environmental laboratory, a tanning pilot plant and a wastewater treatment pilot plant in Egypt. Other aims consisted in raising awareness on the needs and benefits of implementing environmental processes in the tanning production methods and overcoming all the problems related to environmental compliances, awareness raising and improving productivity. Ecotan has taught Egyptian tanneries more about environmental technologies related to tanning processes with the aim of introducing improvements within the sector through applying cleaner production techniques for: reducing water consumption, reducing salinity in wastewater, reducing generated amounts of wastewater and of solid wastes, recovering and recycling of the rejected materials and wastes, optimising the use of chemicals, substituting toxic materials and reducing toxic emissions and by-products valuation. The application of these CP techniques will lead to both environmental and economical benefits. The project dealt with the implementation of an environmental laboratory, a tanning pilot plant and a wastewater treatment pilot plant in order to demonstrate the use of clean technologies in tanning processes. The technical staff were trained in different environmental analyses and in the operation of both pilot plants. Results The project has a high innovation value for Egypt and was widely disseminated to the Egyptian tanning sector by diverse means of promotional actions.The Ecotan project's demonstration value is also extended to other sectors as the project is an integral part of the Egyptian Technology Transfer and Innovation Centers Programme (ETTICs) which is affiliated to the Ministry of Trade and Industry and works with the objective of transferring the know how, new technologies and training to all industrial sectors. The LIFE Ecotan project demonstrated the use of clean technologies in tanning processes to stakeholders in the tannery sector in Egypt. The activities undertaken during the project include: The creation of an environmental laboratory for tanneries, with advanced environmental analysis equipment and specialised technicians. This is called the “Ecotan laboratory” and is located in the tanneries area in downtown Cairo The development of enhanced knowledge of the current environmental situation of Egyptian tanneries The setting up of a tanning pilot plant for demonstrating clean tanning technologies in the Ecotan laboratory The setting up of a physical-chemical wastewater treatment pilot plant for demonstrations on the performance for tanneries in the Ecotan laboratory Demonstrating clean tanning technologies to Egyptian Tannery Technicians Demonstrating the good performance of the physical-chemical treatment applied to wastewater coming from an Egyptian tannery Increasing the technical competence of the Ecotan Egyptian technicians involved in the project, especially with regards to environmental analysis, clean tanning technologies and wastewater treatment Developing the capacity to continue assisting Egyptian tanneries with technical support in order to improve their competitiveness Through events and other dissemination activities, as well as demonstration (chemical analyses and tanning drum and mini waste water treatment plant), the project was successful in raising awareness in the tannery sector of the importance of environmental compliance for the development of high value added products. Although tannery SMEs were apprehensive at the start of the project, they ultimately recognized the benefits for both the environment and for their businesses. The Ecotan project – aside form ensuring environmental compliance - produced positive socio-economic effects by offering technical assistance to Egyptian tanneries in order to increase their competitiveness through: Production costs minimization; Quality improvement; Applying new technologies in tanning and finishing processes; Establishing new markets for Egyptian products; Increasing added value; Increasing productivity; Certification through environmental compliance; Development of new industries besides leather tanning (e.g. gelatin, wool, etc…)with clear economic benefits. The Ecotan unit that was set up in the tanneries district in Old Cairo will eventually be relocated, along with 90% of Egypt's tanneries, to the Robeiki Leather City (RLC), which is currently under construction. The building where Ecotan will be housed has already been constructed. The relocation project falls outside the scope of the LIFE project and is being subsidised by the GoE to the tune of €70 million. The Ecotan project constitutes the first step in the relocation of Cairo’s downtown tanneries, which is a longstanding wish of the Egyptian authorities. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report (see "Read more" section).