Environmentally sound disposal of tannery sludge

The ENERSLUDGE™ process was successfully applied to wastewater treatment sludge from a German tannery. The testwork conducted clearly showed that the ENERSLUDGE™ process is a superior sludge management technology, which converts tannery sludge (classified as hazardous waste) into products that can either be reused for energy recovery or safely disposed in a regular landfill. In addition the most stringent emission and disposal criteria worldwide, namely the German TA Luft and the new German landfill regulations can readily be met. Leaching tests and destruction efficiency for organochlorines showed that this process can be characterized as a sink for both toxic heavy metals and organochlorines. This paper discusses the disposal of tannery sludges using the ENERSLUDGE™ process.