Ethiopian tanneries tap Chinese expertise to tackle waste

The major leather industry in Ethiopia has recorded rapid growth with increasing prospects for development, but the environmental sector is also gearing up to tackle the significant challenge posed by byproduct waste management related to the tanneries.

A joint China-Ethiopia research and development facility is set to provide a lasting solution, with its laboratory expected to play an active role in the growth of the industry, according to Zerfie Mersha, director of the environmental technology directorate at the Leather Industry Development Institute.

The lab, which is hosted by the institute, consists of a wastewater treatment plant that aims to provide Ethiopian researchers with the latest technologies in their efforts to find an appropriate solution to wastewater and solid waste management.