Years before the dawn of civilization, the human being used to hunt animals for their food and ate the meat raw. The hides/skin of the animals were thrown in cavity on ground which used to be covered by fall of leaves/accumulations of leaves specially during autumn but were not to become hard by coming in contact with chemicals present in earth, roots of trees and leaves. 

In due course of time as the civilization grew, men thought of making some use of animal hides/skin which today has taken the shape of leather and as the time passed on the tanning started and it was about 1 1/2 century ago it started in India in and unorganized way and it took about 50 years to develop it into an industry. 

Is the industry developed, the pollution of air and water increased and the stage reached where scientists started thinking on making better use or reuse of material which caused pollution keeping in mind the economical factor else no industrialist would accept the change. 

Research project entitled "Waste management for sustainable development "through Shastri Indo Canadian partnership programme (SICI - PP) and founded by Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) has been under taken and Mrs. Nonita T. yap PhD, M.E.S, Principal investigator, university of rural planning and development, University of Guelph, Canada sent her students for research in  Super Tannery (India) Ltd., Kanpur, India.  Her very first visit to India inspired me to do the research on environment, economy and low waste technology. Since then I am deeply involved in the project. 

This research paper has been prepared after visiting different states in India for spot collection of datas, carrying out different experiments, study of processes used for hides / skin of different animals. The experience gained by me during my visits to USA. European countries and South Korea and experience of 17 years in tanning industry has been great asset in preparing these papers. 

Special emphasis has been laid on use of low waste technology with minimum possible expenditure and maximum quality production because it is natural for any industrialists to resist a change unless it is likely to give better quality production with least expenditure. Pollution is given the last priority by them whereas scientists give it the first priority. 

As an example, the likely consumption of water and chemicals in tanning industries in India during the year 1995 has been taken and saving of chemical and money has been worked out in case low waste technology is adopted by tanning industry. These figures are highly appreciable and would attract the attention of any leather industrialists.