His presentation ‘Leather and the circular bio-economy’ will outline various economic models from linear economy through recycling economy to circular economy and delve into the key differences and what this means for material use and the life-cycle of leather. Flowers will demonstrate how leather fits perfectly into a technosphere circular economy, with longevity, repair, reuse, remanufacture, upcycling and remaking among the key principles.
Karl Flowers
About the presenter
Karl Flowers is the Technical Director at Authenticae. He started his tanning career with the Leather Industries Research Institute (LIRI) in South Africa and has actively consulted and researched in fields including sustainability, CO2 deliming, new waterproofing and retanning chemical applications, cationic finishing, computer-aided colour matching and drying technologies. His research focusses on implementation of new technologies into the tanning industry and he has produced 133 publications. Flowers received his BSc (Hon) and MSc (Leather Science) from Rhodes University, South Africa, and is a Fellow of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists. He is currently consulting Technical Editor for International Leather Maker (ILM) and is the external examiner for the International School of Tanning Technology.
To listen to Karl Flowers and two other keynote presenters from chemical specialist Stahl and the Italian Tanners’ Association UNIC, please click here and register (subject to approval) for the free-to-attend ILM ‘The circular economy in the leather industry” webinar.
Sponsored by Stahl and in association with theSauerReport, the webinar is open to any company or professional individual connected to the leather supply chain.
