WASTE MANAGEMENT IN LEATHER INDUSTRY

174Currently active big scale tanneries are located in Tuzla (İstanbul), Çorlu(Tekirdağ), Menemen (İzmir), Uşak, Bursa, Manisa, Gönen (Balıkesir). Beside,little or medium firms can be found in Çanakkale, Isparta, Denizli and Niğde.The reason for having such high numbers of tanneries today is the export boomrealized in the early 1990’ s. The boomed demand on the leather and leatherproducts from Russia and other neighbor countries, which have moved to freemarket economy after the political breakdown of Soviet Union, has resulted in anincredible mobilization in production and investment in Turkey as the leadingsupplier. During this period, while existing tanneries extended their capacitiesthree, four and even five times, many new tanneries started to operate.Other attractive feature of leather processing industry in Turkey is that it hasan environment friendly and modern production infrastructure.Today, in 13 Organized Leather Industrial Zones, production is performed inEuropean standards, and through environment friendly, modern methods. The 70% of leather production activity in Turkey employs environment friendlymethods.In comparison to leather goods production, leather processing sub- industryintensively requires skilled labor even though it has a technology basedsubstructure. In this respect, qualified labor force gains great importance. Theindustry is moving to a more advantageous position in the internationalcompetition area due to the rising in number and improving in educating levels ofthe schools and the transfer of industry’ s inherited experience to these newlygraduated ones. It should be noted that, Turkey’s one of the most importantadvantage in this industry is the “know- how” capability cumulated overcenturies.However, although there is a strong tradition of production and existence ofhigh capacity, unfortunately this is not reflected in exportation.