World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Pakistan has been awarded a project to tackle traceability, cleaner production and circularity in the leather supply chain.

Credit: Nordroden/Shutterstock.com

The project is “Pakistan Leather Sector: Traceability, Cleaner Production and Circularity” and was awarded by SMEP Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution (SMEP) Programme, established by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The project aims at improving traceability and addressing pollution and human impacts in the Pakistan leather sector. It began in August 2024 and is planned to run until March 2026.

WWF Pakistan is collaborating with a few key partners on the project, including Punjab Agriculture & Meat Company (PAMCO), Pakistan Council Of Scientific & Industrial Research (PCSIR), Information Technology University (ITU) and Leather Field Pvt Ltd.

The approach includes:

· Developing a digital traceability toolkit to trace leather hides from direct suppliers/direct supplier farms to the factory

· Recycling leather waste by converting trimmings, fleshing and shavings into water-resistant surfactants

· Decreasing wastewater pollution by utilising lipase enzymes, phasing out the need for imported commercial agents and toxic organic solvents.

WWF Pakistan is currently formalising individual consortium partner agreements and preparing for an inception workshop in the first quarter of 2025.