March 6, 2000 Innovative recycling ideas earn two undergrads awards and internships from Salz Leathers By Tim Stephens Two UCSC undergraduate students have earned $500 prizes plus paid internships from Salz Leathers of Santa Cruz by proposing original ideas for reuse of leather shavings. Ward Alksne (center), environmental manager at Salz Leathers, presented $500 awards and offers of paid internships to UCSC undergraduates John Murphy (left) and Regan Smith (right) for their proposals for recycling leather shavings. Murphy and Smith are holding samples of the shavings. Photo: Tim Stephens The 20,000 pounds of leather shavings produced each week by the tannery as a by-product of the manufacturing process are currently hauled off for disposal at the Santa Cruz Landfill. As part of the company's ongoing efforts to find alternative uses for the shavings, Salz sought proposals from UCSC undergraduates last fall. "We wanted to tap into the bright minds of UCSC students to see if they could come up with some innovative ideas," said Ward Alksne, environmental manager at Salz Leathers. The proposals were evaluated by Alksne, Russell Flegal, professor of environmental toxicology, and Ravi Rajan, assistant professor of environmental studies. The two winners were John Murphy, a junior majoring in earth sciences, and Regan Smith, a senior in environmental studies. They each received a $500 award in a ceremony on Friday, February 25. The students were also offered paid internships at Salz Leathers to further develop their proposals under Alksne's direction. The leather shavings, generated in the process of trimming leather to the desired thickness, are mostly protein plus a small amount of chromium, a tanning agent. Murphy proposed using the shavings to create a fiberglass-like product, substituting the shavings for the fibers ordinarily used to make fiberglass. He performed some preliminary experiments using different types of resins and different mixtures of resin and shavings. Smith's proposal put forth several ideas for alternative use of the shavings, ranging from building insulation to organic fertilizer. Alksne said he was pleased to receive one proposal that was broad in scope and showed considerable flexibility and another that was more specific. "The internships will offer the students an opportunity to get some real-world experience in pursuing their ideas," he said. Salz Leathers, located on River Street by the San Lorenzo River, is one of the few family-owned tanneries remaining in the United States. The original products of the tannery were saddles and harnesses for horses and oxen. Today they make premium natural leather for shoes, boots, handbags, and other products. The company produces about 300,000 square feet of leather per week for customers around the world. Return to Front Page