what is a tannery

A tannery is a place where animal skins and hides are processed to produce leather. Tanning is the process of treating skins and hides of animals to produce leather. Before tanning, the skins are dehaired, degreased, desalted, and soaked in water over a period of six hours to two days. Tanning involves a process that permanently alters the protein structure of skin, making it more durable and less susceptible to decomposition and coloring. There are two main types of tanning: vegetable tanning and chrome tanning. Vegetable tanning is perhaps the oldest method of tanning, using tannins from organic matter such as tree bark, leaves, and nuts, while chrome tanning involves soaking the hides in baths containing acidic salts until they are ready for the next step. Tanneries usually carry out their processes between slaughterhouses and the leather processing industries, and they are usually associated with a very strong smell due to the processes emitting a distinct odor. Historically, this meant tanneries were located some distance away from settlements and towns