the United States, nearly 60,000 metric tons of chromium-containing solid waste, i.e. chrome shavings, are generated by the leather industry each year, and approximately ten times this amount is generated worldwide. Land application for the disposal of chromium-containing tannery and other leather wastes has been widely practiced during most of the twentieth century, but fewer landfill sites can be found every day and the cost of transportation and disposal increases. Historically, these materials were used in the production of fertilizer or composite boards, but while once the company producing and marketing fertilizer or boards would pay for the waste and its transportation, nowadays, the tanner has to pay for such things. Over several years, we have demonstrated that it is possible to isolate protein products (gelatin and collagen hydrolysate) from chrome shavings by using an alkaline protease under mild conditions. The objective of the present work was to perform pilot plant trials to isolate protein products from chrome shavings, treat and purify the remaining chrome cake and tan hides with the recovered chromium. Because of the high nitrogen content, the isolated collagen hydrolysate has potential use as a fertilizer and in animal feed additives. The gelatin has potential use in cosmetics, adhesives, printing, photography, microencapsulation, films or even as an additive in finishing products for the leather industry.