Sustainable design and craft studies

WATER CONSERVATION IN
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
-By Fathima Babu
M.des.
CONTENT
TOPICS
 Process in textile industry
 Dying methods in textile industry
 How much water needed ?
 How does it effect the society ,economy ,environment
 What ends up with water
 Why it is required for the society ,economy ,environment
 Solutions for water conservations in textile industry
 Conclusion
 Sources
STEPS TO PROCESSING TEXTILES
 Dyeing method
Raw cotton is grown and ginned to remove
impurities, then spun into yarn which a mill
weaves/knits into fabric and finally dyed
Dye bath is created by adding red, blue and
yellow into a solution
Chemicals are required for the dye to bond
to the fabric
Local municipal water and/or ground water
is used for extensive washing
the wastewater ends up back into streams,
rivers and lakes
 How Much Water Is Needed?
The textile industry is known for using large quantities of
water for a single product (denim, cotton, wool etc)
More than 100 gallons of water are needed to produce a
single pound of raw cotton or shorn wool.
900-1500 gallons of water are needed for a single pair of
jeans
T-shirt requires 250 gallons
505 gallons of water needed to produce just one pair of
levi’s 501 jeans
Indian textile industry consumes 425,000,000 gallons a
day for fabrics
 How does it effect?
After each preparation step, the fabric needs to be
washed again to get rid of the previous chemicals
The wastewater is then returned back into our
ecosystem without being properly treated
The water can contain PBME (polyurethane,
building materials, electronics), organicchlorines
(insecticides), and other chemicals
Pollutes ground water which can cause health
issues
 What ends up in the water?
Leftover dye can end up in waterways .
Salt from the dye baths can kill marine animals
Alkali can disrupt the pH balance of the water, thus killing any living creature.
Not as common but bleach (used to whiten and clean fabrics) can alter the oxygen balance which
is harmful to animals and humans.
Acid is used to counter alkali in the dyeing process and if not properly neutralized, can cause a
low PH level, killing aquatic life.
Soaps clean the cotton but are harmful to the environment.
 SOLUTIONS FOR WATER CONSERVATIONS IN
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
AIR DYE
Dyeing method that does not use water
A special machine is used that transfers paint on paper, then a stencil with the paint is applied onto the textile and
heated
Uses air rather than water to dye fabrics
Uses both sublimation printing and cationic dyeing
Dyes are penetrated through the fibers at a molecular level
Dye goes into the fabric rather than on top so the color lasts longer
and is more vibrant
Energy consumption is reduced by 85%
Uses 90% less water total
45 gallons of water can be saved on a single garment
 Winch Dyeing:
Dropping the dye bath and avoiding overflow
rinsing could reduce water
consumption reduced by 25%.

WATER
25%
CONSERVATION
COST 1.5Lakhs To 6 lakhs
 Beam Dyeing:
About 60% of water preventing overflows
during soaking and rinsing may reduce consumption. Automatic
controls proved to be quite economical with a payback period of
about four months.
WATER
60%
CONSERVATION
COST 4.5Lakhs To 20 lakhs
Jig Dyeing:
A wide range of reductions ranging from 15% to
79% is possible by switching from the practice of overflow to
stepwise rinsing. Rinsing using a spray technique is also effective.

WATER
15% - 79%
CONSERVATION
COST 1.25Lakhs To 15 lakhs
 Cheese Dyeing:
A reduction of around 70% is possible following
intermittent rinsing.

WATER
70%
CONSERVATION
COST 0.5Lakhs To 1 Core
 Continuous Operation:
A 20%-30% saving was realized by
introducing automatic water stops. Counter-current washing
proved to be the most effective method. Horizontal washing
equipment delivered the same performance as two vertical washing
machines, using the same amount of water.

WATER
20-30%
CONSERVATION
COST 14 Lakhs To 20 Lakhs
 H&M and WWF
H&M and worldwide fund for nature have teamed up to
promote and educate both customers and employees
about water conservation
Over 500 supplier factories will be trained on responsible
water use, water recycling and reduced water use
◦ Will also have appropriate waste water treatments

By 2020, all H&M stores and warehouses will have water

efficient equipment
H&M for water was a program that donated 25% of sales
to support projects that support sustainable water
resources
CONLUSION

TECHNIQUE WATER CONSERVATION COST(Approx.)

Air Dye 90% 13 Lakhs To 25 Lakhs
Winch Dyeing 25% 1.5 Lakhs To 6 Lakhs
Beam Dyeing 60% 4.5 Lakhs To 20 Lakhs
Jig Dyeing 15% - 79% 1.25 Lakhs To 15 Lakhs
Cheese Dyeing 70% 0.5 Lakhs To 1 Core
Continuous Operation 20-30% 14 Lakhs To 20 Lakhs
Sources
http://sustainability.hm.com/en/sustainability/commitments/use-natural-resources-responsibly
/water.html
http://sustainability.hm.com/content/dam/hm/about/documents/masterlanguage/CSR/WWF/
HM%20Water%20engagement%202015.pdf
https://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2010/02/24/textiles-and-water-use/
http://www.colorzen.com/water-pollution/
http://www.airdyesolutions.com/about_us/what_is_airdye
http://scribol.com/environment/how-much-water-are-you-wearing-in-your-clothes
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/cutting-water-use-in-the-textile-industry/?_r=1
Thank you