2

Reducing Carbon Footprint

SUSTAINABLE TEXTILE PROCESSING

Textile wet processing adds maximum value to the textiles by
improving its Aesthetics, Comfort and Functional properties.
The large amount of water used
during the processing operations
gets contaminated with unfixed
dyes, chemicals & auxiliaries and
is discharged as effluent. The
cocktail of chemicals present
makes it difficult to treat the
effluent waste water or biodegrade
it. This creates pollution problems
and leads to increased demand for
good-quality water for processing.
Thus challenges in sustainability of textile wet processing
operations mainly relate to the

● Water Consumption
● Energy
● Chemicals
● Discharge of Unexhausted
Chemicals
To overcome these issues, a large number of sustainable
practices has been implemented by various textile
processing industries
 Strategies for Waste Minimization

1. CHEMICAL SUBSTITUTION
Chemical Substitute
Acid (Mineral) Desizing Enzymatic Desizing
Synthetic Detergents Soaps
Sodium Acetate (Neutralizing of Scoured Soda Ash
Goods)
Ammonium Sulphate (pH Adjustment) Acetic Acid
Gum Thickening Emulsion Thickening
Acetic Acid (Oxidation of Vat Dyestuff) Sodium Bicarbonate
 Strategies for Waste Minimization

2. CHEMICAL RECOVERY
Water (through Treatment)
Caustic Soda (from Mercerization using Recuperation)
Sizing Ingredients (PVA, CMC from Desizing Bath)
Reuse of Liquors (Desized, Caustic Scour, Mercerized & Bleach)
 Strategies for Waste Minimization

3. PROCESS MODIFICATION
Use of Lower Liquor Ratios
Use of Foam for Dyeing, Printing & Finishing
Hot Mercerization
Combined Desizing, Scouring & Bleaching
Dyeing Cum Sizing of Denim Warp
Single Stage Dyeing of Blended Fabrics
STRATEGIES FOR
ECO-FRIENDLY PROCESSING & CLEAN PRODUCTION

AVOID
Drop a procedure or product in favor of
dramatically improving the environmental situation.

Reduce pollutant load (saving of water and energy) by

REDUSE bringing exhaustion and fixation of dyes close to
100%.

REUSE Reuse of the dye-bath

RECYCL Recycling of the fibers (for natural it is limited but

E
possible for synthetic fibers).
ECO-FRIENDLY
PROCESSING
 ECO-FRIENDLY PREPARATORY PROCESSES

● Selection of Sizes with Minimum Pollution Loads: Sizes

from natural sources that are biodegradable.

● Recovery of Synthetic Sizing Materials : Expensive polyvinyl

alcohol and poly acrylics can be removed by simple treatment with
hot water and recovered by ultra filtration.

● Reuse of Sizing
Polymer: Recovered
modified starch, polyvinyl
alcohol and poly acrylics
can be reused reducing the
pollution load by 50%.
 ECO-FRIENDLY PREPARATORY PROCESSES

● Enzyme Technology
Bio-processing also offers the potential for new industrial processes
that require less energy, less water and less effluent problems with
effective results.

Enzymatic Textile Processing (ETP) - Enzymatic desizing, enzymatic

scouring, enzymatic bleaching, bio polishing and enzyme based
softeners are few examples of bio-processing of textiles.
 ECO-FRIENDLY PREPARATORY PROCESSES

● Use of Easily Degradable Organic Stabilizers in peroxide

bleaching.
● Replacing Nonyl Phenol Ethoxylate Based Surfactants with
fatty alcohol ethoxylates, fatty alcohol polyglycol ethers, hydroxy
mix under sulphates.
● Selection of Suitable Softeners and Preservatives: Using
environmentally acceptable NAVDEECIDE D-12 instead of PCP and
sodium silico-fluoride.
● Single-Bath Desizing & Scouring: Oxidative desizing using
hydrogen peroxide with or without the addition of persulphate.
● Using Pad Steam (Batch) Systems to minimize the residual
NaOH in waste water.
● Chlorine-free Bleaching: This involves the use of hydrogen
peroxide (eco-friendly alternative to chlorine bleaching).
● Eco-bleach: Use of natural phosphates and silicates mixed in cow
dung combined with sunlight to achieve whitening of natural fabrics.
 ECO-FRIENDLY DYEING PROCESSES
● Avoiding Chemicals: Cu and Zn salts used as after-treatment agents, catalysts
or reducing agents; chromium salts in dyeing with acid dyes; urea and its
substitutes; halogenated organic carrier for dyeing with disperse dyes; sodium
sulphide for dyeing with sulphur dyes; dye fixing agents with free formaldehyde
● Selecting More Efficient and Less Harmful Chemicals: Cation-active agents
for the after treatment of reactive dyes; alkaline organic carbohydrate base
reducing agent like hydrol in suphur dyeing.
● Cold or Low Temperature Dye Processes
● Foam Dyeing
● Solvent Dyeing
● Cationization for Salt-Free Dyeing
● High Fixation Reactive Dyes with Reduced Salt
● Dyeing in Ionic Liquids
● Super Critical CO2 Fluid Dyeing
● Dyeing Using Ultrasound Technologies
● Right First Time (RFT) Dyeing
● Pad-Batch and Continuous Dyeing.
● Proper Storage of Dyes and accurate weighing
ECO-FRIENDLY DYEING PROCESSES

● Less Water Technologies

Low MLR, Foam and Microwave
 ECO-FRIENDLY DYEING PROCESSES

● Waterless Technologies such as

Supercritical Carbon Oxide, Plasma & Nano Particle Technologies
 ECO-FRIENDLY FINISHING PROCESSES

● Dry Finishes are generally considered environmentally preferable

and consumer friendly as they are applied mechanically and use
machinery and heat rather than chemicals.
● Wet Finishes, such as antimicrobial and stain-resistant can be
beneficial to the sustainability of a garment, as they reduce the need
for laundering, conserving water and energy and reducing the amount
of chemicals released to the environment.
● Reducing the Levels of Released Formaldehyde by using
modified N-methylol type reactant resins having low free as well as
released formaldehyde or substituting 1/3rd of such reactants with
nitro alconol reactant modifier, the addition of formaldehyde
acceptors (carbohydrazide, glucols) to the bath and the spraying of
5% solution of urea on the hot fabric as it comes out of the curing
chamber.
 ECO-FRIENDLY PRINITNG PROCESSES

● Aqueous Acrylic Thickeners having low BOD used in place of

the kerosene oil based thickeners for pigment printing.
● Ink-jet Printing: It is considered the most eco-friendly and
efficient method of printing due to its lower water usage, water
wastage and energy consumption (Dry-heat fixation).
 3
Reducing Carbon Footprint

RECYCLING / UPCYCLING
According to
the
Environment
al Protection
Agency an
estimated
12.4
million
tons
of textiles
were
generated in
2008
 ECO-FRIENDLY DYEING PROCESSES

● Waste Water Recycling: Waste water recycling is the use of

tertiary treated waste water in the dye-baths for irrigation purposes. It
can save millions of gallons of water
 ECO-FRIENDLY DYEING PROCESSES

● Dye-bath Reuse: Recycling the water used in dye-baths for

subsequent baths (Standing Baths) helps in conserving is substantial
and 10-50% of unexhausted dye can be recycled.
 FORTREL EcoSpun

Plastic Bottles are Chips are melted Yarn is knit,

bottles chopped up down & extruded dyed, sewn into
into chips into fiber product

Soft & Weather

Durable
Warm Resistant
Most of the clothing that is disposed
of each year is still very wearable,
but it is thrown out simply because
it is out of style, old, or we are just
tired of it. At least 50% of them are
recyclable.
Recycling / Upcycling
of textiles involves
re-working of old
textiles and updating
them to match the
prevailing
fashion/styles thereby
increasing the life of
the cloth and
eliminating the
pressure on the
farmlands to grow
huge amount of cotton
Environmental Benefits Recovery & Recycling
1 Reduces the Need for Landfill Space

Synthetic (man-made fibres) products do not decompose

Woollen garments produce methane gas on decomposing
These sites pose a threat to local ground water supplies which gets contaminated
and can be up to 200 times as toxic as raw sewage.
Environmental Benefits Recovery & Recycling
2 Reduces Pressure on Virgin Resources

By re-using existing fibres and textiles,

pressure to produce more raw materials is reduced
Environmental Benefits Recovery & Recycling
Results in Less Pollution & Energy Savings
This saves on the energy used and pollution caused
during manufacturing processes
 If everyone in the UK bought one reclaimed woollen garment
each year, it would save an average of 371 million gallons of water
and 480 tonnes of chemical dyestuffs.

Poncho made from reclaimed

wool sweaters
Many Fashion Businesses are choosing to incorporate
Recycled Fibres, Fabrics or Clothes in their
collections.
WAYS TO RECYCLE FASHION

Using Fabric Composed of Recycled Fibres

Armani Jeans developed

new materials using 60% recycled
wool and recycled cross dyed cotton
 WAYS TO RECYCLE FASHION
Recycling Textile Fabric (Upcycling)
Example using unwanted factory surpluses, off-cuts or materials
which would otherwise be thrown away.

Some companies like From Somewhere use fabric waste

generated during the manufacturing process or material that has been
designated as unusable due to minor faults to create their collections.
WAYS TO RECYCLE FASHION
Using Fabric Composed of Recycled Products

Patagonia , North Face

WAYS TO RECYCLE FASHION
Recycling or Customizing Clothing
Re-fashioning or repairing second hand clothing for a second life.
Consumers can also contribute by recycling by re-styling existing
clothes, swapping clothes with friends or choosing to invest in
quality rather than quantity when buying clothes.
UPCYCLING
Today ecological and toxicity factors are gaining prime importance.
Pollutants, allegan & carcinogens are now being severely restricted
in the manufacturing of consumer goods sold all over the world.
In 1992, Germany banned the use of metallic components in all
consumer articles, which contained nickel. This was followed by
restrictions on pentachlorophenol (PCP) and azo dyes containing
banned amines
ECO-LABELLING
An eco-label identifies the
general environmental
performance of a product or
service spanning its entire
textile supply chain,
contributes to consumer safety
and reduces the environmental
impact, thereby supporting
sustainable textile consumption
patterns. Thus widely
recognized eco-labels act as
guidelines for consumers who
want to buy eco-friendly
sustainable products.
Eco-label on products indicate the following:
● Free of allergy causing dyes.
● Pesticides residues do not exceed the permissible limits of
foodstuffs.
● Concentration of heavy metals released on contact with
perspiration does not exceed limits of drinking water.
● Do not contain dyes or products split off from dyes, which are
regarded as being carcinogenic or liable to cause cancer.
● Fabrics for babies and infants under 2 years old must not release
dyes on contact with saliva or perspiration.
● Contain less formaldehyde than that declared by the German law.
● Have a pH value favorable to the skin area with which it has
contact.
For the purpose of issuing eco
labels, certain norms/criteria
are defined on the basis of
Cradle-to-Grave approach.
i.e. these criteria are
developed on the basis of the
product's entire life cycle
commencing with extraction
of raw materials, progressing
through the stages of
production, distribution,
utilization and disposal after
use.

These norms are also referred to as Eco-Standards

 STANDARDS

Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is a worldwide consistent,

independent testing and certification system for textile
products at all processing levels, as well as for
accessory materials used along the textile value chain.

Oeko-Tex 1000 is a testing, auditing and certification

system for environmentally-friendly production sites
throughout the textile processing chain. This is a
factory certification label.

Oeko-Tex 100Plus is used on products that have met

the Oeko-Tex 100 Standard and are also produced in a
facility that meets the Oeko-Tex 1000 Standard.

It was introduced in 1992 by the German Hohenstein Institute and the Austrian
Institute for Ecology, Technology and Innovation (ÖTI) in 1992.
 STANDARDS MAKING BODIES

The ISO (International Organization for

Standardization) has identified three
broad types of labels:

● TYPE I: A voluntary, multiple-criteria based, third party program

that awards a license to use of the label that indicates overall
environmental preferability of the product based on its life cycle.
● TYPE II: Informative environmental self-declaration claims
● TYPE III: voluntary programs that provide quantified
environmental data of a product, under pre-set categories of
parameters set by a qualified third party and based on life cycle
assessment, and verified by that or another qualified third party.
 ECO-LABELS

EUROPEAN UNION GERMANY UNITED KINGDOM FRANCE

AUSTRIA SWEDEN NORWAY NETHERLANDS

CANADA UNITED STATES JAPAN JAPAN

 ETHICAL ORGANIZATIONS
A number of organizations which work with fashion designers, organizations and
businesses to facilitate, support, or monitor sustainable practices and standards.

Registration, Evaluation,
Authorization and Restriction
of Chemicals
In the face of the proliferation of eco labels, the
Coordination Committee for the Textiles Industries in
the EEC (COMITEXTI) supports a single European
label. Further, the European Union is finalizing the
criteria for a common “European Community Eco-
label” (EC Eco-label) after taking into consideration the
criteria specified by other eco labels.
Eco Mark: The Government of
India has also evolved eco standards
for the eco-labeling of textile items
in consultation with the
Indian Textile Trade & Industry.
The MEF (Ministry of Environment
and Forest) has appointed the
Bureau of Indian Standards as the
administrating authority for
Eco Mark.
The Earthen Pot represents:
● Earth and its fragile features.
● It is recyclable and made
from clay.
● It is used to carry water or
other basic necessities of life.
● It symbolizes a product as
old as Indian civilization, yet it
is contemporary
 Objectives of Eco Mark
● Provide incentive to manufacturers & importers to
reduce the adverse effect of the products on the
environment.
● To reward the companies taking initiative for the above.
● To make the consumer aware of their responsibilities
towards the environment and to encourage them to
purchase the environment friendly products.
● To improve the quality of the environment.
Thus……
 The textile industry is considered as the most
Eco-unfriendly & Harmful industry in the world
By adopting Products & Appropriate Technology
that are Energy Efficient
Production Costs can be lowered and Profits
improved
Sustainable methods and techniques need to be adopted by
textile industries in order to save
 Let our progress be not synonymous with an assault on nature.
Higher standards of living must be achieved but without depriving
nature of its beauty, freshness and purity, which are essential to life.
Prof. (Dr.) Deepali Singhee
Principal, J.D. Birla Institute, Kolkata
deepalisingheejdbi@gmail.com