Resource Efficient and Cleaner

Production in Textile Sector

C. Visvanathan

School of Environment Resources and Development,

Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand

Water Consumption in Textile Industry

• No. 1 polluter of clean water (after agriculture).

• More than 3600 individual textile dyes are being manufactured by this industry today.

• More than 8000 chemicals are used in various processes of textile manufacture

• Relatively low Tech Industry; slow advancement of technology development; development;

• Low investment on sectorial R& D;

• Globalization poses incentives to invest in R&D, advanced production technologies, and new organizational concepts.

2

Cloth Production

More than 70% of world cloth production is from Asia/Oceania

1043

7196

Europe

Asia/ Ocenia

World cloth production in ‘000 metric tonnes

230

1414

231

1043

0 2500 5000 7500 10000

Others

Western Hemiphere

Africa

Europe

3

Textile Labor Cost Comparison

Textile labor cost in developing countries is much lower than in

developed countries

20

25

3025.6

18.5

Labor Cost Comparison[per Hour], (in US $)

Developing Countries

0

5

10

15

2015.7

12.4 11.910.7

1.4 [VALUE].0 0.5 0.5 0.4

Source: Werner International Managing Consultants 4

Specific Electricity Consumption

Dyeing and finishing

Man-made fiber

12.6

2.9

0.28

0.6

Te

xtile

su

bse

cto

rsIntegrated, dyeing and finishing and man-made fiber mills

Min Max

0 5 10 15

Integrated textile mills1.2

12.6

0.37

Specific electricity consumption (MWh/ton)

Te

xtile

su

bse

cto

rs

5

Energy and Environmental Issues in Textile

Industry

Spinning

48%

Wet Processing

16%

Energy Consumption In Textile Processing

Weaving

36%

Source : Chandran et al , SITRA, 1997

Stats remain same

Textile industry retains a record of the lowest efficiency in energy utilization and is one of the major energy consuming industry. 6

New Technology: Energy Consumption

•Supercritical Dyeing Technique

1. Innovative technique,

2. Conserves thermal energy

3. Fabric is dried as at end of process CO2 is released in gaseous state

•Ultrasonic Assisted Wet Processing •Ultrasonic Assisted Wet Processing

1. Ultrasound equipment installed in existing machines

2. Offers improved performance

3. Fabric preparation and dyeing without impairing properties of processed materials

7

Cleaner Production Approach

A Textile Processor has to be Lean, Efficient and Innovative

Lean Good housekeeping, Conservation,Control

Efficient “Right in First Time”Approach, Mechanical/ Chemical/ Water/ Energy/ Audits, Optimization/

Productivity and Environmental consideration will remain InseparableProductivity and Environmental consideration will remain Inseparable

Energy/ Audits, Optimization/ Rationalization.

Innovative Reuse, Recovery, and Recycle InitiativeProcess Change, “Informed” Equipment Selection.

Recent Improvement in World Textile

Industry

• Selection of Dyes

� New brands requiring less energy and having high exhaust properties….. (Metal content…market request are broadening)

� Lab/R&D investigation needed

• Recipe

� Size� Size

� Dye

� Use of catalysts has been one initiative to minimize consumption of chemicals

Computer Based Selection, Expert System, Databases, FactsheetsComputer Based Selection, Expert System, Databases, Factsheets9

Recent Improvement in World Textile

Industry (cont’d)

“De-Facto” Emergence of process standards

� E.g. Parcom recommendations

Starch-PVA/CMC………..? �

CL2 Bleach-Peroxide Bleach……….. �

Recovery of caustic in merceriser

Low MLR Dyeing (Ultra Low)…………?

Recovery of chemicals in stentors………….?Recovery of chemicals in stentors………….?

� Avoiding of Harmful Substances

PCP

Formaldehyde

Benserine Based Dyes

� Substitution of non-biodegradables to degradable’s

………Sandoz RDT dyes 10

Recent Improvement in World Textile

Industry (cont’d)

Game of Eco-Labelling Textile, Trade and Environment

• Carpet

� Govt-label, Belgium/Europe

•Textile products

� OKO-TEX-Lable (100), Austria

Cleaner Fashion: “Criteria for buying conditions”Cleaner Fashion: “Criteria for buying conditions”

� OKO-TEX-Lable (100), Austria

� MST: German Standard

� STE/LMANN: Germany

� MVT: Germany

� Red List: UK/EEC

Comparison with Benchmarks: Thermal

Energy Consumption

Country/institutions

Specific fuel consumption for dyeing and finishing process

(GJ ton/Product)

Quantity

UKa 1.5 -20

UNIDOb 14-63UNIDOb 14-63

Tong-Niu (with old dyeing machine) 93

Tong-Niu (with new dyeing machine 8.2

Source: aETBPP(2000), bUNIDO(http://www.unido.org)12

Technology Breakthrough….

Dyeing- “Air Dyeing Technology”. --- Currently used only in US

•Air Dyeing Technology is a dyeing process that uses air instead of water to dye garments, allowing companies to create garments with vivid designs and colors, without polluting water and environment

Benefits of Air Dyeing Technology.

250000

200000

Wa

ter

(ga

llon

s)

1400000

1200000

1000000E

ne

rgy (

Me

ga

jo

ule

s)

70000

60000

50000

Gre

en

ho

use

Ga

s

Comparison of Air Dyeing and Traditional Wet Dyeing process for 25,000 medium men’s t-shirts. (a) Water (gallons);(b) Energy (Mega joules);(c) Greenhouse Gas (kg Co2 equivalent emissions).

150000

100000

50000

0

Wa

ter

(ga

llon

s)

(a) (b) (c)

Wet Dye Air Dye

0

600000

800000

1000000

400000

200000En

erg

y (

Me

ga

jo

ule

s)

40000

30000

20000

10000

0

Gre

en

ho

use

Ga

s

13

No future for cotton.. Alternative and

better fibers

• High Risk, New Options” centers on assumption that scarcity of resources is a serious problem.

• Potential scarce resources crucial for clothing production include water, energy, natural fibres and oil for production of artificial fibres.

• A shortage in natural fibres can be caused by rivalry in production between textile fibres, bio-fuel and food.

• Alternative fibers such as bamboo and hemp are coming into greater use in so-called eco-fashions.

• Smart Materials… nano fabrics 14

Progress in Recycled Polyester

• Recycled plastic bottle fleece for men.

• Made from an average of 10 plastic bottles

• Chopping up used plastic bottles into flakes

• Melting them and then squeezing them through tiny holes to make a polyester yarn

• Yarn is then woven into fleece fabric.

• Recycled polyester is part of M&S Plan A commitment to ensuring that key raw

are collected washed and sorted

Used Plastic Bottles Smashed into

tiny flakes

commitment to ensuring that key raw materials come from most sustainable

Achievement:

� M & S have recycled 37 Million plastic bottles into polyester for clothing and home wear

Which are made into polyester fiber

then spun into yarn to be woven and knitted

And turned into an M&S fleece

15

That’s it !

It’s Question Time!!

16