Innovations in Wastewater Treatment for Textile Manufacturing Industry
Shafiun Nahar Elma
Industrial & Production Engineer
National Institute of Textile Engineering & Research (NITER), Bangladesh.
Email: shafiun.elma05@gmail.com
Textile manufacturing industries are one of the largest industries among the world’s developing countries; specifically for Bangladesh, it is one of the large shares of the country’s gross domestic product. However, the process of rapid industrialization is followed by social requirements, the solution of which is the question of environmental sustainability. This factor is one of the most important to this particular challenge, namely wastewater treatment. Textile wet processing industry specially washing plants has a massive problem of wastewater production, which contains hazardous chemicals and dyes. Therefore, implementing innovation in wastewater treatment in textile industry has emerged as critical in reducing environmental effects and meeting regulatory requirements.
Innovation in wastewater treatment means the purification of polluted water to achievable standards for discharge, disposal, or recycling. In the context of the textile industry, this comprises the handling of water used in processes that include dyeing, finishing, and washing of garments. The importance of upgrading innovations in wastewater treatment in textile industry cannot be overemphasized; this is because some of its constituents are very detrimental to organisms in water bodies and humans.
Current Challenges:
Although Bangladesh has been turning into a technological hub, most of the textile manufacturing factories still use conventional techniques to eliminate industrial waste and chemicals. Common challenges include:
- Lack of Infrastructure: Most of the factories have poor infrastructure when it comes to treatment of wastewater.
- Cost Constraints: The application of advanced technologies and innovations in wastewater treatment is costly and a challenge to small and medium enterprises.
- Regulatory Compliance: Since most organizations are not fully knowledgeable and unable to afford to implement environmental compliance, it has become challenging to adhere to environmental regulations.
As a result of these challenges, several new solutions have also been developed recently. It also needs to be understood that these innovations play the role of improving the effectiveness of innovations in wastewater treatment while improving sustainability within the textile production sector.
Innovations in Wastewater Treatment for Textile Manufacturing Industry
1. Membrane Bioreactors (MBRs):
A membrane bioreactor is a process that integrates some biological treatment techniques with membrane filtration. This technology has been accepted since it produces high-quality effluent which can be recycled. MBRs have the added advantage of efficiently removing suspended solids and pathogens thus being appropriate for use in the textile factories to achieve water recycling.
Benefits:
- High Efficiency: The conducted study shows that MBRs have the potential to attain high removal rates in terms of organic matter compared to a conventional system.
- Space-saving: It is easier to implement them in factories which are located in city areas since they take less space than other treatment methods.
2. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs):
AOPs rely on highly reactive oxidizing agents to degrade the chemical organic compounds present in wastewater. This method is very efficient in treating dye-containing effluents that abound in the textile industry.
Benefits:
- Versatility: To a large extent, it can address various types of pollutants.
- Reduced Sludge Production: AOPs yield lesser sludge than conventional treatments, hence reducing problems with the disposal of the resulting waste.
3. Phytoremediation:
This environmentally friendly technology uses plants to remove and decompose contaminants in water. Some plants can accumulate heavy metals and organic compounds for the treatment of industrial effluents, the process is known as phytoremediation. It is one of the natural innovations in wastewater treatment.
Benefits:
- Cost-Effective: The use of plants can bring down operational costs to a great extent.
- Biodiversity Enhancement: It enhances regional bio-diversity since it combines green areas within industrial activities.
4. Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD):
ZLD is an innovative approach that attempts to appease the liquid waste problem by striving to get water out of the water stream. Not only does this method save more water but also is less detrimental to the environment as well.
Benefits:
- ZLD systems can reuse 95% of water from wastewater.
- The process also enables the separation of other by-products such as salts and minerals of significant value.
- Then, the paper revisited case studies that can be used as references for the successful implementation of PSM.
- Many manufacturing factories have adopted new ideas and innovations in wastewater treatment systems and have already established models for other factories.
Real-life Practices
Though H&M has excellent relations with different factories in Bangladesh to produce its apparel, it has tightened its restrictions for choosing textile manufacturing factories for producing. The company has advised different factories that it sources from in Bangladesh to address their issues with wastewater treatment. Education of factory staff by H&M on MBR technology and working with them to implement the technology has gone a long way in keeping the impact on the environment low.
Levi Strauss & Co started off the Water<Less™ program in which the company tries to use innovative water treatment technologies in manufacturing. Less volume of water was reduced from 80-96% during the process of manufacture and the treated effluents fully complied with environmental requirements.
In Policy and Regulations
It is also evident that government policies have a certain impact on innovations in wastewater treatment in the textile sector. New laws on the discharge of effluent have made many factories seek better technologies in that field. Also, things like tax credits or grants for engaging in more sustainable operations can increase innovation rates.
Necessary Steps for the Innovations in Wastewater Treatment Process
- Providing Training Programs: The need to create awareness among factory owners of better technologies and sustainable innovations in wastewater treatment.
- Facilitating Access to Funding: Granting aid or interest-free credit for enhancement of the existing structures for handling wastewater.
- Encouraging Collaboration: The promotion of knowledge and awareness sharing between factories, NGOs, and research institutions.
1. Trend Analysis for Innovations in Wastewater Treatment:
These modern techniques IoT or Internet of Things technology into real-time monitoring of the quality of wastewater and treatment processes. The exception can be determined at the rudimentary level itself by the factories and can make changes at the same or next phase all in a casual fashion.
2. Biodegradable Chemicals:
The general replacement of environmentally friendly biodegradable dyes and chemicals will reduce the hazardous impacts of the wastewater emerging from the denim washing factories and their treatment method.
3. Circular Economy Practices:
Stressing such ideas as circular economy will ensure that the factories do not only recycle the treated water but also utilize it internally, or sell it back to the communities.
Conclusion:
It has been found that some of the specific highly advanced technologies can be used to alleviate the major environmental effects of factories at enormously low levels of regulation.
In front of us is the process of involving owners of factories, authorities, non-governmental organizations, and customers to learn how to support the sustainable development of the tourism industry. As the world transforms into a sustainable world efficient water treatment will be one of the wingman for textile manufacturing to grow without affecting the environment.
Concisely put, effective wastewater management works in the best interest of the textile wet processing and also contributes in the direction of addressing global environmental responsibilities, thus being a concern of importance for all floating stakeholders in the textile wet processing.
References:
- Khasru, Md. Amir, Sustainable Wastewater Treatments in Textile Industry, https://textilelearner.net/sustainable-wastewater-treatments-in-textile-industry/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332440677_TREATMENT_OF_TEXTILE_WASTEWATER_IN_BANGLADESH
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211464517301926
- https://www.textileschool.com/7767/effluent-treatment-process-in-garment-manufacturing/
- https://www.academia.edu/25532610/Effluent_Treatment_Plant_and_Its_Importance_on_Textile_and_Garments_Industry_in_Bangladesh_Economy_An_Analytical_Exercise_for_Future_Development
