sustainable chemistry in the textile value chain · • dyeing dyestuffs, auxiliaries, reductants,...

Sustainable chemistry in the

textile value chain

H. Krist, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale

Zusammenarbeit, Germany

Textile Production and Consumption

2nd Summer School on Sustainable Chemistry, Lüneburg 15.09.2016

• The actual patterns of textile production and consumption are not sustainable.

Consumer’s decisions and entrepreneurial decisions need a focus on sustainability.

• Textiles are mainly produced in the global south, in countries where the pressure on

drinking water resources is high.

• Wet processes in the textile value chain like bleaching, dyeing, finishing, fitting or

printing require the input of high volumes of water and chemicals: on average, per

kg of fabric, up to 200 l water and large volumes of chemicals are being used.

• The chemicals, many of which contain hazardous substances, are often led into

surface waters without adequate treatment, leading to substantial health and

environmental risks. Many textile finishing companies do not have the required

knowledge on how to handle hazardous chemicals which are used in their

processes.

• Many producing companies do not have precise information of the actual volumes

of water and chemicals deployed in their processes, which makes it difficult for them

to manage their resources sustainably.

Textile Waste Water

effluent, Faisalabad,

Pakistan, 2016


The Textile Sector, some figures


How many tons of textile fibers are produced annually?

86 (60 Mio. synthetic fibres) Mio. tons

How many pieces of clothes are produced annually?

80 billions pieces

How many pairs of Jeans are produced worldwide annually?

520 Mio. Pairs

What is the annual turn over on textile chemicals?

19 billion US $ (2011) , estimated 25,3 billion US $

Global chemical industry output In 2010 at US$ 4.12 trillion

How many pieces of clothes are bought annually in Germany?

5,97 billion pieces (amongst them 1 billion T-Shirts) figures from 2011

Foreign and

local chemical

manufacturing Transport

Local

whole sale

Local small-scale

distribution/storage

Small-scale

chemical use

Product

outputs

Non-product

outputs (waste, emissions,

waste water)

Local recovery/

recycling/re-use/

treatment/disposal

Product

use

Export/

Distribution

Local

product use

Large-scale

chemical use

Import/

Distribution

Product and Chemicals Value Chain

15.09.2016 2nd Summer School on Sustainable Chemistry, Lüneburg

Environmental issues of textile finishing


• Huge number of Textile auxiliaries with

approx. 400 – 600 single substances

• Up to 200 m³ and more Water per ton

finished textile

• High chemical load of the waste water

with non biodegradable auxiliaries

• Energy consumption

• Air emissions

• Solid wastes

Reduction in Paint Losses During Printing

Carpets, Egypt Emission of chemicals to the environment

supply

products

Process-water

treatment

emission to air

deposition sewage sludge

to soil

emission to

surface water

marine water

Wastewater

waste to landfill or

incineration: emissions to

water, air and soil

= NPO

= NPO

= NPO

Sewage treatment plant


Mass flow overview


rawmaterials

seeds

end-of-life

Raw materials

e.g. reactive black 5 e.g. H acid

Raw materials

e.g. Naphthalene, H2SO4, HNO3, NaOH

brand

disposal

re-use, recycling

AccessoiresRaw materials

rawmater.

Raw materials

Rawmater.

.

.

Synt. fibre prod.

Natur. fibre prod.

Fibre production

Weaving/knitting

Sizing agents

PreparationsTextile auxiliaries

Dyestuff manuf. Dyestuff intermed.

Washing agents

Textile finishing

ener

gy

wat

er

chem

ical

s

was

tew

ater

was

tega

s

solid

was

te

Garment manuf.

Use phase

Chemicals inputs to wet processes


• Sizing Polyvinyl alcohol, Carboxy methyl Cellulose, Oils, Waxes,

Adhesives, Urea, Diethylene glycol, etc.

• Desizing Enzymes, Sulphuric acid, Detergents and Alkali

• Scouring Sodium hydroxide, Sodium Carbonate, surfactants, chlorinated

solvents

• Bleaching Hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, acetic acid.

• Mercerization Sodium hydroxide, surfactants, acid, liquid ammonium

• Dyeing Dyestuffs, auxiliaries, reductants, oxidants

• Printing Dyes (acids or alkalis), pigments, kerosene, binders, ammonia,

xylenes.

• Chemical finishing Formaldehyde, phosphorus, ammonia, silicone,

fluorocarbon, resins, toluene, zircon salts etc.

Chemicals Inputs to wet processes- example cotton


Chemical

Management

issues and

elements

Legal

register

• National and other

laws and

regulations

• Standards, codes

Material flow

accounting

• Process flow

diagram

• Chemical

trajectory

• NPO identification

Chemical

inventory

• Safety data sheets

• Classification of

hazards and bands

Chemical risk

analysis

• Transport

• Procurement

• Storage

• Internal handling

• Production

• Delivery of

products

• Off-site

Hazard and

risk mapping

• Inventory of risks

• Mapping of risks

Communication

and reporting

• Chemical safety

reports

• Chemical

management

performance

reports

Performance

assessment

• Review of chemical

management

performance

Emergency

preparedness

and response

planning

• Emergency plan

• Emergency

prevention

activities

• Emergency

response

prepardeness

activities

Chemical risk

management

action

• Action plans

• Training needs

assessment and

plans

• Performance

indicators

• Knowledge

management and

training

• Procedures

Chemicals Management – Factory level

Partnership on Sustainable Textiles


• To respond to the need for sustainable production and consumption as well

the increasing awareness of the citizens and the civil society, the German

Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has

initiated the Partnership on Sustainable Textiles in October 2014.

• Beside of improving social standards, the establishment of environmental

standards including sustainable management of chemicals along the textile

value chain are the major issues of the Partnership.

• The targets of the Partnership regarding sustainable chemicals management

include the substitution of hazardous chemicals by 2020 through a strategy

on zero discharge of hazardous chemicals. The most critical substances are

listed in Manufactures Restricted Substances Lists (MRSL).

• Through adequate capacity development and technical assistance, the

Partnership will support the manufactures in the producing countries in

complying with the agreed standards.

Commitment of Brands and Retailers


Many brands and retailers are aware of their responsibility for people and

the environment.

• In line with a long-term sustainability program they recognize the urgent

need for minimizing industrial releases of all hazardous chemicals

• Front runners are committed to prevention of pollution and aim at zero

discharge of all hazardous chemicals along their supply chain until no

later than 2020.

The two major initiatives:

• DETOX campaign initiated by Greenpeace with the target to phase out

hazardous chemicals in the textile value chain by 2020.

• ZDHC Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals is a group of major

producers and brands which are committed to the 2020 goal.

1/3

1

1/2 1/2

1/3 1/3

1

1/2

1/2

Action Title Was ist die Kernbotschaft der Folie?

Subtitle: Was ist zu sehen?

With the help of Capacity Development Measures Change processes

can be supported


Potential solutions


• Standards, international reference Framework

• Best Available Techniques, BAT / Best Environmental Practices, BEP

• Manufactures Restricted Substances Lists, MRSL / Restricted

Substances Lists, RSL

• Improvement and enforcement of national legal frameworks

• Substitution of SVHC, development of “green chemicals lists”

• Production integrated environmental protection along the global textile

value chain

• Systematic capacity development and technical assistance

Benign by Design®


Design for repairability

- Design for long usage phase

- Design for decomposing

- Design for Recycyling

- Design for (bio)degradability in the environment

- Design for litte/no toxicity

-„Design for inherent saftety“, focus on the functionality of the product

... sustainable functionality

Drivers for Sustainable Chemistry



Thank you very much for your attention.

Bündnis für nachhaltige Textilien (G100)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Eschborn and Bonn / Germany

E [email protected]

www.textilbuendnis.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.textilbuendnis.com/

sustainable chemistry in the textile value chain · • dyeing dyestuffs, auxiliaries, reductants,...

Documents