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What is Sustainability?
Sustain means “to maintain” or “ to uphold” and with
regard to industrial processes sustainability means establishing
hose principles and practices which can help to maintain the
equilibrium of nature in other words to avoid causing irreversible damage to the earth’s natural resources. Moving to a greater degree of sustainability in our
industrial processes and systems requires that we achieve a
better balance between the social, economic and environmental
aspects of textile production.
• A sustainable product is one that is manufactured in a way
that respects the social elements of fair trade and human
rights of the people involved in the whole of the
manufacturing chain.
• A sustainable product is one that is manufactured in such
a way that it has the lowest possible adverse effect on the
environment e.g. by making the most efficient use of
resources such as water and energy, and which goes the
extra mile to recover raw materials, e.g. by the recycling
of as much water as possible or by recovering the heat
from wastewater discharges.
• But equally important, a sustainable product is one which
can compete effectively in the global marketplace against
less sustainable products. i.e. which offers value benefits
to the consumer, and where the economic returns from its
success are fairly distributed back along the supply chain.
In order to achieve the above agenda, it is important to
work at each and every aspect of textile production where
natural resources, energy and chemicals are consumed and
emissions to air, water and land arise.
Sustainable Textile Processing
As we have already noted the textile industry is one of
the most polluting industry sectors. A vast range and
quantity of chemicals is used at every stage and the after-
effects in terms of wastewater treatment and air pollution are
critical to manage. There is a strong need to establish more
sustainable textile processing measures in the industry. The
main objective of these measures should be to minimize and
eliminate the most harmful inputs and the most polluting
outputs and to reduce the level of chemical residues left on
the textile. But it would be wrong to focus solely on the
chemical inputs and ignore the consumption of energy and
water which are the primary impacts of the textile
processing industry. In summary a sustainable approach
covers the following points:
• Minimum use of resources (water and energy)
• Minimum chemical consumption
• Minimum pollution load
• Toxic chemicals eliminated from supply chain
• Harmful chemical residues eliminated from final textile
But in order to minimize the usage, it is important to
measure the inputs and in order to eliminate the most
harmful chemicals, it is important to know and understand
what is being used. Uncontrolled or unknown inputs lead to
unmanaged use of resources and uncontrolled outputs. The
measurement of the parameters shown below is essential to
establish an understanding of the input-output balance of the
textile processing operation.
The measurement and control of these inputs and outputs
can lead to:
• Improved resource productivity
• Improved eco-efficiency
• Improved cost efficiency
And
• Improved customer satisfaction
• Improved brand reputation
Once the understanding about the basics of processes and
chemicals involved with the supply chain is established and
awareness about the inputs is there, then control over the
output of the production process can be achieved.
Color Communication
Finally we should note another important element that is often
overlooked in seeking to improve the sustainability of the
textile and clothing supply chain and that is accurate and
timely color communication. We will return to this subject
later in the series but for now a few tips for improving color
communication:
1. Communicate your color accurately using physical
and/or digital color standards.
Accurate communication of the color you require
will reduce lab dip rejection rates and result in
better right first time bulk dyeing.
2. Communicate electronically when feasible: avoid
wasting time due to delayed communication
3. Do not set unachievable color standards- avoid
wasting dye and chemicals in trying to achieve
heavy depths or brilliant shades on certain fibers.
Conclusion
Sustainable design, informed selection of dyes and
chemicals, accurate color communication, and controlled
coloration using Best Available Technology are key
elements in raising the standard of sustainability in the
textile supply chain.
More information can be obtained at
http://www.dystar.com/highlights/sustainability.cfm
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