Freshwater is a finite resource, and it represents only 2.5% of the total available water on Earth. Many world regions, including a few textile production countries, such as India, China, and Pakistan, face significant water scarcity challenges. Since the textile industry is water-intensive, these water-stressed production countries need to find appropriate solutions to ensure their long-term water sustainability. Therefore, minimizing the freshwater requirement and recycling the treated wastewater would be appropriate.
The significant challenges of textile wastewater recycling are mostly related to the technologies and their economic feasibility. Although the technological advances in membrane design and application have reduced the cost significantly, the capital cost is still considerably high for small and medium scale industries. If freshwater in that production region is very expensive, the advanced treatments are worth the investment. Moreover, the high-pressure-driven membrane systems require a large amount of energy. For countries with high electricity costs, the operational cost of effluent treatment plants would also be higher. As a result, per m3 of treated recycled water would be more expensive than per m3 of freshwater, which is not financially viable. Membrane systems are also prone to fouling and need regular maintenance. It is also challenging to have a skilled workforce to operate these advanced technologies in many regions.
Few international brands and retailers have advocated water recycling and sustainable water management in the supply chains in recent years. For example, Swedish fashion giant H&M has set up a goal of 15% recycled water to be used in production in its Water Roadmap 2018-2022. German sportswear manufacturer PUMA obligates its core suppliers to perform wastewater testing according to stringent wastewater guidelines and promotes water reusing and recycling in its environmental policy. Moreover, strict environmental regulations require textile industries in several regions to plan for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD). The industry is slowly shifting toward the circular water reuse and recycling approach from the linear wastewater treatment and discharge approach. Pakistan needs to implement strict policy; otherwise, our nation will suffer soon from the emerging water crisis. Thus, the role of the textile sector is crucial for the country.
