1. Water conservation methods in the textile industry
Lauren Kim
Sustainable systems

2. How much water is needed?
The textile industry is known for using large quantities of water for a single product (denim, cotton, wool)
More than 100 gallons of water are needed to produce a single pound of raw cotton or shorn wool
gallons of water are needed for a single pair of jeans
T-shirt requires 250 gallons
505 gallons of water needed to produce just one pair of levi’s 501 jeans
Indian textile industry consumes 425,000,000 gallons a day for fabrics

3. steps to processing textiles
Water baths are needed for special/finishing chemicals for dyes
Desizing, (removing size from warp yarn), scouring (removing wax and making the textile water absorbent), bleaching and mercerizing (final treatment of cotton with caustic alkaline) are just preparation steps for the fabric
The fabric must be washed again before each step to get rid of the chemicals
85% of water used in creating fabrics goes solely into dyeing
Any dye that does not bond with the fabric must be rinsed out again with warm water

4. How does this effect us?
After each preparation step, the fabric needs to be washed again to get rid of the previous chemicals
The wastewater is then returned back into our ecosystem without being properly treated
The water can contain pbde (polyurethane, building materials, electronics), organochlorines (insecticides), and other chemicals
Pollutes ground water which can cause health issues

5. Current dyeing method
Raw cotton is grown and ginned to remove impurities, then spun into yarn which a mill weaves/knits into fabric and finally dyed
Dye bath is created by adding red, blue and yellow into a solution
Chemicals are required for the dye to bond to the fabric
Local municipal water and/or ground water is used for extensive washing
the wastewater ends up back into streams, rivers and lakes

6. What ends up in the water?
Leftover dye can end up in waterways
Salt from the dye baths can kill marine animals
Alkali can disrupt the pH balance of the water, thus killing any living creature
Not as common but bleach (used to whiten and clean fabrics) can alter the oxygen balance which is harmful to animals and humans
Acid is used to counter alkali in the dyeing process and if not properly neutralized, can cause a low ph level, killing aquatic life
Soaps clean the cotton but are harmful to the environment

7. airdye Dyeing method that does not use water
A special machine is used that transfers paint on paper, then a stencil with the paint is applied onto the textile and heated
Uses air rather than water to dye fabrics
Uses both sublimation printing and cationic dyeing
Dyes are penetrated through the fibers at a molecular level
Dye goes into the fabric rather than on top so the color lasts longer and is more vibrant
Energy consumption is reduced by 85%
Uses 90% less water total
45 gallons of water can be saved on a single garment

8. H&m and wwf
H&m and worldwide fund for nature have teamed up to promote and educate both customers and employees about water conservation
Over 500 supplier factories will be trained on responsible water use, water recycling and reduced water use
Will also have appropriate waste water treatments
By 2020, all h&m stores and warehouses will have water efficient equipment
H&m and wwf china implemented a yangtze basin engagement plan to improve water quality and protect the finless porpoise
H&m for water was a program that donated 25% of sales to support projects that support sustainable water resources

9. Sources
responsibly/water.html
HM%20Water%20engagement% pdf