Water Use in Textiles Phil Patterson Managing Director, Colour Connections Consultancy ltd

The Rime of the Modern Clothier Water, water, everywhere, And all the brains did shrink, Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink

Industrial Use ~100 – 150 l/kg Scouring Dyeing Washing Heating! Cooling! (don’t forget fibre)

Domestic Laundry ~10 – 15 l/kg/wash Washing Rinsing

just water Energy to heat it Chemicals in it Pollution

Industry Use high temperatures Inefficient Indirect heating – Boiler makes steam – Steam shipped to machines – Heat exchanger What’s insulation? Water used for cooling Often no effluent treatment

Domestic Uses lower temperatures Low chemical usage Direct heating – Water heated in machine Or from insulated hot water source Always to an ETP

Durability means Sustainability 150 l/kg per kg to produce (20,150 l/kg for cotton) 15 l/kg per kg to wash Items washed 10 times or less have bigger production impact!

Durability means Sustainability Factor in cotton growing

Is water used or ‘borrowed’? Some always used – (evaporation) It’s never put back in form it was taken Water-recycling massively under-utilised

Fashion Crime

Number 1 Fashion Crime Pollution Most pollution is where water is plentiful – India – Bangladesh – China

Actions Shift focus to textile production Priority 1.Traceability 2.Compliance with environmental laws 3.Reduction in needless textile consumption 4.Reduction in water consumption

Traceability – The foundation of everything How to achieve it – Legislation? – Shame, Pressure? – Brand co-operation? – Fashion media Everyone fears traceability – “commercial sensitivities” – Fear of what will be found

Compliance Who? – Retailers? Makes them higher cost – Governments? Short term damage to economy

Textile Consumption Lower volumes Higher value Prices to reflect true cost Taxes based on volumes bought/sold?

Reducing Water Consumption Evolution or revolution? – Right first time – Best available technology – Re-cycling – Liquid carbon dioxide – Marginalisation of cotton (Kyoto style targets) – Product labelling based on facts not hype

Summary Water ‘use’ is not always an issue Pollution is the major issue Energy use associated with water use is a major issue Focus on industry not domestic Best practice could halve water consumption in dyeing