GUIDELINES. for Sustainable Water Use In the Production and Manufacturing Processes of Textiles and Leather Short Version

Transcription

1 S W E D E N T E X T I L E WAT E R I N I T I AT I V E GUIDELINES for Sustainable Water Use In the Production and Manufacturing Processes of Textiles and Leather Short Version

2 STWI members RGB Design HAGLÖFS LOGOTYPE GRUNDLOGOTYPE, ATT ANVÄNDAS POSITIVT SVART MOT LJUS BAKGRUND ELLER NEGATIVT VITT MOT SVART ELLER MOT MÖRK BAKGRUND KONTAKTA GÄRNA HAGLÖFS OM NI VILL HA H J Ä L P E L L E R R Å D V I D H A N T E R I N G AV L O G OT Y P E N TEL O , FA X

3 Guidelines Preface The world has enjoyed unprecedented economic growth and technological advances over the last half century, but access to clean water still limits development in many places of the world. Nearly one billion people in our world still lack access to safe water to drink. The variety of plants and animals in freshwater ecosystems has declined more than in any other kind of ecosystem. Textile and leather production are examples of industrial activities that are dependent on access to large quantities of high quality water. At the same time, this production can severely pollute water resources if the water it discharges is not treated properly. For these reasons, the Stockholm International Water Institute appreciated being approached by 32 Swedish companies, importers of textile and leather goods, who suggested a partnership to guide water management in the manufacturing of clothes, shoes, home textiles and accessories. The partnership that was formed the Sweden Textile Water Initiative has resulted in these Guidelines on water efficiency, water pollution prevention and wastewater management in textile and leather production. A key principle of these Guidelines is the value of prevention. Reducing water and chemical use early in the production process is cheaper and more productive than exclusive focus on wastewater treatment. It also means that substantial economic benefits are within easy reach for manufacturers that use water more wisely. This is only the beginning of a continuous journey. With diligent implementation, enforcement and monitoring, it is our aim that these Guidelines will contribute to a more sustainable use of the world s water resources. Anders Berntell Executive Director (until 29 February 2012) Stockholm International Water Institute 3

4 2 Introduction

5 Objective This document is a summary of the STWI Guidelines for sustainable water use in the production and manufacturing process of textiles and leather. The primary target groups of the Guidelines are all textile and leather suppliers with wet production processes such as dyeing, printing, finishing and tanning. The STWI has produced complete, independent guidelines for leather and textile production, both of which are covered in this short version. A self-assessment questionnaire has also been developed. The full Guidelines and the self-assessment questionnaire are accessible to the STWI member companies and their suppliers. A library of extensive background information has also been produced and will be available for the suppliers upon request to their buyer. The purpose of the three level structure is to facilitate continuous improvements and to enable factories at all levels of performance in water management to use the STWI Guidelines. At each level, and increasingly at Levels 2 and 3, the improvements made in water management also translate into financial gains. Management and sustainability policy We encourage our suppliers to invest in appropriate training for all employees to achieve improvements and to work with an environmental management system that incorporates the requirements of the STWI Guidelines. It is further recommended to have a well implemented Sustainability Policy with a systemic approach and an upstream view on water use in both quantitative and qualitative terms. Scope The Guidelines cover three areas: water efficiency, water pollution prevention, and wastewater. The purpose of water efficiency is to ensure that only the necessary amount of water is used in the factory, reducing the need for wastewater treatment as well as energy and water costs. The areas of water pollution prevention and wastewater aim to reduce negative health and environmental impacts from chemicals used in the production processes. The three levels of the Guidelines Legal compliance and co-operation with public authorities It is a minimum requirement that all local and national legislation is fully complied with and that the producer has a good and constructive dialogue with the local authorities. Global conventions regarding the use of chemicals, such as the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) 1, should also be followed. Where there are differences between the provisions of these Guidelines and national laws or other applicable standards, suppliers shall adhere to the higher or more stringent requirements. Level 1 (Minimum level) is the minimum acceptable level for water management, which means that the supplier complies with legislation and has a general awareness about water issues. At Level 2 (Improver) the factory s environmental performance exceeds the baseline minimum legal requirements, and works methodically with water and pollution prevention action plans. Level 3 (Achiever) suppliers are leaders in the field of sustainable water usage in the textile/leather industry and use best practice techniques to reuse water and phase out hazardous chemicals. 1 Stockholm Convention, (retrieved 12 April 2012) 5

6 Sub-contractors and sub-suppliers As a textile/leather supplier, you have the power to influence the water use and the release of chemicals from the direct operations in your own factories. You are also dependent on water used and polluted in the operations of your sub-contractors and sub-suppliers that e.g. dye the yarn, print the fabric or tan the hide for your products. We expect you to extend your influence to their operations and improve the water situation even further upstream the supply chain using the STWI Guidelines. A common journey We, the founding companies of STWI, expect our suppliers to fully implement the Guidelines in line with each of the buying companies general terms and conditions. We are convinced that all our partners will see the benefit from implementing these Guidelines and will start a journey towards a smarter use of water in, by that contributing to a prosperous and sustainable future. Mahiuddin Faruqui, Bangladesh. Supplier to Lindex and participant in IFC s Cleaner-Production Initiative Photo: Teodora Vlaicu, SXC 6

7 3 Water Efficiency

8 A reduction of the amount of water used in a factory will both reduce the cost for water and for wastewater treatment. Reduced water consumption also saves energy because less water needs to be heated for the different processes. Level 1: Minimum level All applicable legal requirements should be followed and necessary permits should be available and up-to-date. Production managers should be educated on efficient water use and maintenance of equipment. The employees should also be involved through communication and education on efficient water use. Analysis of influent water should be conducted regularly to ensure high quality of the water used in the processes. Machinery checking (i.e. pumps, valves, level switches, stenters) and general maintenance should be conducted at regular intervals. The total amount of water used and the total weight of textile/leather produced should be measured monthly to enable continuous improvements. All data should be kept on site. Optimal methods and the recipes and chemicals used should be clearly documented. Level 3: Achiever At this level, factories are leaders in the field of sustainable water usage in the textile/leather industry and use best practice techniques to reduce and reuse water consumption. All employees involved in purchasing, engineering and design of equipment, should be continuously educated on investment in water efficient equipment and chemicals. The factory should strive to acquire new technical knowledge and implement Best Available Techniques (BAT) (for leather, see the European Commission reference document (BREF) on best available techniques for integrated pollution prevention and control in tanning of hides and skins 2, and for textile see the document Best Available Techniques in Textile Industry 3 ). All possibilities to reuse and recycle processed water should be investigated. Water consumption level should be sustainable within the local environmental limits and the water catchment area. The factory should have an action plan for investments/cost savings for all wet processes. Systems for water reuse should be identified and implemented. The water consumption data should be an implemented part of the business plan and available on site. Level 2: Improver At this level, environmental performance has reached beyond legal requirements and factories are working methodically with water efficiency action plans. The amount of water used in different sub-processes should be measured monthly (water meters should be installed) to enable continuous improvement. All data should be kept on site. A plan with clear goals for reduced water consumption in each of the sub-processes should be implemented. The plan should address the changes that are going to be made, how and when they will be implemented, and be reviewed annually. Water saving equipment should be identified and installed to reduce water consumption. Photo: Renée Andersson, Indiska 2, 3 Documents can be downloaded from European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Tanning of Hides and Skins: (retreived 12 April 2012). 3 Schönberg and Schäfer (2003), Best Available Techniques in Textile Industry, Federal Environmental Agency, Berlin. [Online]: retrieved 12 April

9 4 Water pollution prevention

10 Chemicals can be hazardous for people working in the factory, for those wearing the finished products, for those living downstream of the factory, and for the environment. Reductions in the consumption of chemicals and auxiliaries leads to better environmental performance by minimizing the amount of solid waste as well as the ecological loads in wastewater and air emissions. It also leads to reduced costs, making it possible to achieve the product requirements of your customers. Additionally, an improved work environment situation can be achieved. The factory is recommended to have a chemical policy created by the top management. Level 1: Minimum level All applicable legal requirements should be followed and necessary permits should be available and up-to-date. The individual STWI member s Restricted Substances Lists should be followed. A specific person should be appointed as responsible for chemicals. The employees should have appropriate education concerning handling of chemicals and auxiliaries, especially hazardous substances and understand the content of Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Appropriate Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) should be used when working with chemicals, for instance gloves, safety goggles and masks. All chemicals used and stored in the production unit should have an up to date MSDS available. Chemical storage and handling should be designed to minimise potential risks: A register of all chemicals purchased, used and disposed of should be maintained. The chemicals should be properly handled, stored and transported according to the instruction of the MSDS. Special compartments should be used for toxic and explosive chemicals. All chemical containers should be controlled for leakage and properly labelled with chemical name and appropriate danger symbols. Measuring equipment and dispensing devices for chemicals should be calibrated. This ensures proper dosing, which also gives economic advantages. Any kind of surplus of applied chemicals should be avoided. Waste chemicals should be collected and disposed of in an environmentally sound manner, in accordance with current legislation and in accordance with the information in the MSDS. Sealed and labelled containers should be used for products containing surplus chemicals to guarantee that there is no leakage or scattering. Waste or unused chemicals and empty barrels/ containers should be returned to the chemical supplier, a recycling company or a licensed waste contractor. Chemicals should not be poured into the wastewater or environment. Photo: Jean Scheijen, SXC 10

11 Level 2: Improver The factory should have a plan available, containing clear goals and routines to improve the environmental performance. The factory should have achieved a major part of the requirements in the European Commission reference document (BREF), on best available techniques for integrated pollution prevention and control in the tanning of hides and skins 4, or in textiles industry 5. The factory should have started to substitute hazardous chemicals with better alternatives. The diversity and amount of chemicals should be reduced by optimization of the recipes used in production. Chemicals with a high degree of biodegradation, low human and ecological toxicity, low volatility and low smell intensity should be preferred. Automated dosing systems should be used for dosing and dispensing without spilling. Suitable application devices for optimising chemical usage at the finishing stage should be used to prevent air borne emissions (i.e. modern spray guns including photo-electrical control or roller coating). Level 3: Achiever The factory should have achieved the requirements according to see the European Commission reference document (BREF) on best available techniques for integrated pollution prevention and control in the tanning of hides and skins 6, or in textiles industry 7. The factory should perform regular revision of chemicals used and substitute harmful chemicals with less harmful ones. The environmental characteristics of the chemicals used should be known (such as COD, BOD5, aquatic toxicity, degree of biodegradation/bioelimination, content of nitrogen, phosphorous, sulphur, AOX-relevant compounds, type and amount of volatile compounds, emission factor, health and safety aspects). Photo: Renée Andersson, Indiska 4 Documents can be downloaded from European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Tanning of Hides and Skins: (retrieved 12 April 2012). 5 Documents can be downloaded from European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Prospective Technological Studies, Textiles Industry: (retrieved 12 April 2012). 6 See footnote 4 7 See footnote 5 11

12 5 Wastewater

13 The textile and leather industry is water intense and produce large volumes of wastewater. To ensure efficient treatment and to reduce costs, end-of-pipe solutions need to be combined with cleaner production and efficient water use. An advanced approach to effluent management is to aim at zero discharge or water recycling. If the treated effluent is clean enough to use in factory processing it should not be discharged. Wastewater from textile and leather production is usually very complex and typically alkaline (high ph). The wastewater usually has a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) and biological oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved solids and salts. Tanneries also usually have high concentration of sulfides and chromium. Sludge is an inevitable by-product in most wastewater treatment processes, but the amount of produced sludge depends on the type of treatment used. It is important that sludge is disposed of in a proper way. The wastewater from the factory should be treated in an effluent treatment plant (ETP) on-site or off-site. On-site ETPs are owned by the factory and located in direct connection to the factory. Off-site ETP is an umbrella term for common effluent treatment plant (CETP), municipal wastewater treatment plants, and publicly or privately owned treatment plants. Minimum level for Off-site ETP Factories that discharge industrial wastewater to an off-site ETP, should follow the requirements listed below: Have a current and valid permit to discharge wastewater to the off-site ETP from all applicable governing agencies. Comply with all off-site ETP permit requirements. Request and receive documentation of the off-site ETP compliance with local, state, provincial or federal discharge regulations. Measure and document the volume of discharged wastewater. Make sure that the capacity of the off-site ETP covers the needs of the factory. Level 1: Minimum level All applicable legal requirements should be followed and all necessary permits should be available and up-to-date. The factory should have a written emergency plan and the employees should know which actions to take in the event of an emergency. The employees should be technically competent to run the ETP in a proper way and have knowledge of the water flow in the factory and the different wastewater treatment steps. A flowchart over the water flow through the dyeing process and the ETP should exist. The capacity of the ETP should cover the need of the production unit, even in peak season. The production should not exceed the permits and licenses. No wastewater should be bypassed. Treated wastewater should be analysed by an external laboratory as required for legal purposes. The results should not exceed legal discharge limits. If legal guidance is missing, at least ph, BOD, COD, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) (TDS only for textile) and temperature should be analysed, at least four times per year by external laboratory. All test protocols should be kept on site. At least ph, TDS, visual colour (colour only for textile production) and temperature should be analysed on site daily. Records should be kept on site. All legal requirements on sludge management and disposal should be followed. The quantity of sludge obtained should be measured weekly and records should be kept on site. Photo: Renée Andersson, Indiska 13

14 Level 2: Improver The factory is recommended to analyse the wastewater in a well-equipped in-house laboratory. At least ph, BOD, COD, TSS, TDS and temperature for textile, and at least ph, temperature, BOD, COD and TSS for leather should be analyzed on a daily basis. The quality of the treated water should be higher than what is legally required. The wastewater quality targets should be reviewed on an annual basis to drive continuous improvement. The factory should have analysed the potential of reusing the wastewater after treatment and have an action plan for the implementation of methods for wastewater reuse (only textile production). The wastewater treatment processes should be run in an optimal way to reduce the amount of sludge produced, without compromising the quality of the treated water. The physico-chemical properties of the sludge should be analysed regularly. At a minimum, the analysis should include dry matter, metal and nutrient content. Appropriate routines for selfmonitoring and deviation management for sludge quality should exist. The sludge should be disposed of in a proper way (e.g. taken to an approved landfill, approved incineration plant or received by a company/agency/ authority licensed to handle sludge). The sludge should be sufficiently dewatered for the current management method. Level 3: Achiever The operators should have certified ETP education to continuously improve the wastewater treatment efficiency and sludge management. They should also be updated on Best Environmental Practice (BEP). Treatment methods considered to be best environmental practice should be used at the ETP. Separation of the wastewater streams from the different process steps could also improve the treatment efficiency. Separation of highly polluted water from relatively clean water results in a more effective treatment since it is possible to use optimal treatment methods instead of using one method to treat a mixture of wastewater with different characteristics. Technologies for separation of salt should be in use. Separation of salt is a prerequisite for water reuse. The salt should be reused within the process to an as high extent as possible. Wastewater quality and volume improvement targets are reviewed on an annual basis to drive continuous improvement. The quality of the treated wastewater should be clean enough to be reused within the factory and the aim should be zero discharge (only textile production). The obtained quantities of sludge have been minimized by using advanced sludge-free wastewater treatment technology. External physico-chemical and ecotoxicological (only textile production) analysis of sludge quality should be done at least twice a year and include analysis of dry matter, metal and nutrient content. Photo: Renée Andersson, Indiska 14

15 Photo: Shahid Siddique, SXC 15

16 About the Sweden Textile Water Initiative (STWI) The Sweden Textile Water Initiative (STWI) started in 2010 as a joint project between Swedish textile and leather retail companies, and the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). As of May 2012, 32 companies have joined STWI. The project focuses on water issues in the supply chains of textile and leather retailers with the aim of contributing to wiser water management, from thread and raw hide to product. During its first two years the STWI companies have formed working groups on topics such as production techniques, wastewater treatment, pollution prevention, and policy engagement. These groups have served as platforms for learning processes, and for the development of the STWI Guidelines. Design and production by Elin Ingblom, SIWI. 16