Reducing water use by up to 40% can save dyehouses money and reputations

The textile industry is under the environmental spotlight. And that spotlight is being directed most brightly on the industry’s water use which currently accounts for 10% of all industrial freshwater consumption and 20% of global wastewater pollution. For dyehouses, who depend heavily on water for their core processes, reducing the amount of water they use represents a huge benefit. It will pay both environmental and economic dividends, cutting energy use as well as reducing water supply and treatment costs.

This is especially critical as water regulators, around the world, introduce more stringent controls on effluence and the costs of water supply and effective wastewater treatment rise. The situation for dye houses is even more critical as environmental activists are actively analyzing their outputs around the world, naming and shaming brands, forcing them to examine everyone and every process along the length of their supply chains in forensic detail.

That’s why we, at Tanatex, have developed a series of products that will reduce water use by as much as 40% by enabling dye houses to combine processes that traditionally took place in two separate baths. Many of our customers have found that these innovative, new, products are delivering savings, not just in the costs of treating wastewater but also the energy and process times required to prepare and heat separate baths.

How to handle global water pressures

The World Bank has labelled water pollution as an ‘invisible crisis’. And we, in the apparel and textiles sector, are seen as a major contributor due to water usage which is widely viewed as excessive. A report in 2017 revealed that our industry used 79 billion cubic meters of water and the UN estimates that between 80 and 90% of the world’s wastewater is returned to the environment untreated.

Environmental campaign groups such as Greenpeace the World Wildlife Fund and the World Health Organization are deeply aware of these facts, and they have the textile industry in their sights.

Wherever your dyehouse is, people are likely to be monitoring its outputs. Whether it is government agencies or environmental NGOs, the risks are equally great. Governments can impose fines while environmental activists can put pressure on the brands you supply, threatening the health of your business. Either way, it is vital that you invest in the resources and technology required to clean your wastewater effectively. Slashing the volume of wastewater you use in the first place, is a beautifully simple way to reduce both the cost of treatment and the risk of error.

Why the brands you supply are more sensitive than ever before

There has been a huge groundswell in consumer awareness of the problems facing our environment and ecosystems, fueled by high profile campaigns by concerned charities and activists. Recent surveys have revealed that 67% of consumers now consider the use of sustainable materials to be an important purchasing factor. As a result, brands are under increasing pressure to ensure that their suppliers analyze and report on the sustainability of their textile production and supply chains.

Naturally, water will be a key focus in their interest, and they will require detail on how the volumes of water used in production are being reduced and how pollution risks are being addressed. If you cannot demonstrate how you are actively working to meet their sustainability goals, you run the risk of losing customers, who will start looking elsewhere for suppliers that can.

How TANATEX brings the newest thinking to the world’s oldest industry

The textile industry led the way in the first industrial revolution. However, to enjoy growth now, we have to embark on a new, green, revolution. At TANATEX, we’re already playing a leading role in that revolution. To embrace it fully, we take a holistic approach – developing and achieving new solutions that incorporate ecological, environmental, societal and governance principles.

This revolutionary approach is reflected in our new TANADYE® concept. It reduces water use by up to 40% and delivers similar savings in energy and time. Resulting in reduced carbon emissions and increased workplace efficiencies by combining dyeing and scouring processes into a single bath. By enabling you to combine the washing stage and dyeing stages, with no loss in quality or color intensity, we can halve number of baths required.

We are the only company in the world to have perfected this single bath solution for 94% of all fibers used across the industry. We have developed three distinct products: TANADYE PSD, TANADYE PA and TANADYE CEL. These have been specially formulated to deliver optimal results for polyester, polyamide and cellulosic textiles respectively. In addition, we have added the TANADYE BOOSTER to this range. It is able to improve the dyeability boosting of the fabric, leading to superior quality. All of the TANADYE products are Bluesign certified and have been formulated to optimize biodegradability.

For full technical details of how each of these works for each specific textile type, download our TANADYE®brochure [Link to brochure]

Sharing our passion for people and planet

We are deeply aware of the importance of water to our planet and the fact that 785 million people still lack access to fresh water. To help address this, we are matching each purchase with a donation to Water.org. They are a charitable NGO providing life-saving fresh water supplies for drinking and sanitation to those parts of the world where it is scarcest.

As people who are as passionate about textiles and the environment, we are hugely excited abut our latest innovative solutions. If you share our passions and want to know more about how we can help your business optimize its activities and thrive in the new, sustainable, world, please get in touch.