Cutting water and energy use by up to 40% in dyeing processes will help save our planet

The textile industry has an environmental mountain to climb. It is currently responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions making it the second most polluting sector on the planet. Unless it can reduce its carbon footprint, the industry’s share of global greenhouse gas emissions is set to rise to 25% by 2050 as other industries improve their performance.

But perhaps the greatest challenge of all for the industry, is its use of water. Fashion and textiles account for 10% of all industrial fresh water use and 20% of global wastewater pollution.

It is hardly new news that the textile industry is water intensive. Growing cotton, dyeing textiles, finishing garments, added to customers washing the finished products, all amount to a phenomenal amount of water.

A staggering 7,000 liters of water go into making a single pair of jeans – enough drinking water to supply one person for seven years.

Water is critical in the textile industry’s global clean up

We live on the blue planet. Over two thirds of its surface is covered by water so what’s the problem with water? Well just 3% of that water is fresh. And demand for it is rising exponentially.

During the twentieth century, demand for fresh water rose by 600% – more than double the rate of population growth. And that demand is set to rise even faster as populations in the developing world adopt western lifestyles with sophisticated water infrastructure for domestic, agricultural and industrial use.

The situation is already in crisis. Globally, more than a billion people do not have access to potable water and more than 5 million die annually as a direct result of this and the lack of sanitation created by water shortages.

The world bank has described water pollution as an ‘invisible crisis’, to which the apparel and textile industry is a major contributor due to its excessive water usageA report in 2017 revealed that the sector 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.

The pressure is on

These facts are not lost on campaigning groups such as Greenpeace the World Wildlife Fund and the World Health Organization, among a myriad of other NGOs and non-profit organizations.

They have watched the fashion and textiles industry shift production to areas where Government agencies have been less active in implementing water protection regulations that they have in more developed economies.

Where they have found textile manufacturers polluting the environment with chemicals, they have searched, forensically, along the supply chains to find and shame those brands which are profiting from these practices.

One of their key demands from producers and brands is transparency and when they do not find it, they are increasingly likely to raise flags and alert consumers to their suspicions.

Consumers are driving the agenda

High profile, emotive, campaigns by environmental activists are more powerful than ever before. Consumers are increasingly conscious of the need for higher standards to protect our planet and are increasingly voting with their wallets. Recent surveys have revealed that 67% of consumers consider the use of sustainable materials to be an important purchasing factor. The survey also revealed that COVID-19 crisis provided a reset opportunity for brands to strengthen their sustainability commitments and accelerate industry-wide change.

As a result, many corporations have begun investigating more alternative solutions that recognize the importance of water conservation and waste water treatment. Their sustainable index measurements of textile production now take into account the total water used in production, any resulting pollution  and overall human and health impacts that result from production.

Brands aren’t just getting the message, they are taking it out there

Many of the world’s biggest apparel brands are moving quickly to establish their environmental credentials and address potential reputational damage. They will be all too well aware of research like McKinsey’s finding that 63% of consumers consider a brand’s promotion of sustainability to be an important purchasing factor.

Recognizing these mounting pressures for brands to achieve increasingly ambitious sustainability goals, we have developed the TANADYE® concept. It can play a significant part in helping brands to achieve their goals.

For brands to be credible in their claims to be green, the complex and long supply chains they deploy had to measured and monitored to globally agreed standards. To achieve that, a range of standards bodies have been created including Bluesign , ZDHC and GOTS. EKO Global Organic Textile Standard and Global Recycling Standard (GRS) are also gaining traction with the world’s biggest brands and their suppliers. The transparency and trustworthiness of these bodies are critical in winning the trust of consumers.

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

The textile industry lay at the heart of the original industrial revolution but, to enjoy growth now, it must undergo a 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

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 about 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.

TANADYE® is a registered trademark of TANATEX IP B. V. | All rights reserved. ©2021 Tanatex Chemicals B.V.