Sustainable textile production: cleaner production assessment/eco-efficiency analysis study in a textile mill
Introduction
Textile industry is one of the most important sectors for the economic development of countries all over the world (Souza et al., 2010). It has heterogeneous structure with complex production chains and many different sub-sectors (EC, 2003). It is known with its intensive resource (water, energy etc.) usage in complex production processes (Kocabas et al., 2009) and high quantity of chemicals consumption especially in dyeing–finishing processes (Verma et al., 2012). Specific consumptions can be variable depending on fiber type and applied technologies in textile production processes (Brik et al., 2006). Thus, main environmental concern for the textile industry is the wastewaters with high flowrates and pollutant loads (Moore and Ausley, 2004). Textile wastewaters generally contain surfactants, dyes, pigments, resins, chelating agents, dispersing agents, inorganic salts, heavy metals, biocides, etc. and therefore they are heavily loaded with chemical oxygen demand (COD), color and salt (Dasgupta et al., 2015). Inadequately treated textile effluents are known to cause significant environmental problems in receiving waters (Reddy et al., 2014). High thermal energy requirement in production processes and intensive chemical usage that produce some gaseous emissions and solid waste, respectively are the other causes of pollution from textile mills (Hasanbeigi et al., 2012).
Nowadays, the general concept of environmental protection is shifting from a reactive approach referred to as “pollution control” to a proactive approach referred as “pollution prevention”. The pollution control approach is focused on the end-of-pipe treatment and usually transfers pollution from one form to another. Throughout the last decades, this approach has been of major concern in the control of negative effects of industrial activities (Peters and Pierre, 2006). A pollution control approach should require high investment and operational costs and may lead to reduced market competitiveness. Moreover, pollution control approaches are often insufficient in the prevention of environmental pollution. According to the pollution prevention (cleaner production) approach, pollution is a result of project, resource consumption, inefficiency, failure and ineffectiveness in production processes. Cleaner production approach is related with eco-efficiency, green production/industry and sustainable production (Hilson, 2000). United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) defines cleaner production as “The continuous application of an integrated environmental strategy to processes, products and services to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the environment” (UNEP, 1996). Technical, environmental and economical performances of industrial companies can be increased with the application of cleaner production strategies. In addition, cleaner production measures are known to provide advantages in terms of legal discharge standards/limits.
The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC, 96/61/EC) published in 1996, is constitutes one of the most important piece of European Union (EU) legislation towards minimizing harmful emission from various industrial sources (Laforest, 2014). The IPPC Directive was founded upon two basic principles: using an integrated approach and the application of the Best Available Techniques (BAT). BATs are the appropriate techniques to be used in protecting the environment while obtaining a balance between environmental benefits and costs. Sectoral BAT References Documents have been adopted by EU IPPC Bureau to facilitate compliance with the IPPC directive by the industry. In 2010, the IPPC directive have been replaced by the “Industrial Emissions Directive (IED, 2010/75/EU)” which involves the coalescing of seven different directives into one (IED, 2010). Determination of emission limits values (ELV) according to BAT-based emission limits (BAT-AEL) are stipulated for industrial facility permits with IED (Derden and Huybrechts, 2013).
Turkey is one of the most important textile suppliers of Europe (TMEU, 2012) with 3.5 and 3.6 million tonnes of yarn and knitting–weaving production capacity, respectively. However, textile industry is the second in industrial water consumption with a share of 15% (191.5 million tonnes) in Turkish manufacturing industry (TSI, 2008). Also, textile industry is the third (Kocabas et al., 2009) with 10% share (TSI, 2008) in energy consumption in Turkish manufacturing industry. Besides, solid waste generation in textile industry has 3–4% share (TSI, 2008). Within the Turkey's efforts for the on-going European Union (EU) accession process, harmonization of current legal infrastructure with EU standards is underway. In this context, IED (2010/75/EU) is one of the main directives which have been evaluated during harmonization process. IED has not yet been introduced to the Turkish legislation but the first step has been taken with the publication of “Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control in Textile Sector Communique (Turkish BREF)” in 2011 for the harmonization of the directive in Turkey (TMEU, 2011). Regulation of procedures and principles that minimize negative effects of textile sector activities, control of discharges to water, air and soil during the production, efficient use of raw materials/energy, and use of cleaner production technologies can be listed as the general aims of Turkish BREF. Textile plants with production capacities over 10 tonnes/day are subject to the provisions of the communique. They have to meet BREF related requirements and employ their cleaner production plans. According to harmonization calendar, it is planned that the integrated permission process will be completed in 2015 and entire harmonization process will be completed in 2018.
In this study, a cleaner production assessment study was carried out in a cotton and polyester knitting–weaving fabric and subsequent finishing–dyeing mill. Specific resource consumptions (water, energy, chemical etc.) and specific waste generations (wastewater, waste flue gas, waste heat, solid waste etc.) were determined with detailed on-site investigations. Company-wide mass-energy balance analyses were performed. Performances of the mill were evaluated in terms of cleaner production assessments. In this context, determined specific performance criteria in the mill are compared with similar textile mills and IPPC BREF document. Cleaner production suggestions were determined on the basis of IPPC BREF and Turkish BREF documents. Thus, potential reduction and benefits and main perspective of suggested cleaner production techniques were determined in the mill. Potential payback periods of each suggested BAT was calculated. The major aim of the study is to be a road map of cleaner production assessment and express technical/environmental performance evaluations for similar textile mills and sector stakeholders. Additionally, Turkey has initiated the Integrated Pollution Prevention Control/Industrial Emissions Directive (IPPC/IED) adaptation process. This study will significantly contribute to the EU harmonization process of IPPC/IED.
Section snippets
General information and production processes of the study mill
In this study, cleaner production assessment study was carried out in a textile mill which is located in Denizli province. Cotton and polyester fabric finishing–dyeing operations were performed. Annual bleaching and dyeing capacities of the mill were 2412 and 6682 tonnes/year, respectively. The mill has a covered area of 12,053 m2 spreading over 19,883 m2 land and employs 324 workers. The mill can be described as a mid-sized outsourcer dyehouse. There are two main production lines in the mill
Cleaner production assessments
Detailed onsite cleaner production evaluation studies were carried out in the mill. In this context, specific inputs–outputs values, distributions, analysis results, observations and evaluations based on the production processes of the mill are presented. The details of water consumption and wastewater generation (Section 3.1.1), chemical consumption and chemical inventory study (Section 3.1.2), energy consumption and flue gas emissions (Section 3.1.3), solid wastes generation (Section 3.1.4)
Conclusions
Technical and environmental evaluation of a cotton/polyester fabric finishing/dyeing textile mill in Denizli province, Turkey in the frame of the IPPC principles was conducted. Process-based mass balance calculations in the context of cleaner production evaluation study were performed with detailed on-site investigations. WT/DR potentials of process wastewaters were evaluated and specific pollutant loads were determined. Besides, low-biodegradable and highly toxic chemicals were determined with
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