But with rising water scarcity in many regions, this is changing, and the importance of wastewater collection, treatment and reuse is steadily being recognised as a crucial piece in the jigsaw when it comes to sustainable textile manufacture.
Four breakout sessions at the upcoming Planet Textiles in Bangalore, India on 24 May will refer to this important issue and how this wastewater can be reclaimed and reused under circular business model principles.
A recent UNESCO report estimated that well over 80 per cent of wastewater worldwide (over 95 per cent in some developing countries) is released into the environment without treatment.
Sajid Hussaid, COO, Tamilnadu Water Investment Co, who was instrumental in the Zero Liquid Discharge Project in Tirupur will lead a session on textile wastewater and speak about some of the challenges he faced implementing this initiative in Tirupur dyehouses.
Other panel members on this session include: Stefan Siedel, head of sustainability, Puma; Flaviano Bianchini, founder & director, Source International; Jayakumar Gopalakrishnan, head of sustainability, Pratibha Syntex and Rainer Zah, managing director at Quantis International which has developed and operates the Quantis Water Database – said to be the first database generating the water footprint of any product, service, company or organisation throughout its entire life cycle.
Oeko-Tex will moderate and run a special breakout session that aims to be a guide to the changing landscape of chemical management.
"The reduction of chemicals of concern requires globally harmonised strategies to proactively ensure a sustainable chemical management.
Swiss textile chemicals specialist Archroma will run a special textile wet processing session which will feature Elaine Gardiner, sustainability manager at Pentland Brands who will represent the AFIRM Group and Mohan Seneviratne, program manager at PaCT, International Finance Corporation.
Cost will also be an issue.
To book your delegate place, visit: www.mclnews.com/events/planet-textiles-2017