How to minimize environmental and legal risks of water management for apparel and textile sector
Water management salon which initiated by BSR, was held successfully in Guangzhou on Apr 29th 2009. Representatives from brands, textile and apparel factories and institute attended the event.
Initiated in 1995, the Sustainable Water Group is a partnership of companies committed to managing water use and wastewater discharge in global textile supply chains. The group aims to mitigate the potentially harmful impacts and business risks faced by companies operating globally where regulations and enforcement can vary dramatically from country to country.
Through funding from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, this project builds awareness of the links between environment and human health through training programs for managers and individual workers, as well as corporate strategies for effective water resources management that address both resource and public health concerns.
- Provide capacity building training to factory management of apparel and textile industry in water management
- Develop Water and Health course and deliver through China Training Institute
- Implement Peer-to-Peer mechanism
- Regularly hold Stakeholder Forum and invite government officer, factory management, scholar and expert, buyers and NGOs to discuss environment and health issues
- Research on environment and health issues in China and the public can access to the research without charges
Section 1: Water management issues and solutions for apparel and textile industry
- Challenges in environment protection in China: compliance cost higher than non-compliance; law behind the schedule; lack of enforcement; unfair enforcement.
- Challenges for textile and apparel industry: Energy efficiency and environmental enforcement; strict discharge criteria.
- Advices and solution: First, to implement clean production at facility. Second, to develop waste water techniques based on the property of the water.
Section 2: Technical perspectives on water management for apparel and textile industry
- Cost of water assumption: water, cost of water transportation(electricity), facility maintenance cost, heating, cooling, waste water treatment and discharge.
- Measurements for saving water: Reduce the water use in the manufacturing process, reduce water use for non-production process, water recycle.
- Water saving options: target, gap analysis, draft solution and ROI.
- Waste water treatment
