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Riju Jhunjhunwala, Chairman & Managing Director of RSWM Ltd, LNJ Bhilwara's textile vertical
Sustainability is essential for the healthy growth of society and the preservation of the planet. The textile industry has seen an increase in demand for sustainable products. Sustainability in the textile industry is more than the use of organic cotton or better working conditions, companies have many reasons to emphasize on sustainability, including reduced costs, protection of the environment and sustained goodwill from their customers for eco-friendly practices. In response to that, a lot of textile companies have undertaken different initiatives.
Among various concerns, the two main challenges in the textile industry are complex supply chain networks and the involvement of various stakeholders dealing with a wide range of raw materials and methods. The implementation of sustainability at the industrial scale would necessitate the involvement of all supply chain stakeholders, as well as a well-organized traceability system for monitoring and analyzing various elements of sustainability. Furthermore, traceability is an integral part of the recycling process which backs toward sustainability.
From a sustainable standpoint, the textile industry is a highly criticized sector. The textile chain consumes a huge amount of water and energy, along with the use of various chemicals and harmful substances. Most textile industries discharge a huge amount of harmful waste, posing a threat to natural bodies in other words it is one of the highly polluting, resource consuming and labour-intensive industries. Due to the involvement of numerous stakeholders—including different suppliers, fibre producers, yarn manufacturers, etc.— it gets difficult to act in the best interest of the planet. The chemical compounds used in the industry complicate matters furthermore as if not used properly they get washed away with the effluents. The non-biodegradable and carcinogenic components of these chemicals directly contaminate the nearby water resources and affect the locality severely. Moreover, the latest trend of fast fashion has not only reduced the fashion lifecycle but complicated matters for the environment further.
Manufacturers are making conscious efforts to introduce sustainability in fashion- it ranges from using innovative materials, less dependency on power, water etc. and focusing on reducing, reusing and recycling.
Some companies are setting sustainability and circularity in all realms of their value chain, sourcing raw supplies, production, supply chain, and waste recycling. To remodel from linear to circular operations, they are concentrating on pre-and post-consumer waste. They are committing to plastic recycling for packaging as they are substituting virgin polyester with recycled LDPE. The Indian fashion industry is trying to make use of natural sources, and modern biotechnology methods to evolve materials that are sustainable for the style business and making a huge reduction in polluting waste. Moreover, manufacturers are now implementing ZLD (Zero Liquid Discharge) which is a cutting-edge wastewater treatment process that eliminates all liquid discharge from a system. The textile industry has also introduced ETP plants which are designed to reduce waste water-related issues in the industry. Consumers are loving the eco-friendly fashion vibe and they’re becoming their favorite. Moreover, environmentalists and social workers have made people aware of the damaging scars on the environment caused by the fashion industry and with education, our consumers are also becoming more responsible.
If the textile industry wants to make conscious progress without further harming nature, companies should implement manufacturing practices which reduce carbon footprint, invest in research & development to use sustainable raw materials and produce environment-friendly finished products. Numerous big brands are driving the Sustainability Mission as they are best positioned to push customer assessment and also back-connect it to the creation and getting rehearsals. Moreover, the sector should also focus on the three E’s – Equity, Environment and Economics. They are dedicated to protecting and fostering the natural environment by returning more to nature than it draws from nature. The industry is moving forward toward eco-friendly textiles where waste material is processed into a fibre (like the use of PET bottles to make recycled polyester fibre, they make a good substitute for polyester), with this method loss of essential resources is minimized.
With such initiatives, the textile industry will soon become a sustainable industry that can compete efficiently in the global market while also contributing towards environmental protection.
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Views expressed above are the author's own.
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