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Appendix 3: Textile Related Industries

This appendix contains the textile related industries that were studied for the What’s in your waste? report. These include drycleaning, tanneries, textile manufacturing and man-made fibres.

A3.1 Drycleaning industry
ANZSIC Code: Q952100

Process Raw materials Waste stream Type of waste Waste constituent Current management practices
(best management practice in bold) 		New Zealand Waste List entry
(* waste should be treated as hazardous)
Drycleaning   Chlorinated solvent Liquid Perchloroethylene Stored in a bunded area until use

Waste solvent distilled and reused

Wastes should not be disposed of to sewer 		20 01 13*
Solvents
Isomers of the chain length C11-C12 Hydrocarbon solvent (total TDC 2000) Liquid   20 01 13*
Solvents
Filtration   Filter waste Sludge Dirt, grit, fluff ... Solidified, treated and landfilled 15 02 02*
Absorbents, filter materials ... contaminated by hazardous substances
Distillation   Contact water Liquid Water/solvent mixture Collected and sent to waste collector

Usually only small quantities of contact water are produced depending on the distillation vacuum 		20 01 13*
Solvents
Still bottom waste Solid Solvent, grease, oil, detergent Solidified, treated and landfilled New code – to be confirmed
Washing   Laundry detergents Liquid Detergent Discharged to sewer 20 01 30
Detergents other than those mentioned in 20 01 29*

Industry contacts

Bowe Passat NZ (Importers hydrocarbon based solvent), PO Box 100-720, NSMC, Auckland

Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch

A3.2 Tanning Industry
ANZSIC Code: C226110

Process Raw materials Waste stream Type of waste Waste constituent Current management practices
(best management practice in bold) 		New Zealand Waste List entry
(* waste should be treated as hazardous)
Curing Sodium chloride Salt Solid Variable, depending on process   04 01 99
Wastes not otherwise specified
Boric acid, naphthalene, sodium fluoride Additives Liquid Additives are absorbed in the process  
Soaking Sodium carbonate, emulsifiers, surfactants Soaking chemicals Liquid   04 01 99
Wastes from leather and fur industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Liming and dehairing Calcium hydroxide, sodium sulphide, sodium sulphydrate Liming waste Liquid   04 01 02
Liming waste
Deliming Sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, formic acid, boric acid, ammonium sulphate, ammonium chloride, sodium bisulphate Deliming agents Liquid Chemical conversion creates acid salts as waste 20 01 14*
Acids 04 01 99
Wastes not otherwise specified
Hydrogen peroxide   Liquid Absorbed in the process 16 09 03*
Peroxides, e.g. hydrogen peroxide
Bating Bacterial proteases, pancreatic enzyme   Liquid   04 01 99
Wastes from leather and fur industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Pickling Acetic acid, formic acid, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid Pickling acids Liquid     20 01 14*
Acids
Sodium chloride Salt Solid 04 01 99
Wastes from leather and fur industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Degreasing White spirits, perchloroethylene, surfactants Solvents Liquid   20 01 13*
Solvents
Tanning Sodium bicarbonate, magnesium oxide Tanning waste Liquid   04 01 05
Tanning liquor free of chromium
Sodium formate Masking agent
Colouring Formic acids, dyestuffs   Liquid   04 01 99
Wastes from leather and fur industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Retanning Syntans, mineral tanning agents (includes chromium and vegetable extracts), synthetic resin reagents   Liquid Absorbed in process 04 01 99
Wastes from leather and fur industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Finishing Butyl acetate, formic acid, methyl ethyl ketone, xylene   Liquid    
Wastewater treatment   Wastewater sludge Solid, liquid Manganese compounds   04 01 07
Sludges, in particular from on-site effluent treatment free of chromium

Industry contacts

New Zealand Leather and Shoe Research Association, Private Bag 11-333, Palmerston North

New Zealand Tanners Association (Inc), PO Box 44282, Lower Hutt

A3.3 Textile manufacturing
ANZSIC Code: C222100, 222900

Process Waste stream Type of waste Waste constituent Current management practices
(best management practice in bold) 		New Zealand Waste List entry
(* waste should be treated as hazardous)
Yarn formation Packaging waste Solid Cardboard, paper, plastic Recycled 15 01 08
Textile packaging
Solid Sized yarn Collected by a waste collector 04 02 22
Wastes from processed textile fibres
Solid Fibre, dirt, twigs, leaves Landfilled 04 02 21
Wastes from unprocessed textile fibres
Liquid Cleaning and processing waste Discharged to sewer 04 02 99
Wastes from textile industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Fabric formation Packaging waste Solid Cardboard, paper, plastic Recycled, landfilled 15 01 08
Textile packaging
Yarn and fabric scraps, off-spec fabrics 04 02 99
Wastes from textile industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Liquid Unused starch-based sizes Discharged to sewer 04 02 99
Wastes from textile industry
Wastes not otherwise specified
Wet processing (desizing) Packaging waste Solid Cardboard, paper, plastic Recycled 15 01 08
Textile packaging
Solid Fibre lint Landfilled 04 02 21
Wastes from unprocessed textile fibres
Yarn waste 04 02 22
Wastes from processed textile fibres
Liquid Cleaning and maintenance wastes containing solvents Collected by a waste contractor and distilled 20 01 13*
Solvents
Bleaching Bleach Liquid Hydrogen peroxide, sodium hypochlorite, sodium chlorite Disposed of to sewer if in accordance with trade waste consent 16 09 03*
Peroxides
16 09 04*
Other oxidising substances, not otherwise specified
Mercerising Alkaline solution Liquid Caustic soda Disposed of to sewer if in accordance with trade waste consent 20 01 15*
Alkalines
Wool scouring Detergent, wool contaminants Solid Dirt, fibre, woolgrease Collected by a waste collector

Discharged to sewer 		04 02 10
Organic matter from natural products
  Liquid Woolgrease, natural material (suint), dirt Discharged to sewer via settling ponds

Discharged to sewer with Trade Waste consent 		04 02 10
Organic matter from natural products
Non-ionic detergent 20 01 29*
Detergents containing hazardous substances
Rinsewater 04 02 10
Organic matter from natural products
Yarn scouring Yarn contaminants Solid Minimal dirt, fibre and woolgrease

Mineral and vegetable emulsifiers 		Discharged to sewer with trade waste consent 04 02 10
Organic matter from natural products
Dyeing Dyestuffs Liquid Variable depending on process; includes colour, salts, alkalis, unfixed dyes, organic acids, surfactants, and oxidising and reducing agents Disposed of to sewer if in accordance with trade waste consent 04 02 17
Dyestuffs and pigments other than those mentioned in 04 02 16*
Finishing Detergent and wool contaminants Liquid Non-ionic detergents Disposed of to sewer if in accordance with trade waste consent 20 01 29*
Detergents containing hazardous substances
Sulphites Not specified
Dirt, waste fibre, protein 04 02 10
Organic matter from natural products

Industry contacts

Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand, Private Bag 4749, Christchurch

New Zealand Fabrics Ltd, PO Box 14-321, Panmure, Auckland

A3.4 Cleaner production case studies

By looking at the ‘big picture’, businesses can assess areas in their operation where they can minimise or manage waste. This is called Cleaner Production and means:

  • “avoiding or reducing the amount of waste produced;
  • using energy and resources efficiently;
  • producing environmentally sound products and services;
  • achieving less waste, lower costs and higher profits.” (Source: www.arc.govt.nz)

The aim of Cleaner Production is to reduce the adverse impacts of production and service activities on the environment. Implementing Cleaner Production practices has many benefits. These include consistent and significant reductions in energy and water consumption, waste disposal, emissions and associated costs including trade waste discharge costs and landfill charges. Many of these improvements result from simple "good housekeeping" changes or implementing ideas from workers themselves. Often, once Cleaner Production has been achieved in one area of the business, it becomes easier to see other areas in which it can be achieved.

A number of New Zealand companies have been involved in a series of projects that demonstrate the benefits of Cleaner Production. These businesses have received considerable support and assistance from BusinessCare and Christchurch City Council’s Target Zero team. Some of the examples of Cleaner Production initiatives are included in this section. As the New Zealand case studies do not cover the entire range of businesses researched for this report, some of the included examples are from Australia. Where this is the case, it is important to remember that the costs and savings identified are in $AUS.

This section is intended to show what can be done by businesses and does not in any way suggest in any way that this is what the Ministry for the Environment thinks should be done. The businesses shown in the case studies may not carry out the exact processes outlined in the tables above, however they are in the same type of industry. A list of websites containing further information on Cleaner Production case studies is shown in the Bibliography.

A3.4a Drycleaners

Quality Dry Cleaners (Australia)

One of Australia’s largest industrial dry cleaners and launderers with 42 employees.

Projects implemented
  • Perchlorethylene recovery – an extraction unit was purchased that reduces the concentration of perchlorethlyene allowing the PCE to be recovered and reducing waste oil by 20 percent.
Economic benefits
  • Total cost: $32,137.
  • Total savings: $27,800.
  • Expected payback: 1.2 years.
Benefits
  • Increased productivity as processing unit continues for an additional two hours each day.
  • Reduction in raw material purchase.
  • Reduction in waste.
Constraints
  • None – an interest free loan on $16,068 from the South Australian EPA through the Cleaner Industries Demonstration Scheme reduced the financial constraints.

For the full article see: www.ea.gov.au/industry/corporate/eecp/case-studies/quality.html

A3.4b Woolscouring

Geelong Wool Combing (Australia)

A wool scouring and combing business.

Projects implemented
  • Environmental management system – with the major focus on solid waste, water discharge and stormwater, air emissions, chemical use, raw material use and electricity and gas consumption.
Economic benefits
  • Total cost: $100,000.
  • Total savings: $615,000/annum
    • New smaller boiler: $180,000
    • Changing lighting system: $5000
    • Discontinued or optimised use of chemicals: $120,000
    • Optimising detergent consumption: $60,000
    • Increased income through improvements to by-product recovery $250,000.
  • Payback period: two months.
Other benefits
  • Certainty regarding legal compliance.
  • Protection in the event of claims.
  • Improved relations with regulators
  • Public and client perception of the company as environmentally responsible.
Constraints
  • None.

For the full article see: www.ea.gov.au/industry/corporate/eecp/case-studies/geelong-ems.html

A3.4c Fabric dyeing

Australian Dyeing Company (Australia)

Dyes bulk quantities of knitted and woven fabrics, particularly 100 percent cotton and cotton blends.

Projects implemented
  • Cold pad batch dyeing – a padding machine to dye the fabric and trickling wasting stations.
Economic benefits
  • Total cost: $500,000.
  • Total savings: not identified – probably around $250,000.
  • Payback period: estimated to be less than two years.
Other benefits
  • 45 percent reduction in water consumption.
  • 48 percent reduction in steam consumption.
  • 33 percent saving in energy consumption.
  • 110 percent reduction in salt consumption, totally removing salt from the effluent.
  • Reduction in chemical use, volumes of damaging effluent and total factory floor space.
  • A higher quality product.
  • Ability to undertake larger runs of fabric of the same colour.
Constraints
  • The requirement of a new dyeing process meant different chemical inputs were needed. The months of investigation to review alternative processes consumed large amounts of time of both management and staff. However, it produced good results.

For the full article see: www.ea.gov.au/industry/corporate/eecp/case-studies/ausdye.html

A3.4d Tanning

Richmond Ltd, Leathers, Hawkes Bay

Produces beef hides and lamb pelts, and employs 78 people.

Projects implemented
  • Trimming waste reduced – mass balance of lime splitting process conducted to calculate amount of waste trimmings.
  • Grease removal from recycled chrome liquor – chrome shavings used as filtration medium.
  • Sludge reduction – pumps used in chrome and sulphide sludge bins to pump off excess water once sludge settled.
  • Reusing plastic wrap – covers, buckles and strapping reused.
  • Chemical wastage – drum drainage system installed to facilitate more complete drainage of high cost chemicals.
Economic benefits
  • Total cost: $21,200.
  • Total savings: $299,000.
  • Payback period: four weeks.
Other benefits
  • Reduction in trimming waste.
  • Recycling of waste material for filtration before disposal.
  • Reduced transport requirements for sludge removal.
  • Reduced hazardous waste chemical disposal.
  • Reduction and reuse of brine and prolonged container life.
  • Reduced water use and trade waste discharge.
  • Reduction in raw materials and waste disposed of to landfill.
Constraints
  • None specified.

For the full article see: www.businesscare.org.nz/material/caseStudies/c226_2.html

 

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