Sustainability is certainly a reality and not a mirage anymore, speakers at the recently held 11th International Conference themed ‘Innovations for Sustainable Textile Production … Connecting the Dots’ said.
Organised by the Society of Dyers and Colourists-Education Charity (SDC-EC, India) in Mumbai, Punit Lalbhai, executive director, Arvind in his key note address listed the main factors that will drive growth higher, higher farmer incomes, cost saving, yield improvement, liquidity and transparency, capacity building, lasting social infrastructure and profitable value-chain integration.
Lalbhai also spoke on the breakthrough innovations of affordable zero liquid discharge through biological and chemical methods. He stressed that a united value chain is essential to bridge the gap and meet the challenge of putting sustainability theories into practice.
As Arvind is working with both organic cotton and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), he opined that organic farming can give good results even where irrigation is less and the soil is not so good whereas BCI can be more suitable in high yield environments. Selection of the right area and right technique are important in the decision making as India has suitable areas for both options.
Various innovative ideas and latest technological innovations were discussed as a means to achieve sustainable textile production in the inaugural panel discussion on ‘Sustainability: Mirage or Reality?’
Some of the technical options discussed were post-wash recovery, low temperature processing, nanofiltration, foam technology and use of electronic sensors in the dye-house, etc.