Environment: Improvement options for textile dyeing and printing

The downloadable document describes the dyeing and printing processes, its environmental impacts and improvement options. The dyeing operation involves the use of chemicals, like salts, alkalis, acids, reducing agents, oxidising agents, soaps, detergents and dye-fixing agents. The major effluent load comes in the form of residual dyestuffs and chemicals. Almost all dyes are very persistent and can be considered as ecologically unsound or rather environmentally hazardous. Of course the best option is not to dye the fabric. When this is not possible, the waste should be minimised, by re-examining the existing processes as well as the dyes and chemicals used, and by studying the effluent loads generated by process-houses. Several improved processes and dyes are described in the document.