Environmental Aspects of Textile Dyeing

R M Christie

• Publisher: Woodhead Publishing
• Year: 2007
• Print ISBN: 9781845691158
• eBook ISBN: 9781845693091
• Topic: Technology & Engineering
• Subtopic: Environmental Management
• Index: Technology & Engineering

Textile dyes enhance our environment, bringing colour into our lives. The current range of dyes have been developed to withstand environmental effects, such as degradation by exposure to light and water. However, the industry involved with the application of dyes to textiles has a responsibility to ensure that potential for harm to the environment, for example through residues in waste-streams, and to the consumer is minimised. Written by an international team of contributors, this collection reviews current legislation and key technologies which make textile dyeing more efficient and environmentally friendly.The book begins by detailing European and US legislation relating to textile dyeing. Further chapters cover toxicology, environmentally responsible application of dyes and supercritical fluid textile dyeing. The book concludes with chapters on the reduction of pollution and minimisation of waste, the re-use of spent dyebath, chemical treatment of dye effluent and biotechnological treatment of dye effluent.Environmental aspects of textile dyeing is a standard reference source for manufacturers concerned with developing a sustainable industry. - Crucial guide to minimising harmful effects on environment and the consumer - Reviews current technologies and European and US legislation - Essential for all textile manufacturers

1

European legislation relating to textile dyeing

T. Cattoor Centexbel, Belgium

1.1 Introduction

European Union (EU) environmental legislation has developed over the last 30 years and comprises today some 300 legal acts and a large number of other policy documents of relevance for EU environmental policy. Section 1.2.1 of this chapter gives a general introduction to the EU forms of legislation and the principles of the EU environmental policy. The legislation related to the environmental aspects of textile processes in general, primarily the emissions to water and air, is discussed in sections 1.2 to 1.6.

The EU introduced in 1996 an integrated approach on the environmental performance of (large) textile facilities with wet processes, and industrial processes in general. The ‘Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control’, or so-called IPPC Directive is in essence about minimising pollution from various industrial point sources throughout the European Union by means of environmental permits (see section 1.3). These permits are based on the principle of using Best Available Techniques (BAT) and the BAT Reference documents (BREF) for the Textiles Industry.

A number of chemicals that may be used in textile processes are worth mentioning for their potential negative effects on the environment and human health and are therefore regulated (see section 1.4). To identify textiles meeting these requirements more easily, ecolabels are developed. Since the textile industry uses water as the principal medium for removing impurities, applying dyes and finishing agents, the main concern is therefore about the water discharged and the chemical load it carries. EU legislation regarding (waste) water is set out in section 1.5.

Improving air pollution is a world priority. To achieve a significant reduction in air pollution, national and international measures must be combined to reduce emissions of the gases responsible (see section 1.6). Future trends worth mentioning are the integrated product policy (IPP) and the new chemicals policy, REACH and GHS (see section 1.7). IPP aims to develop a more ecological product market by making products more environmentally sustainable throughout their life cycle. REACH is a single integrated system for the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals.

1.2 Legislation relating to textile dyeing in Europe

1.2.1 Principles of EU environmental policy

Environmental policy is one of the greatest social challenges facing the public authorities and all sectors of the economy today. It is also a subject of which the public is acutely aware, since it directly affects its welfare and health. From the 1970s on, the concern to conserve the environment started to give birth to a series of Community initiatives. The Treaty on European Union upgraded the environment to a Community policy and no longer simply an action by the Community.

Community policy on the environment is set out in Article 174 of the Treaty establishing the European Community:

Community policy on the environment shall contribute to pursuit of the following objectives:

• preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment,

• protecting human health,

• prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources,

• promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or worldwide environmental problems.

Community policy on the environment shall aim at a high level of protection taking into account the diversity of situations in the various regions of the Community. It shall be based on the precautionary principle and on the principles that preventive action should be taken, that environmental damage should as a priority be rectified at source and that the polluter should pay.

The broad objectives of EU environmental policy as set out in Articles 174–176 provide the Community with legal competence to act in all areas of environmental policy. However, it is clear from the Treaty that this competence is not exclusive and that it is shared with the Member States.

The European Communities’ core objective of achieving European unification is based exclusively on the rule of law. Community law is an independent legal system which takes precedence over national legal provisions. A number of key players (Commission, Council and Parliament) are involved in the process of implementing, monitoring and further developing this legal system for which a variety of procedures apply.

1.2.2 Forms of EU environmental legislation

European Union environmental legislation includes mainly directives, regulations and decisions.

Most EU environmental laws are directives. This is a form of law peculiar to the European Union. They are designed to impose obligations on Member States and to be sufficiently flexible to take into account differing legal and administrative traditions. The choice and method of aligning the national legal and administrative system is left to the discretion of the Member State. Directives are binding on all Member States but may contain differing requirements which take into account the different environmental and economic conditions in each Member State.

Framework directives set out general principles, procedures and requirements for legislation in different sectors. So far they have been adopted for the air, water and waste sectors. Other ‘daughter’ directives in each sector must conform to the general requirements of the framework directive.

About 10% of EU environmental laws take the form of regulations. Regulations are directly binding in Member States and supersede any conflicting national laws. Member states may not transpose the provisions of regulations into national law, even if the national law is identical to the regulation. Nevertheless, environmental regulations require further national measures for implementation.

Regulations usually have a precise purpose and are used where it is important that, in the Member States, precisely the same requirements are applied. In some sectors such as waste and chemicals, EU law is a mixture of regulations and directives.

Decisions are individual legislative acts which are binding in their entirety upon the parties to whom they are addressed. They differ from regulations or directives in that they are usually very specific in nature. They are less common in the environmental field. Environmental regulations or directives often give the Commission the power to take decisions to implement them. Table 1.1 summarises these three major forms of binding EU legislation.

Table 1.1

Three forms of binding EU legislation

Directives	Regulations	Decisions
Enter into force upon the date specified in the directive or on the 20th day after publication in the Official Journal: this obliges Member States to approximate	Enter i...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright page
• Contributor contact details
• Introduction
• 1: European legislation relating to textile dyeing
• 2: Environmental legislation USA
• 3: Toxicology of textile dyes
• 4: Environmentally responsible dye application
• 5: Supercritical fluid textile dyeing technology
• 6: Pollution abatement and waste minimisation in textile dyeing
• 7: Decolorisation of effluent with ozone and re-use of spent dyebath
• 8: Chemical treatment of textile dye effluent
• 9: Biotechnological treatment of textile dye effluent
• Index