Environmental issue of sustainable textile industry: Examples of good manufacturing practices

Growing impact on the environment and the rising demand for water, energy and raw materials that has resulted from the worldwide expansion of industry, put the principles of sustainability and cleaner production in a front line, as emergent activity. The textile industry consumes a high amount of energy and generates an enormous quantity of wastewater-worldwide, it generates 20 % of industrial wastewater and 8 % of greenhouse gas (GHG), while cotton production uses large amounts of pesticides, water and fertilizers. Many aspects of sustainable textile industry are not related only to production process itself (product quality and its market price, production process, supply of raw materials and its costs), but also to nus products, energy and water consumption, equipment service time, occupational health, and environmental issue. Thus, successful companies in textile production are driven by the basic principles of sustainable development and implementation of good manufacturing practice and cleaner production principles. This paper presents main principles of environmental protection in textile industry to be adopted toward sustainable production; these principles consider minimization of water, energy, virgin raw materials and chemicals usage, which results in reduction of the CO2 emissions, toward climate neutral production and business. Described company increases the share of sustainable/renewable materials and recycled materials, by accomplishing its own sustainability goals concerning environmental issue.