AHMEDABAD – US apparel retailer Gap and global textile manufacturer Arvind have unveiled a new water treatment facility that will eliminate the use of freshwater at Arvind’s denim facility in India. The new facility will save eight million litres of fresh water per day, or 2.5 billion litres of freshwater on an annual basis, preserving water in a part of the world which faces serious water scarcity challenges. The apparel industry is one of the most intensive users of water in the world and, in India, 54 per cent of the population faces high to extremely-high water risk.
Arvind’s denim manufacturing facility in Ahmedabad will now operate entirely with reclaimed water using Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) technology, which will treat domestic wastewater drawn from the surrounding community without chemicals in the process. A newly constructed pipeline will draw wastewater from the local municipal line.
Gap Inc. will have exclusive rights to the water savings through the collaboration, including the annual savings from the project moving forward. By the end of 2020, the project will save three billion litres of freshwater in total, which will be applied to the company’s litres of water in the supply chain by 2020.
Arvind Limited aims to eliminate the use of fresh water from 100 percent of its textile production by the end of 2020. Currently, more than 90 percent of the company’s water use is from recycled sources.
“We’re proud to reach this milestone in our ongoing efforts to end water-wasting processes and reduce our environmental impact. This project is an important example of innovative, sustainable solutions we can unlock through partnership across the apparel industry,” said Christophe Roussel, EVP of global sourcing at Gap Inc. “Arvind Limited is a strong and valued partner to Gap Inc. and a global leader in responsible, innovative textile manufacturing. We are excited to continue to expand our relationship through this critical effort.”
Talking about collaboration Punit Lalbhai, executive director, Arvind Limited said: “This collaboration with GAP will not only help us achieve our water goals collectively but will also help us eliminate usage of water in our textile production process. In last two decades and recently with the help of Arvind Envisol we have made significant efforts towards water reduction and recycling activities. The partnership will also help in expanding scope of water savings across various industry sectors through an innovation centre.”