Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for Sustainable Textile Chemicals
Haradhan Dey
Manager-Dyeing, Urmi Group
Email: haradhan19560@gmail.com
Introduction
In textile industries different types of hazardous and nonhazardous chemicals are used. To identify hazardous chemicals and proper use of these hazardous chemicals compliance is mandatory. Compliance helps to abide the rules and regulations framed by national and international authorities. Compliance also prevents the risk from the use of toxic and hazardous chemicals in textile industries. Life cycle assessment textile chemicals plays an important role in identifying environmental risks beyond basic compliance requirements.
What Do You Mean by Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
Life Cycle Assessment is a systematic standardized method used to evaluate the environmental impact of a chemical product throughout its entire lifespan, from:
Raw material extraction → Chemical production → Transportation → Use in textile processing → Wastewater treatment → Final disposal
In textile industry LCA helps to understand whether dyeing auxiliary, dyes or finishing chemical how much sustainable for our environment.
Life Cycle Stages of Textile Chemicals
1. Scouring of raw material:
In textile industry, different types of raw material are used. During raw material scouring we have to know whether it is derived from petrochemicals or bio-based sources. We also know whether raw materials are renewable and environment impact of extraction. For environment sustainable approach we have to notice that raw material should be bio-based surfactants, plant derived polymers and reduced dependency on fossil fuels.
2. Manufacturing of chemical:
In chemical industry during chemical manufacturing they consume energy, use water, CO2 emission, use of hazardous solvents and produce waste. For environment sustainable approach energy consumption (KWh/kg chemical) should be minimum level, low water use in this case process may be optimize or use efficient machine. CO2 emissions should be minimum level. Another think that we should be notice whether hazardous solvents are using for manufacturing purpose and finally waste generation should be minimum level. For sustainable chemical features should be low-temperature synthesis, reaction should be fewer steps, zero or low volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
3. Packaging and Transportation:
Packaging involves the physical container e.g. box, bottle, bag which is used for transporting, protecting, storing and selling the products. For packaging purpose if we use High density poly ethylene (HDPE) as packaging material instead of recycled plastic it will be risk for environment. We should be focus on recycled plastic and transport distance should be minimize. For produce anything try to sourcing from local to reduce transportation. If we can reduce transport so that emissions also reduce in that way we can sustain our environment. Also consider carbon footprint local vs imported which is better.
4. Application in textile processing:
This is the most critical stage and most important for dyeing and finishing mills. As in textile industry we produce fabric and color the fabric. For coloring the fabric textile industry use different machine, process and chemicals. The impact factor depends on liquor ratio, processing temperature, processing time, chemical dosage and salt and alkali requirement. For example if we use low salt reactive dyes for coloring the textile material TDS will be lower in effluent. If we use enzymatic desizing less harsh chemicals will be produce and if we introduce cold pad batch dyeing technology energy will be save that will be helpful for environment sustain. For lower liquor ratio we can select low liquor dyeing machine. For temperature and time save we should optimize our dyeing process and adopt multifunction chemical. During chemical use should be more careful on chemical wastage. Chemical dosage should be optimize and in that case we also adopt automation for reduce man dependency.
5. Effluent treatment and waste:
Effluent treatment means waste water treatment which is particularly designed to purify industrial waste water for its reuse. Effluent treatment plant performance depends on some measurable impacts such as its COD/BOD load level, TDS level, toxicity to aquatic life and sludge generation level.
If we use sustainable chemicals we can gets some benefit such as chemicals will be easily biodegradable, will be low heavy metal content in water and finally we will get better ETP compatibility. Life cycle assessment textile chemicals integrates these wastewater indicators to assess full environmental impact.
Some Sustainable Textile Chemicals
Now we will discuss about some sustainable chemicals
| Conventional | Sustainable alternative | LCA Benefit |
| APEO (Alkylphenol Ethoxylates) surfactants | We can use APEO-free surfactants | Will be Lower toxicity |
| High-salt reactive dyes | We can use Low-salt reactive dyes | Will reduced TDS |
| Caustic-based desizing | We can use Enzymatic desizing | Will Less effluent load |
| Formaldehyde resin | We can use Formaldehyde-free resin | Worker safety |
| Silicone softener | We can use Bio-based softener | Biodegradable |
Why Buyers Demand LCA Data
Now all buyers are very conscious about environment safety issue. So before order placement they demand LCA data. Buyer expect following data:
Buyer see whether the factory is verified sustainability claims, taking any step to reduce carbon footprint reduction, whether they adopt zero discharge of hazardous chemicals (ZDHC) and bluesign compliance and finally whether they maintain any science -based targets (SBTi).
You may also like: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA): The Cradle to Grave of Your Clothes
LCA helps mills win the buyer confidence they provide more order if confidence level increase on this company. LCA helps reduce processing cost of the company as during manufacturing they produce product using sustainable chemical that are easily decompose in environment without extra process. When any company adopt LCA automatically improve compliance score that helps the company to acquire more confidence of the buyer. The company those have the LCA they can prepare for further carbon regulations.
How Textile Mills Can Use LCA Practically?
This is the time now all textile mills should be used LCA practically to acquire buyer confidence and to sustain the business. For use LCA practically first of all select the chemicals with LCA declaration. During purchasing the chemicals check whether LCA declaration. Then optimize the recipe i.e. apply lower dosage, lower water, lower temperature. Always focus on shift to multi-functional chemicals so that can use lower chemicals. Try to reduce re-process and shade correction, more re-process more wastage of chemicals, water, and temperature. Always try to improve Right First Time (RFT) to reduce extra process. Nowadays, textile mills should adopt automation to optimize the process and reduce wastage such as auto dispense chemicals and dyes, they also can automate machine operation using orgatex or sedomaster to optimize the process and finally they can easily integrate LCA with ETP performance data.
Conclusion
A textile chemical is not truly sustainable unless its entire life cycle impact is low-from raw material to wastewater. Various international countries have successfully used ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) at different segments of industrial process such as effluent treatment plant, mining, and chemical manufacturing. Hence zero discharge can be effectively adopted in textile industries as this is the major source for discharge of azo dyes and other organic pollutants that are difficult to degrade chemically or biologically. Prevention of emission of such pollutants will conserve this environment from further damage.
References
[1] Muthu, S. S. (2020). Chemical management in textiles and fashion. Woodhead Publishing.
[2] Abdullah Nadeem, Muhammad Atiq Ur Rehman Tariq, Abdur Rasheed Safi, Zaheer Muhammad Malik, Kaleem Sarwar, Zohreh Rajabi; Life cycle assessment of a textile industry for environmental impacts under alternative operational scenarios. Water Sci Technol 1 September 2025; 92 (5): 704–719. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/wst.2025.123
[3] Handbook of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Textiles and Clothing. (2015). In Elsevier eBooks. https://doi.org/10.1016/c2014-0-00761-7
[4] Carbonfact [Online]. Available:https://www.carbonfact.com/blog/knowledge/lca-fashion-textile
[5] Textileschool [Online]. Available: https://www.textileschool.com/10339/life-cycle-assessment-lca-for-textiles/
Founder & Editor of Textile Learner. He is a Textile Consultant, Blogger & Entrepreneur. Mr. Kiron is working as a textile consultant in several local and international companies. He is also a contributor of Wikipedia.
