ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the environmental impacts of textile and apparel industry, including the use of depleting resources, hazardous chemicals, water, energy and the generation of wastewater and solid waste. It presents the developments to address the industry’s environmental problems of resource depletion, hazardous chemicals, water use and wastewater generation, energy use and solid waste. Textile chemicals include dyes and pigments, chemical specialties such as softeners, wetting or penetration agents, functional finishing agents and chemical commodities such as salts, acids and alkalis. Textile production, especially wet processing including desizing, scouring, bleaching, dyeing, printing and finishing, uses a huge amount of water. The production, use and disposal of textile and apparel products have caused significant environmental problems related to resource depletion, hazardous chemicals, water, wastewater, energy and solid waste. Textile production uses a large amount of electricity, fuel, with corresponding greenhouse gas emissions.
