The fashion industry is ranked as the fourth most environmentally harmful industries in the world. A main cause being the overruling destructive model of take-make-dispose that maintains our reliance on virgin materials. Academia and European Union policymakers believe the Circular Economy is a more sustainable alternative to this linear model. The transition to a Circular Economy requires collaboration between organisations across the value chain to close the loop. These organisations come together to share their capabilities forming circular ecosystems. However, key authors in the field warn that collaboration is difficult and should only be entered with an intention to actively manage it. In this study we therefore set out to understand collaboration in these ecosystems of organisations in the fashion and textiles industry. To fulfil the aim of our research, we conducted a qualitative study following an interpretative approach, focusing in on a pioneering case study from the industry. The New Cotton Project is a 3-year EU-funded project forming a circular model for commercial garment production. Using the Theory of Collaborative Advantage as a theoretical lens, we came to understand that collaboration in these ecosystems in the fashion and textiles industry is complex and challenging, yet it is optimistic and hopeful as partners try to overcome issues stemming from the pre-existing linear model. We also argue that collaboration that leads to collaborative advantage in these ecosystems is not a result of serendipity but of innovators, organisations and policymakers coming together to transition the industry.

Varje år slänger svenskar nära 6 kg textil direkt i sitt restavfall, varav 60 procent ofta är i skick att fortsätta användas. I ett resursintensivt samhälle med alltmer sinande resurser är åtgärder för att minska textilkonsumtionen avgörande. Produktionen står för den största andelen av textilers klimatpåverkan i och med stor användning av vatten, energi och kemikalier. Därför är återanvändning av textil är en viktig åtgärd för att minska textilers klimatpåverkan.  Välgörenhetsorganisationer med second hand-verksamhet har en viktig roll i återanvändningen i Sverige, samtidigt återanvänds bara 20 procent av det som samlas in hos välgörenhetsorganisationer och resterande textil går främst till export och en liten andel till förbränning i Sverige. Att hantera den textil som inte säljs i Sverige kostar dock pengar som hade kunnat gå till välgörenhetsorganisationernas egentliga syfte. För Röda Korset, som denna studie är gjord för, är detta syfte att lindra och hindra katastrofer och kriser. Röda Korsets hantering av textilerna som inte kan säljas i Sverige behöver därmed vara kostnadseffektiv men också fortfarande ge en miljönytta, eftersom det är den främsta anledningen till att ta hand om textilavfallet.  Denna studie utgår från fem av Röda Korsets second hand-butiker och undersöker tre scenarier för hantering av detta textilavfall. Målet med studien är att undersöka vilket scenario som innebär den lägsta kostnaden för Röda Korset, störst miljönytta samt störst samhällsekonomisk nytta. Referensscenariot innebär att textilerna sorteras i butik där textilavfallet transporteras till närmaste återvinningscentral för förbränning. Scenario 1 innebär att textilerna sorteras i butik för att transporteras till depåer, för att sedan exporteras till Tyskland för återanvändning, materialåtervinning samt förbränning. Scenario 2 undersöker regional sortering av textilerna där textilavfallet transporteras till Tyskland för återanvändning, materialåtervinning samt förbränning.  Studien görs utifrån metoden för kostnads-nyttoanalyser där kostnader och nyttor för de olika scenarierna identifieras för att sedan monetäriseras. Data som används har erhållits av Röda Korset och har kompletterats med en litteraturstudie kring miljöpåverkan för de olika processerna samt monetäriseringen av dessa.  Resultatet av kostnads-nyttoanalysen var att regional sortering (Scenario 2) bidrar till störst samhällsekonomisk nytta och är samtidigt mest kostnadseffektivt för Röda Korset, medan Scenario 1 är mest miljömässigt fördelaktig på grund av de kortare transporter som scenariot innebär. En känslighetsanalys gjordes för felkällorna i rapporten, de som hade störst påverkan på resultatet var uppskattningen av arbetstid vid sortering i butik, exkluderandet av arbetstiden som görs av frivilliga samt vattenanvändningens miljöpåverkan i produktionen av textil. Trots deras stora påverkan på resultatet bedömdes de inte ha nog påverkan för att ändra det övergripande resultatet, att scenariot för regional sortering var mest lönsamt.  Eftersom Röda Korsets butiker har en stor variation i hur de drivs, geografisk placering och textilflöde skulle resultatet kunna skilja sig mycket beroende på vilka butiker som kopplas till en regional sortering. Detta gäller främst om butikerna har större avstånd, effektivare sorteringstakt eller extrema flöden jämfört med de som studerades i denna rapport. Utöver de kostnader och nyttor som tas med i denna rapport finns det även ytterligare fördelar med regional sortering för Röda Korset, dessa tas upp i diskussionen och är till exempel minskad sårbarhet för butikerna, mer specialiserad sortering som kan bidra till ökade intäkter samt minskade flöden till export.  Slutligen diskuteras även det producentansvar för textil som regeringen utreder som åtgärd för att minska andelen textil som slängs i restavfallet i Sverige. Slutsatsen från denna diskussion var att det skulle behövas ytterligare bredd i utredningen för producentansvaret. Dels kring de rekyleffekter som skulle kunna uppstå, som ökad konsumtion i vetande om att textiler man gör sig av med inte bara förbränns, dels kring hur man praktiskt ska genomföra producentansvaret för att textilflödena ska gå till återanvändning och inte direkt till materialåtervinning. På grund av den låga återanvändningsgraden i Sverige skulle också ytterligare studier behövas kring de hinder som finns för att svenskar ska öka sin återanvändning. / Every year, a Swede throws close to 6 kg textile directly into their residual waste, even though 60 percent of this textile waste often is in good condition and could be re-used. In a resource-intensive society with increasingly scarce resources, measures to reduce textile consumption are crucial. The production accounts for the largest part of textiles' climate impact due to the extensive use of water, energy, and chemicals. This is why re-use of textiles is an important measure to reduce the climate impact of textiles.  Charities with second-hand activities have a significant role for increasing re-use of textiles in Sweden. However, only 20 percent of what is collected by charities is reused and the remaining textile goes mainly to exports, and a small proportion to incineration in Sweden. On the other hand, managing the textiles that remain unsold in Sweden costs money that could have gone to the main purpose of the charities. For the Swedish Red Cross, which this study was conducted for, their main purpose is to alleviate and prevent disasters and crises. Thus, the Swedish Red Cross' handling of their unsold textiles needs to be cost-effective but also provide an environmental benefit, as this is the main reason for taking care of textile waste.  This study is based on five of the Swedish Red Cross' second-hand stores and examines three scenarios of logistics for managing their textile waste. The aim of the study is to investigate which scenario entails the lowest cost for the Swedish Red Cross, the greatest environmental benefit, and the greatest socio- economic benefit. In the reference scenario, the textiles are sorted in the stores where the textile waste later is transported to the nearest recycling center for incineration. Just as in the reference scenario, the textiles are sorted in the stores in Scenario 1, but the textile waste is instead transported to depots, and finally exported to Germany for reuse, material recycling and incineration. Scenario 2 examines regional sorting of textiles where the textile waste, as in Scenario 1, is transported to Germany for reuse, material recycling and incineration.  The study is based on the method for cost-benefit analyzes where costs and benefits for the different scenarios are identified and monetized. The data have been obtained from the Swedish Red Cross and have been supplemented with a literature study on the environmental impact of the various processes and their monetization.  The result of the cost-benefit analysis was that regional sorting (Scenario 2) both contributes to the greatest socio-economic benefit and is the most cost-effective scenario for the Swedish Red Cross, while Scenario 1 is most environmentally beneficial due to the shorter transports that the scenario entails. A sensitivity analysis was conducted for the sources of error in the report. The sources of errors that were assessed to have the greatest impact on the result were the estimate of working hours for sorting, the exclusion of working hours done by volunteers and the environmental impact of water use in textile production. Despite their substantial impact on the result, these sources of error were assessed not to have enough impact to change the overall result, that the scenario for regional sorting was most profitable.  Since the Swedish Red Cross' stores have a large variation in how they are administered, geographical location and textile flow, the result could differ greatly depending on which stores are linked to a regional sorting. These factors are particularly relevant if the stores have greater distances, more efficient sorting rates or extreme textile flows compared to the stores studied in this report. In addition to the costs and benefits included in this report, there are other benefits of regional sorting for the Swedish Red Cross. Some are discussed in this report, such as reduced vulnerability for the stores, more specialized sorting that can contribute to increased revenues and reduced flows to export.  Finally, the Swedish government is investigating a producer responsibility for textiles as a measure to reduce the proportion of textiles that are thrown away in residual waste in Sweden. The conclusion from this discussion was that further expanding of scope in this investigation is needed. For example, with an inclusion of the rebound effects that could occur, such as increased consumption with the knowledge that textiles you dispose are not just incinerated. Furthermore, how to practically implement producer responsibility so that textile flows go to re-use and not directly to material recycling. Due to the low degree of re-use in Sweden, further studies would also be needed on the obstacles that exist for Swedes to increase their re-use.

Submitted by Ulrich Garvert (ulrich.garvert@gmx.de) on 2017-11-29T19:14:39Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Final_Master_Thesis_Ulrich_Garvert_Textile_Recycling.pdf: 4030101 bytes, checksum: 4497870798a58b3d1a7eef253c2486fb (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Josineide da Silva Santos Locatelli (josineide.locatelli@fgv.br) on 2017-11-30T12:26:50Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Final_Master_Thesis_Ulrich_Garvert_Textile_Recycling.pdf: 4030101 bytes, checksum: 4497870798a58b3d1a7eef253c2486fb (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-30T12:45:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Final_Master_Thesis_Ulrich_Garvert_Textile_Recycling.pdf: 4030101 bytes, checksum: 4497870798a58b3d1a7eef253c2486fb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-11-29 / This master thesis analyzes and compares the Brazilian and European textile recycling industries. The research analyzes how both Europe and Brazil can learn from each other to improve the textile recycling process and increase the rate of textile recycling. It puts the topic of textile recycling into a broader perspective of recycling and sustainable supply chains. In that it shows that both in Brazil and Europe there are significant amounts of textile waste both from production processes and from post-consumption. Through the analysis of ten interviews with stakeholders from the European and Brazilian textile recycling industry it is shown that in Europe the industry is significantly ahead through technology and process leadership in certain countries, which is reached through strong research and cooperation along the textile value chain, an aspect not found in Brazil. More specifically it shows that in Brazil a lack of fiscalization of the national policy on solid waste leads to low incentives to comply with the law and to innovate in order to find new solutions for the use of textile waste. As one of the main barriers both in Europe and Brazil the research identifies the lack of sufficient market perspectives and requests consequently investment into research for application of textile waste and its derivative products. / Esta tese de mestrado realiza uma comparação entre as indústrias de reciclagem têxteis brasileiras com as europeias. A pesquisa analisa como a Europa e o Brasil podem aprender um com o outro para melhorarem os processos de reciclagem têxteis bem como aumentarem as taxas do mesmo. O tema da reciclagem de têxteis aplica-se sob uma perspectiva mais ampla de reciclagem e de cadeias de suprimento sustentáveis; na medida em que o estudo demonstra que, tanto no Brasil quanto na Europa, existem quantidades significativas de resíduos têxteis - advindos estes tanto dos processos de produção quanto do pós-consumo. Por meio da execução de dez entrevistas com as partes interessadas do setor de reciclagem têxteis da Europa e do Brasil, percebe-se que na Europa a indústria está significativamente adiante através da liderança de tecnologia e processos reaplicados em certos países - aspecto este alcançado a partir de uma forte pesquisa e cooperação ao longo da cadeia de valor têxtil, que não é encontrado no Brasil. Mais especificamente, depreende-se que no Brasil, devido à ausência ou pouca fiscalização da Política Nacional de Resíduos Sólidos, os incentivos gerados são baixos nos sentidos de se fazer cumprir a lei e levar à busca por inovação (a fim de encontrar novas soluções para o uso de resíduos têxteis). Uma das principais barreiras identificada pela pesquisa, tanto na Europa como no Brasil, é a falta de perspectivas de mercado suficientes e solicitas; consequentemente, assim ocorrendo da mesma forma em relação aos investimentos em pesquisas para a aplicação de resíduos têxteis e seus produtos derivados.

Textilindustrins miljöpåverkan är hög, samtidigt som efterfrågan på textilfibrer ständigt ökar. Inom de kommande åren förväntas textilåtervinningen i Sverige att öka vilket skulle skapa en mer cirkulär resursanvändning som på så sätt kan minska tillverkningen av jungfruliga fibrer. För att återvinningsprocessen för de förbru- kade textilierna ska fungera optimalt krävs en sorteringsmetod med hög säkerhet i materialurskiljning. Inom kriminaltekniska områden används märkvätskor för att märka upp värdefulla föremål. Märkvätskorna baserade på metallsalter skapar unika sifferkoder som kan avläsas med en laserteknik kallad LA-ICP-MS. Om ett märkt föremål blir stulet och sedan återfinns av polisen kan märkvätskan avläsas och kopplas tillbaka till ägaren via en databas. Genom att applicera den osynliga forensiska märkvätskan på textilier var projektets förhoppning att skapa spårbarhet i det textila ledet med fo- kus på att underlätta sorteringsprocessen i återvinningsstadiet. Detta genom att skapa en säker märkning som sitter kvar under textilens hela användarfas. Märk- vätskan som användes i projektet kom från SmartWater Technology Ltd som är det ledande företaget i England inom forensiska märkningar. För att simulera en användarfas för ett bomullsplagg har testmetoder för färghär- dighet mot tvätt samt nötningshärdighet utförts. En extern analys utfördes på Smar- tWaters laboratorium i Telford, England, för att kontrollera om koderna gick att avläsa efter de utförda testerna. Testmetoderna har utförts utefter antagandet att metallkoderna har bättre härdighet än den fluoroscensiska färgen. Vid slitage inne- bär detta att färgen avlägsnas vid ett tidigare skede än metallsalterna, vilket resulte- rar i att kodens placering blir omöjlig att hitta utan dess färg. Under detta projekt har därför den fluoroscensiska färghärdigheten varit i fokus. Resultatet som erhölls från nötnings- och tvätthärdighetstestet analyserades under UV-ljus i ljusskåp genom att jämföra färgförändringen mot ett referensprov. En 5- gradig grå-grå-skala användes för att omvandla färgavvikelsen till numeriska vär- den, vartefter matematiska beräkningar utfördes för att kontrollera statistisk signi- fikans. Studien visade att märkvätskans fluoroscensiska färg försämras i takt med antal tvättar. Färgen försämrades något i jämförelse med referensprovet efter nöt- ning, men ingen signifikant skillnad kunde utläsas mellan provkropparna efter ökat antal varv i Martindalemaskinen. Analysen genom LA-ICP-MS kopplade samtliga provkroppar till korrekt applicerad kod vilket tyder på en säker avläsningsteknik. Baserat på tidigare nämnda resultat förväntas märkvätskan därför klara av en an- vändarfas för exempelvis ett ytterplagg eller en möbel i bomull. Fler tester krävs dock för att säkerhetsställa hur vätskan håller efter tid och ytterligare antal tvättar. Lasertekniken som användes för att avläsa koden är säker, men behöver utvecklas eller bytas ut för att en snabbare sorteringsprocess ska erhållas. / The environmental impact for the textile industry is already high and with an in- creasing demand for textile fibers something has to change within the industry. The textile recycling in Sweden is expected to increase in the coming years, which would create a more circular resource utilization, thus reducing the production of virgin fibers. In order to create an optimal recycling process, a secure sorting method is required in material separation. To be able to track valuable objects within the forensic area, a compound based on metal salts is used to mark the objects. The metal composition can be translated into a specific and unique code with a laser method called LA-ICP-MS. The code can later be connected to a person or an organization registered within a database. This thesis examines the possibility to apply the forensic marking compound on a textile carrier to create a trustworthy traceability within the textile chain that is difficult to remove. Instead of register a person or an organization to a code, the vision was to connect a code to a material or a chemical content within the textile product. The forensic marking system used in this thesis came from SmartWater Technology Ltd, which is the leading company in England within forensic coding. A quantitative study was made to research how the forensic coding system based on metal salts acted on a textile carrier. The researched problem was based to ana- lyze the suitability to use a forensic marker system on a textile carrier with the aim to create traceability within the textile industry and to ease the sorting process. To be able to investigate the problem a simulated phase of use was made. Test methods were performed to analyze the impact of abrasion and the ability to with- stand washing for the forensic marking. An external analysis was made at Smart- Waters laboratory in Telford, England, to examine if the metal salts were de- codable, even when the forensic marking was in a bad condition. All the tests and analysis was made with the supposition that the metal salt coding had a better ad- hesion to the carrier than the fluorescence color. Since the coded area cannot be found without the color, the results have been based on the change in color of the fluorescence marking solution. The conclusion shows that the fluorescence colorfastness was decreasing with the number of washing cycles. Number of cycles in Martindale was not significant for a decrease in colorfastness. The LA-ICP-MS method was able to decode all of the samples and connect them to the applied codes. This indicates that the forensic marking system is durable and can be used to mark a garment or a piece of furni- ture that’s not washed a lot. However, more tests are required to ensure how the solution lasts over time and additional amounts of laundry. The LA-ICP-MC meth- od is secure, but one problem is that it’s stationary and therefore difficult to use in a sorting process.

The increasing quantity of waste represents serious environmental, social and economic problem. Wastes produced from industry and households. A large part of the economy transforms a certain amount of raw materials to waste in their production, because it is currently emphasis is placed on finding sustainable sources of raw materials. One of the suitable secondary raw materials can be discarded textiles or waste from the textile industry. These kinds of textile waste often ends up in landfills or incinerators, so it is from an ecological and environmentally advantageous to their further use. The diploma thesis deals with the study and development of thermal and acoustic insulation materials based on textile fibers. It focuses on the legislative requirements for waste management for the sorting of textile wastes and their subsequent modification before reuse. Further it contains kinds of textile fibers and bonding technologies thermal and acoustic insulation materials. Finally, an evaluation of thermal insulation, acoustic and mechanical properties of fibrous insulation materials.

The focus of this diploma thesis is on the consumers' motives for purchasing upcycled clothing. Based on the research of available resources, this thesis firstly describes the most expanded model of clothing production, fast fashion, with special focus on the negative environmental impacts it has during different stages of a product life cycle. It later moves on to describe the traditional and more environmentally friendly model, slow fashion, and puts both these concepts (fast fashion and slow fashion) in connection with the hierarchy of waste management and the concept of circular economy. This theoretical base helps to fully understand the concept of upcycled fashion, which is thoroughly described in a separate chapter that also includes various examples of designers who focus on fashion upcycling. The last section of the theoretical part deals with motivation and motives for purchasing clothes. The empirical part of this diploma thesis focuses on how consumers perceive upcycled fashion in order to answer the main research question: What are the consumers' motives for purchasing upcycled clothes? To answer the question, qualitative research was used, specifically semi- structured interviews. The interviews were conducted with a total of twelve shoppers who have had previous personal experience...

The textile industry is considered one of the most challenging industries when it comes to environmental pollution just after the oil industry. It has a huge impact on water pollution and resource consumption in terms of fiber production. Recently sustainability in cotton fiber production is questioned due to the huge uses of land, water, a large number of pesticides, and a significant amount of energy during cultivation. When it comes to cellulosic pulp production, currently fibrous plant material is used which is mainly wood. So, recycling of cellulosic textiles is considered the only option to reduce this impact. The recycling company Renewcell is launching a large-scale plant for cellulosic fiber recycling which is located in Sweden and will use the post-industrial textile waste as one of its feedstocks. The purpose of this research is to analyze the barriers and drivers for collecting this post-industrial textile waste from the garment manufacturing countries to Sweden and analyze the available collaborative business model alternatives. This study was performed by a qualitative study where primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed by thematic analysis. The data was collected among four stakeholders within this value chain which are the fashion brands, recyclers, garment manufacturers, and waste handlers. The finding shows that this sector is very informal and is yet to be formalized. The external informal influence was identified throughout the value chain as a non-value-added activity.  And the involvement of fashion brands was identified as one of the drivers. Several collaborative business models are discussed considering their applicability in different contextual situations. This analysis was discussed based on the seven themes which were generated during the thematic analysis and later discussed with the current empirical study and theoretical background. Collaboration between the recycler, traders, brands, and the textile manufacturers were discussed in different dimensions such as direct collaboration and logistic partnership approach. Then the research limitation was discussed in both methodological and research contexts followed by future research recommendations.

Neste trabalho são apresentadas algumas características físicas, vantagens e viabilidade do uso do pó de tecido, proveniente do processamento de resíduos têxteis que são descartados em confecções em geral. A produção e utilização desse tipo de pó diminui o impacto ambiental e se mostra viável economicamente, pois é produzido facilmente a partir do processamento de resíduos, que seriam descartados na natureza. O presente trabalho mostra o estudo da produção do pó de tecido e a sua substituição parcial do agregado miúdo natural na produção de concretos de cimento Portland convencionais. Para comprovar a viabilidade técnica e econômica do uso do pó de tecido foram analisadas características do agregado como sua composição granulométrica, e seu comportamento nos ensaios de abatimento tronco de cone (Slump Test). Uma relação água-cimento também foi convencionada a um concreto usual com resistência esperada de 27MPa. Com estes dados foi definido um traço para o concreto utilizando 5% e 15% de agregado pó de tecido, substituindo a areia. A pesquisa apresenta os resultados de resistência à compressão simples dos corpos de prova cilíndricos de concreto aos 28 dias. Verificou-se que as amostras não apresentaram diferenças significativas de resistência entre si, tão pouco com relação às resistências de um concreto convencional produzido somente com agregado miúdo natural. Entretanto, houve uma melhora nos resultados dos ensaios à compressão, principalmente no concreto com 15% de pó de tecido. / On this work are present some physical characteristics, advantages and viability of the use of the fabric dust, proceeding from the processing of textile residues that are discarded in confections in general. The production and use of this type of dust diminish the ambient impact and if it shows economically viable, therefore it is produced easily from the processing of residues, which would be discarded in the nature. The present work shows to the study of the production of the dust of tissue its partial substitution of the natural small aggregate in the production of concrete of Portland cement conventional. To prove the viability economic technique and of the use of the fabric dust they had been analyzed characteristic of the aggregate as its grain sized composition, and its behavior in the discouragement assays cone trunk (Slump Test). A relation water-cement also was stipulated to the one usual concrete with resistance waited of 27 MPa. With these data a trace for concrete using 5% and 15% of added fabric dust, substituting was defined the sand. The research presents the results of simple compressive strength of the cylindrical bodies of test of concrete to the 28 days. It was verified so little that the samples had not presented significant differences of resistance between itself, with regard to the resistance of a conventional concrete only produced with natural small aggregate. However, the compression had an improvement in the results of the assays, mainly in the concrete with 15% of fabric dust.

Thesis submitted in the requirements for the degree Doctor Technologiae: Chemical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering at the CAPE PENINSULA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, 2013 / To date, limited information has been published on textile wastewater treatment, for re-use, in South Africa (SA), with treatment processes focusing on conventional wastewater treatment methods. A large contributor to the contamination of water within textile industries is from dyehouse processes. A major concern in textile wastewater treatment is the release of azo dyes and their metabolites, some of which are carcinogenic and mutanogenic, into the environment since they are xenobiotic and aerobically recalcitrant to biodegradation. A necessity therefore exists to find an effective treatment method capable of removing both the strong colour and the toxic organic compounds from textile wastewater. Membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are favoured when treating high-strength wastewater, since the membrane area is determined by the hydraulic throughput and not the biological load; no sludge is wasted and all bacteria are retained within the reactor, including specific bacteria capable of degrading the toxic, non-biodegradable constituents present in textile wastewater. MBR systems, using various configurations have been utilised extensively in the rest of the world to treat textile wastewater at both lab and pilot-scale. This DTech project formed part of a collaborative Water Research Commission (WRC) funded project K5/1900 - Pilot application of a dual-stage membrane bioreactor (dsMBR) for industrial wastewater treatment. The main purpose of this study was the on-site evaluation of a pilot-scale dsMBR incorporating two ultrafiltration (UF) sidestream membrane modules for the treatment, recovery and re-use of textile wastewater. The objectives of this project were to determine the treatment efficiency of the system; to evaluate the degree of colour removal from the textile wastewater; to improve residual colour removal within the system using treatment processes, such as NF and RO, as well as to propose a design and cost for a full-scale plant. A textile industry located in Bellville, Western Cape, was chosen as the industrial partner for the on-site evaluation of a semi-automated pilot wastewater treatment MBR plant using two 5.1 m2 Norit X-flow AirliftTM membrane modules. Since the wastewater treatment system was located on the premises, real continuously changing industrial wastewater was being treated. The industrial textile wastewater was treated in a series of tanks: 1) an anaerobic tank, which cleaved the azo bonds of the reactive dyes; 2) an anoxic tank containing reduced amounts of dissolved oxygen, in which denitrification occurred; and 3) an aerobic tank, in which i) nitrification, as well as ii) mineralisation of the aromatic amines occurred. The UF-membrane modules would account for the removal of any organic material. The wastewater stream was characterised by a chemical oxygen demand (COD) range of between 45 to 2,820 mg/L and an average biological oxygen demand (BOD) of 192.5 mg/L. The dsMBR achieved an average COD reduction of 75% with a maximum of 97% over the 220 day test period. The COD concentration obtained after dsMBR treatment averaged at 191 mg/L, which was well within the City of Cape Town industrial wastewater discharge standard. The average reduction in turbidity and TSS was 94% and 19.6%, respectively, during the UF-MBR stage of the system. Subsequent treatment of the UF permeate with nanofiltration (NF) for 4 days, alternated with reverse osmosis (RO) for 14 days removed both the residual colour and salt present in the UF permeate. A consistent reduction in the colour of the incoming wastewater was evident. The colour in the wastewater was reduced from an average of 659 ADMI units to ~12 ADMI units in the NF permeate, a lower American dye manufacturing index (ADMI) (i.e. method of colour representation) compared to the potable water (~17 ADMI units) utilised by the industrial partner in their dyeing processes. The colour was reduced from an average of 659 to ~20 ADMI units in the RO permeate, a lower ADMI and therefore colour when compared to the potable water. An average conductivity rejection of 91% was achieved with conductivity being reduced from an average of 7,700 to 693 μS/cm and the TDS reduced from an average of 5,700 to 473 mg/L, which facilitated an average TDS rejection of 92%. Based on the composition of the UF permeate fed to the RO membrane a maximum removal of 98.7% was achieved for both conductivity and total dissolved solids (TDS). The proposed full-scale plant would incorporate a UF-MBR system, followed by NF, RO, flocculation and a filter press. Therefore, the two waste products produced during operation of the proposed full-scale plant, would be the solid filter cakes and the liquid filtrate from the filter press. Implementing the proposed full-scale plant it would cost the industrial partner an operating cost of ZAR 113.85 and ZAR 3,415.49 to treat 97.1 m3 and 2,913 m3 of textile wastewater, respectively, per day and per month. This results in an annual saving of ZAR 845,848 on potable water expenses. This research, would provide SA textile industries, with an option to: 1) reduce their water consumption, thereby utilising less of a valuable decreasing commodity; 2) meet the SA government discharge standards and reduce their discharge costs; 3) reduce their carbon footprint (i.e. reduce their impact on the environment) by re-using their treated wastewater and therefore using less water from the municipality; and 4) decrease their annual expenditure on water, since the treated wastewater would be available for re-use.

Neste trabalho são apresentadas algumas características físicas, vantagens e viabilidade do uso do pó de tecido, proveniente do processamento de resíduos têxteis que são descartados em confecções em geral. A produção e utilização desse tipo de pó diminui o impacto ambiental e se mostra viável economicamente, pois é produzido facilmente a partir do processamento de resíduos, que seriam descartados na natureza. O presente trabalho mostra o estudo da produção do pó de tecido e a sua substituição parcial do agregado miúdo natural na produção de concretos de cimento Portland convencionais. Para comprovar a viabilidade técnica e econômica do uso do pó de tecido foram analisadas características do agregado como sua composição granulométrica, e seu comportamento nos ensaios de abatimento tronco de cone (Slump Test). Uma relação água-cimento também foi convencionada a um concreto usual com resistência esperada de 27MPa. Com estes dados foi definido um traço para o concreto utilizando 5% e 15% de agregado pó de tecido, substituindo a areia. A pesquisa apresenta os resultados de resistência à compressão simples dos corpos de prova cilíndricos de concreto aos 28 dias. Verificou-se que as amostras não apresentaram diferenças significativas de resistência entre si, tão pouco com relação às resistências de um concreto convencional produzido somente com agregado miúdo natural. Entretanto, houve uma melhora nos resultados dos ensaios à compressão, principalmente no concreto com 15% de pó de tecido. / On this work are present some physical characteristics, advantages and viability of the use of the fabric dust, proceeding from the processing of textile residues that are discarded in confections in general. The production and use of this type of dust diminish the ambient impact and if it shows economically viable, therefore it is produced easily from the processing of residues, which would be discarded in the nature. The present work shows to the study of the production of the dust of tissue its partial substitution of the natural small aggregate in the production of concrete of Portland cement conventional. To prove the viability economic technique and of the use of the fabric dust they had been analyzed characteristic of the aggregate as its grain sized composition, and its behavior in the discouragement assays cone trunk (Slump Test). A relation water-cement also was stipulated to the one usual concrete with resistance waited of 27 MPa. With these data a trace for concrete using 5% and 15% of added fabric dust, substituting was defined the sand. The research presents the results of simple compressive strength of the cylindrical bodies of test of concrete to the 28 days. It was verified so little that the samples had not presented significant differences of resistance between itself, with regard to the resistance of a conventional concrete only produced with natural small aggregate. However, the compression had an improvement in the results of the assays, mainly in the concrete with 15% of fabric dust.