Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) is the first legislation that brought focus on a resource that is both precious and scarce “Water”.
ZLD has been around in the west for many decades however in each country the understanding is different. In India, ZLD implies, absolutely no discharge out for any effluent coming out of a wet process, which does not mean pumping it in ground without treatment and recovery of residues. It is likely that many organizations’ do not take that seriously in the absence of strict enforcement.
It is a cost intensive process and when ZLD was implemented in India, there were only some organizations’ who were thinking far ahead and could sail through.
There is a strong message on organizations that are far sighted and always wanted to move and stay ahead of the legislation. This happens only when you are not fire fighting for the day and have a vision to create a lasting organization.
It is for this reason that for listed entities across the globe the market regulatory boards are encouraging organizations to integrate reporting wherein long term vision, mission and capital allocation on human,natural, intellectual and technological capitals.
Indian textile industry has a lot of advantages in moving ahead of brands and aligning with the principles of allocating capitals appropriately and moving towards long term vision of securing water and other resources while working for collective prosperity.
ZLD is still in the process of delivering its full potential. There are frontrunners who have taken it in their stride to be fully compliant and now they may stay ahead to move towards a circular economy. We will be sharing the story of a textile cluster in Tamil Nadu, who are well positioned to take advantage of following the legislation in letter and spirit. Stay tuned.
by Team sage Sustainability