Minimising our environmental footprint
Minimising our environmental footprint
Water
We treat water as the invaluable resource it is. Across our entire supply chain, we aim to minimise the amount of water used and reduce its contamination. Just like for all agricultural production, water is a critical input for the successful cultivation of organic cotton. However, unlike with conventional farming, water used in organic farming is not contaminated by harmful chemicals, thereby avoiding unwanted negative effects on soil and biodiversity. Water is also used for dyeing and washing textiles, and inevitably generates water-based toxic waste. All our partner factories have on-site Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), in line with legal requirements, and have in-house specialists and testing facilities.* This ensures that wastewater can be treated and then released back into nature without harming the environment. At some of our partner factories, the treated wastewater is also used for car washing and gardening. The remaining solid waste is typically preserved for several months until it solidifies fully, and is then sent to contracted brick fields where it is used as fuel.
* To ensure the safety of the treated wastewater, tests are done for pH, DO, BOD, COD and TDS both on-site and in government laboratories.
Glossary
pH is a scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution.
pH
Dissolved Oxygen (DO) is the amount of gaseous oxygen (O 2 ) dissolved in water.
DO
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria while decomposing organic matter under aerobic conditions. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) is the amount of oxygen required for the chemical oxidation of total organic matter in water. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) represents the total concentration of dissolved substances in water. TDS is made up of inorganic salts, as well as a small amount of organic matter.
BOD
COD
Different stages of water treatment at the ETP at Dird factory, Bangladesh.
TDS
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