International: Swedish initiative cuts water use in textile industry

Sweden Textile Water Initiative, made up of major Swedish textile and leather brands and the Stockholm International Water Institute have released their global results for 2015, recording an 8 percent overall reduction in water use, saving 2,456,700 m3 annually. The results are collected from the initiative’s scaled up global programme to increase efficient water, energy and chemical use at 72 supplying factories in India, China, Bangladesh, Turkey and Ethiopia. It is estimated that 20 percent of all industrial freshwater pollution is caused by the textile industry. The initiative also recorded an 11 percent reduction in energy and 6 percent fall in chemicals used. Starting life in 2010 as a small working group, the initiative works with factories in five major global production hubs supplying 20 major Swedish brands.