SAFECONOMY: Reinventing the Textile Circular Economy

Last updated on 3 September 2025

Background Information

The textile industry is a significant contributor to both water and air pollution. The release of untreated wastewater carries a staggering 20,000 different chemicals into the environment, having a significant impact on human and environmental health. The University of Northumbria, along with its consortium partners, proposes to address this challenge through piloting an innovative technology for treating textile wastewater in Pakistan, a textiles manufacturing hotspot.

Molecular Distortion Technology involves using electrodes to apply an electric potential to the wastewater, thereby producing reactive species that oxidise and break down organic compounds in the water. This process can be used to treat wastewater in various industries, particularly the textiles sector. A TLR (Technology Readiness Level) 5-6 prototype tested at two textiles factories in Pakistan showed an excellent removal efficiency (up to 98%) of all significant pollutants at 40% lower capital outlay, 50-60% lower energy cost, and 90% water reuse, in addition to related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions saving. Moreover, by integrating solar evacuated tube collectors, the technology facilitates water reheating up to 80-90°C, thus closing the loop within the circular economy of textiles and saving substantial heating energy and related emissions. The process also meets most international standards, such as USEPA, ISO, and EU standards, and excellently meets (satisfied over 98%) the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) standard.

The project’s main objective is to advance the innovation (prototype) to a large-scale pilot and to conduct testing in an authentic environment at two textile suppliers in Pakistan. The modular and mobile wastewater treatment system will be fabricated locally in Pakistan to reduce costs. The project team will encourage uptake by local suppliers through financial models to build an attractive business case, and will work closely with government stakeholders to ensure the innovation aligns with incentive programmes under ZDHC ambitions and targets.

The project aims to achieve the following objectives:

Commercial pilot development and testing: A commercial pilot at TRL 8 will be tested to demonstrate water circular economy to ensure compliance with standards for international export.
Training and capacity building: Females and youth will be trained on water treatment pilot to empower them in this sector. This will improve their employability in the textile sector.
Inclusive Society: This project will bring together community, governments bodies and organizations to address social and economic disparities. The active collaboration and involvement of all stakeholders will be ensured through the project.
Performance and impact evaluation: The project team will measure (i) GHG reduction, (ii) water extraction savings with water reuse solutions implementation, (iii) impact on soil with and without hazardous chemicals wastewater discharge, (iv) impact on community health by implementing proposed solution as compared to direct discharge of hazardous chemicals wastewater and (v) energy reduction across water cycle as compared to ground water extraction, pumping and utilisation.

Updates

Pilot design, fabrication and testing:

The local engineering firm, Access Engineering, has completed fabrication of the pilot wastewater treatment unit – a major milestone for this project! The unit successfully passed factory acceptance testing, with the project team endorsing its performance and quality, and it was subsequently commissioned for testing – first in a laboratory setting at NTU and subsequently at the receiving textiles mill. Moreover, the Access Engineering team provided operational training before the unit was transported from Lahore to Faisalabad. Initial testing at NTU is now underway under the supervision of the NTU and BZU project teams.

Preliminary test results of the electrocoagulation process are very promising, demonstrating that complete colour removal, effective pH neutralisation, a high degree of dissolved and suspended solids reduction, and excellent clarification of textile wastewater over time. Minor optimisations were proposed following the initial testing at NTU, which will be undertaken prior to the next pilot phase.

Pilot installation:

Once testing at NTU is complete and final modifications to the unit are made, it will be commissioned for commercial-scale testing at Sapphire Textile Mills, where the completed solar evacuated tube collector will also be integrated into the wastewater treatment system.”

Demonstration, Evaluation, Training and Dissemination:

The project is furthermore supported by dedicated academic teams at Northumbria University, NTU and BZU, with the following noteworthy:

A dedicated research team and laboratory at Bahauddin Zakariya University are supporting the project. The team consists of 10 students, 3 with this project as their primary focus (2 female and 1 male).
The students are actively involved in system development and have travelled to Lahore and Faisalabad for hands-on learning.
Around 40–50 additional students, across the partnering Universities, are indirectly benefiting from this project through training and exposure.
A key research component involves designing and executing simulations of various advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) using data on BOD, COD, TDS, pH, and TSS collected from textile wastewater samples across different industries in Pakistan. The AOPs being studied include Fenton-based, photocatalysis, electrochemical oxidation, ultrasonic, and ozone-based methods.

The project team has been outstanding and proactive in raising awareness about this technology and project in presenting at key conferences such as the World Utilities Congress in May 2025 and at recent World Water Week arrange by the Stockholm International Water Institute in August 2025.

Furthermore, a local dissemination and demonstration is planned for the upcoming Pakistan Water and Energy Expo to be held in Lahore later in Sept. 2025. Following on from their success at hosting a one-day workshop during the event held in 2024 in Karachi, the team is planning another opportunity for dialogue with key stakeholders at the event. In addition to this planned stakeholder engagement, the wastewater treatment pilot unit will also be on display.

A local dissemination and demonstration event is planned for the upcoming Pakistan Water and Energy Expo in Lahore, scheduled for later in September 2025. Building on the success of the one-day workshop hosted during the 2024 Karachi event, the team aims to engage key stakeholders once again in a similar manner during a workshop planned for 22 September 2025. In addition to this engagement, the wastewater treatment pilot unit will be showcased at the expo.