WEPA INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOPON INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATER MANAGEMENTFROM END-OF-PIPE SOLUTIONS TO CIRCULAR ECONOMY APROACH
FOR INDUSTRIAL WASTWATER MANAGEMENT IN ASIA –CASE STUDIES IN SEAFOOD PROCESSING AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY

Dr. Pham Ngoc Bao
Deputy Director, Adaptation and Water Area
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Email: ngoc-bao@iges.or.jp
10th February 2023
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BACKGROUND ON CIRCULAR APPROACH FOR RESOURCES MANAGEMENT
Linear Economy
REACTIVE RESPONSES
vs.
Take

Make

Use/Consume

Dispose/Throw-away

PRO-ACTIVE ANTICIPATION“A circular economy is a model of production
and consumption, which involves sharing,leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing andrecycling existing materials and products aslong as possible. In this way, the life cycle ofproducts is extended.”(Source: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/)(Source: UNIDO, 2019)2
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Timeline of SCP-relevant UN Summits


Sustainable consumption and production (SCP) has emerged as a practicaland systemic approach to sustainability issues in the global context.

Started in the 1970s as an end-of-pipe solution (reactive response approach)to address the effects of industrialization on the environment and society,culminating in the first UN Conference on the Human Environment in 1972.

Gradually SCP evolved towards a cleaner production approach to policy
making in the 1980s to increase the efficiency of natural resources use andwaste minimization and to reduce pollution impacts in the manufacturingsector.



Towards the 1990s, SCP shifted towards a more systemic approach involving
eco-efficiency through the life-cycle approach to analyze the impacts ofproducts and services in all stages of production and consumption.

Moreover, the modern concept of SCP considers integration of theVietnam’s National Action Plan on Sustainable
environment and development to address the dual challenges ofConsumption and Production (2021-2030)
environmental crises caused by modern civilization and to improve the living
and wellbeing of those in low-income countries
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/pub/vietnam-national-action-plan-

Example of 9 major areas of SCP, included in thesustainable-consumption-and-production-2021-2030/en

33Timeline of SCP-relevant UN Summits
 The Asia-Pacific region has emphasized sustainable consumption and production through programs
such as (i) the 10-Year Framework for SCP, (ii) the Asia-Pacific Roundtable on SCP, and the Asia-Pacific
Roadmap for SCP (2017-2018), amongst others.
 The European Union has had an SCP Action Plan since 2008 and a Roadmap Towards a Resource
Efficient Europe since 2011. These platforms provide comprehensive information on SCP actions
regionally and internationally.

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APPLICATION OF SCP IN SEAFOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY IN VIETNAM
 Vietnam is the third largest seafood exporter in the world, exporting USD 7.3 billion of seafood products, or 5.1% of global exports, in2016 (FAO, 2018); increasing to nearly USD 8.6 billion in 2019 (VASEP, 2020).
 The most exported seafood products from Vietnam are farmed pangasius spp. fish and shrimp (Nguyen and Jolly, 2020). Vietnam is
the fourth largest producer in the world of farmed shrimp (FAO, 2010). For pangasius spp., Vietnam’s exports account for 91% of the
globally traded volume.

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APPLICATION OF SCP IN SEAFOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY IN VIETNAM
 The Guideline is to provide a holistic
system approach to sustainableconsumption and production (SCP) in
the seafood industry in Vietnam, basedon sustainability issues in the different
stages of the seafood supply chain.
 The Guideline aims to assist decision
makers in the seafood supply chain
and policymakers who need to knowhowtosustainably
source,manufacture, and export seafood
products and apply for certification
schemes for eco-labels to enhance themarket recognition of their products.
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/pub/sustainable-seafood-guideline/en
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/pub/vietnam-pangasius-recp-guidelines/en(Source: Switch Asia, 2022)

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Environmental pollutants and their effects from Shrimp farming

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Environmental pollutants and their effects from Pangasius farming

88Water Consumption and Wastewater Generation from Seafood Processing Factories
WATER CONSUMPTION

 Frozen pangasius fillet processing factories (for example) use a lot of water; normally a pangasius processing factory uses about
500–2,000 m3 of water/day (including water consumption for processing to wash raw materials/semi-products/final products/clean
factories; and for domestic purposes of factories workers)
 The factory’s water consumption depends on (i) the technological process; (ii) type of input materials (fresh fish or frozen
products from other factories); (iii) the level of interest in the maintenance of the company's water system; (iv) practicalskills of processing workers; and (v) workers' sense of saving water, among others.
WASTEWATER GENERATION

Wastewater from frozen pangasius fillet processing factories is from three sources:
 Wastewater of production auxiliary systems (e.g., cooling towers, condensers) Domestic wastewater: wastewater from workers' toilets and from the kitchen area for workers' cooking
 Production wastewater: including wastewater from the production process (e.g. Washing raw materials, semi-finished products,
cleaning factories, equipment, processing tools, and melted ice.
 Wastewater from the production process contains a lot of fish blood, organic matter, suspended solids, fish crumbs, and fish oil:
pH = 6.5-7.0, SS = 500-1,200 mg/L, BOD5 = 500-1,500 mg/L; COD = 800-2,500 mg/L, Total Nitrogen = 100-300 mg/L,
Total Phosphorus = 50-100 mg/L, Total Lipid = 250-830 mg/L…which can affect the quality of the receiving water and can cause
eutrophication in surrounding ponds and lakes, if it is not properly addressed and treated.
(Source: Switch Asia, 2022)

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Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production Assessment Methodology
For Seafood Processing Factories in Vietnam(Source: Switch Asia, 2022)10
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(Source: Switch Asia, 2022)

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Resource Efficiency and Cleaner Production Assessment Methodology
For Seafood Processing Factories in Vietnam(Source: Switch Asia, 2022)

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EXAMPLES OF TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIONS INTRODUCED IN VIETNAMFOR SEAFOOD PROCESSING FACTORIES
Pre-Treatment Process
TO PHYSICALCHEMICALPROCESSUNTREATEDWASTEWATERCOLLECTION TANKOIL REMOVAL TANKEQUALIZATON TANK

Stage 1: Physical-chemical process
OPTION 1

WASTEWATER AFTER
SEDIMENTATION TANK 1

COAGULATION TANKFLOCCULATION TANKSEDIMENTATION TANKSETTLEDSLUDGESLUDGE STORAGETANKOPTION 2

WASTEWATER AFTERTHE FLOTATION TANKSHALLOW FLOTATIONTANK/FLOTATION TANK

(Source: VEA, 2011)

COAGULATION TANK

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EXAMPLES OF TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIONS INTRODUCED IN VIETNAMFOR SEAFOOD PROCESSING FACTORIESStage 2: Biological process to meet effluent standard (Column B, QCVN 11:2008/BTNMT)OPTION 1
WASTEWATER AFTER
SEDIMENTATION TANK 2
SETTLED SLUDGEUASB TANKRECEIVING TANKAERATION TANK (ACTIVATEDSLUDGE PROCESS)ANOXIC TANKSEDIMENTATION TANKSLUDGE STORAGETANKOPTION 2
WASTEWATER AFTER
SEDIMENTATION TANK 2

OPTION 3

AERATION TANK (ACTIVATED SLUDGEPROCESS)ANOXIC TANKSETTLED SLUDGE
SEDIMENTATION TANKSLUDGE STORAGETANKANOXIC ZONEWASTEWATER AFTER
SEDIMENTATION TANK 2
AEROBIC ZONESETTLED SLUDGE(Source: VEA, 2011)OXIDATION DITCHSLUDGE STORAGETANKSEDIMENTATION TANK

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EXAMPLES OF TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIONS INTRODUCED IN VIETNAMFOR SEAFOOD PROCESSING FACTORIESStage 3: Physical-Chemical Process to meet effluent standard (Column A, QCVN 11:2008/BTNMT)OPTION 1

TREATEDWASTEWATERRECEIVING TANKCOAGULATION TANKFLOCCULATION TANKSETTLEDSLUDGESEDIMENTATION TANKSLUDGESTORAGETANKCONTACT TANK(DISINFECTION)OPTION 2

TREATEDRECEIVING TANKPRESSURE FILTERTANKCONTACT TANK(DISINFECTION)

WASTEWATER(Source: VEA, 2011)15
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Specific Recommended Actions for Different Stakeholder Groups in Seafood Production Industry

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Examples of Recommendations for Seafood Production Industry
Quality control – Due to the use of antibiotics and chemicals in the aquaculture production stage of the seafood industry
has become a major issue in the export market.
Recommendation 1: Seafood associations and large-scale producers should provide support to the smaller scale famers to introduce
sustainable aquaculture practices and production controls.
Recommendation 2: Seafood associations can start awareness raising campaigns targeting enterprises to inform the economic andenvironmental benefits of introducing sustainable production in the aquaculture and manufacturing process (i.e., better price and resourcesaving benefits).

Tracking requirement – The Government has increased requirements for the tracking of wild catches for the regulation of
overfishing, which has become a barrier for small-scale fishers to comply with.
Recommendation 1: Develop vertical integration to let large scale enterprises to help the smaller ones to improve the traceability of theirproducts.
Recommendation 2: Form cooperatives among smaller scale enterprises so they can jointly invest in better technology.
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APPLICATION OF SCP IN GARMENT SECTOR IN CAMBODIA
 The garment sector is the most important
manufacturing sector in Cambodia as a share ofGDP.

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017)

 Moving towards a sustainable and circular garment value chain, which
gradually facilitates greening the textile and garment sector in Cambodia
will require a holistic approach and changes at each stage.
 It is not just about technology, but also involves setting a long-term
vision, goals, and specific targets for green transformation of the sector
aimed at improving resource efficiency, reducing waste/wastewater
discharge and microfiber release into receiving environments,
transforming the ways that clothes are being designed, manufactured,
sold and used to minimise their negative impacts to environment.

 The sector is also the highest generator of toxic
chemicals to land, air, and water. In particular, thegarment sector is the single largest emitter of toxic
discharges into water bodies, accounting for almost
70% of total toxic pollutant loads from all sectors(ADB, 2016) The total number of spinning, weaving, and finishingtextiles enterprises in Cambodia in 2016 was 270,
accounting for 15.5% of industrial enterprises in the
country (GMS-ECO, 2016).
 Approximately 56% of these firms operated in thecapital city of Phnom Penh in 2014 (MIH, 2015)
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APPLICATION OF SCP IN GARMENT SECTOR IN CAMBODIA
A. Overview of adverse environmental impacts from garment sector- Use significant amount of resources, including intensive use of water
resource- Discharge of untreated or partially treated wastewater- Improper use and poor chemical management- Microfiber releases to environment
B. Circular economy approach for greening garment sector in Cambodia- Strategies for sustainable water use- Sound chemical use management- Effective control of microfiber released into environment
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/pub/improving-sustainable-consumption-andproduction-garment-sector-cambodia/en

A. OVERVIEW OF ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM GARMENT SECTOR

GLOBAL MATERIAL FLOWS FOR CLOTHING IN 2015

Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017)

A. OVERVIEW OF ADVERSE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS FROM GARMENT SECTOR

Type of fabricAmount of water consumption(m3/ton of product)

Cotton80-240Woven cotton fabric

70-180Wool

100-250

Polyacrylic fabric

10-70

Source: Vietnam Textile and Garment Corporation and VEA (2011)

Parameter

Unit

Value

pH

-

8,6 – 9,8

TemperatureoC

36 -52

Color

Pt-Co

350-3710

BOD5

mg/L

200-1450

COD

mg/L

360-244821
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(i) INTENSIVE WATER USE
Freshwater is intensively used across the global apparel value chain,especially in the raw material production, bleaching/dyeing and finishingand use stage

A large amount of wastewater isalso produced from these stages

 Textiles production (including cotton farming) uses
around 93 billion cubic metres of water annually,
representing 4% of global freshwater withdrawal.
Clothing accounts for over two-thirds of this wateruse.
 At present, many of the key cotton-producing
countries are under high water stress, including
China, India, the US, Pakistan, and Turkey.
 To process 1 kilogram of textiles, approximately 100
to 150 litres of water are required.
 With approximately 28 million tons of textiles being
dyed each year, the apparel sector has an annual
water footprint of more than 5 trillion litres of water.

Source: UN Environment Programme, 2020 The environmental problems caused by textile wastewater are due to increased biochemical oxygen demand for bacteria to break down the waste products,
the volume of intensely coloured dyes, and the large quantity of suspended solids present in wastewater discharge, and other pollutants such as inorganic
compounds, dye waste, colour residues, catalytic chemicals, and cleaning solvents. As a result of these wastewater pollutants being discharged into local
waterways, the textile and garment sector is contributing to the growing scarcity of clean drinking water in Cambodia.
 It is also very costly to properly treat textile wastewater to meet national standard before discharging the treated effluent into the environment.
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(ii) SOUND CHEMICAL USE MANAGEMENT
 In the garment sector, chemicals are commonly used in most of the production processes. A considerable amount of chemicals are
required to produce textiles, including dyes and specialized chemicals such as flame retardants, dirt and water repellents, and biocides toreduce bacteria growth.
 Approximately 3,500 substances have been identified as being used in textiles production. Of the 2,450 substances analysed, 750 were
found to be harmful to human health, of which 299 were considered functional substances with high potential risk to humanhealth. Some 440 chemicals were found to be harmful to the environment, of which 135 were considered functional substanceswith high potential risk to the environment (Swedish Chemicals Agency, 2014).
 On average, 0.58 kg of various chemicals are required to produce 1 kg of textiles (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017).
 Improper use and poor management of chemicals, especially hazardous chemicals, in the textile and garment value chain can cause asignificant harmful impact on workers’ health, as well as polluting the receiving water environments and ecosystems. Toxic
residue in textile and garment products may pose a risk to consumers’ health.
 According to MoE (2004), many governmental institutions in Cambodia do not havesufficient ability for chemicals assessment and management, together with a limited
capacity for assessing chemical hazards and identifying their impacts. A similar situationis also applied to most industrial factories, including textile and garment factories.
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(iii) MICROFIBER/MICROPLASTICS RELEASE TO ENVIRONMENTFROM GARMENT/TEXTILE INDUSTRIES The garment also releases a significant
amount of microfibres (smaller than5mm), one of the most common form of
microplastics, into the environment during
production, use, and end-of-life disposal“Over 14 million tonnes of microplastics have accumulated on the world’s ocean floor according toresearch estimates. The amounts are increasing approximately 1.5 million tonners every year —causing harm to ecosystems, animals and people” (Barrett et al., 2020, Boucher and Friot, 2017).

 High quantities of microfibres werereported from a textile productionwastewater treatment plant, highlighting
the problem of effective wastewater
management in Cambodia.
 Microplastics can also be ingested byplankton at the bottom of the aquatic foodchain, allowing microplastics and toxic
chemicals to move up the food chain,affecting larger aquatic species andeventually humans.
 This is a critical issue for Cambodia,
where fish comprises more than 60% of
protein intake.

Potential pathways of microfibre/microplastics release from textile industries(Source: Adapted from Henry, Laitala and Klepp, 2019)

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EXAMPLES OF ACTUAL TECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCED IN VIETNAMFOR GARMENT/TEXTILE FACTORIESStage 1: Physical-chemical process
Chemicals(pH adjust.)

Treatedwastewater after
sedimentation
tank 1

Air blower

Raw
Wastewater

Cooling tower
ScreenCoagulation
tank
Equalization tank

Flocculation
tank

Sedimentation
tank 1

Stage 2: Biological process
OPTION 1

Treated wastewater
after sedimentation
tank 2OPTION 2

RECEIVING TANKUASBAERATION TANKSETTLEDSLUDGE
Sedimentation
tank 2SLUDGE STORAGETANK

Treated wastewater
after sedimentation
tank 2(Source: VEA, 2011)

AERATION TANK

Sedimentation
tank 2SETTLEDSLUDGESLUDGE STORAGE
TANK

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EXAMPLES OF ACTUAL TECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCED IN VIETNAMFOR GARMENT/TEXTILE FACTORIESStage 3: Tertiary treatment process
OPTION 1

TREATEDWASTEWATERRECEIVING TANKCOAGULATION TANKFLOCCULATION TANKSEDIMENTATIONTANKSETTLEDSLUDGESLUDGESTORAGETANKCONTACT TANK(DISINFECTION)OPTION 2

TREATEDWASTEWATER(Source: VEA, 2011)

RECEIVING TANKOXIDATION TANKSETTLEDSLUDGESEDIMENTATIONTANKSLUDGESTORAGETANK

pH ADJUSTMENT TANK

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EXAMPLES OF ACTUAL TECHNOLOGIES INTRODUCED IN VIETNAMFOR GARMENT/TEXTILE FACTORIESStage 3: Tertiary treatment process
OPTION 3

RECEIVING TANKPUMPSPRESSURE FILTERTREATEDWASTEWATEROZONATION TANKOPTION 4

COAGULATIONTANKFLOCCULATIONTANKSETTLEDSLUDGESEDIMENTATIONTANKSLUDGESTORAGETANKRECEIVING TANKPUMPSPRESSURE FILTERACTIVATEDCARBON FILTERTANKTREATEDWASTEWATER(Source: VEA, 2011)27
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B. CIRCULAR PLASTIC ECONOMY APPROACH
FOR GREENING GARMENT SECTOR IN CAMBODIA
Some strategic approaches can be considered for greening the sector in Cambodia, including:(1) Promoting the implementation of cleaner production industrial symbiosis solutions in all textile and garment factories aimed at improving
resource use efficiency (e.g. water, energy, raw materials and chemical use) and mitigating the adverse impacts on the environment incurred
through production processes;(2) Greening product designs (eco-design) and applying eco-labels for textile and apparel products (e.g. encourage to use organic fibres andnatural dyestuffs, minimize the use of chemical, especially toxic and harmful chemicals);(3) Green distribution and logistics, especially raw materials and final products for minimizing fuel consumptions and environmental impacts;(4) Introducing environmental friendly practices based on circular economy approach (e.g., introducing 3R programmes; promoting
consumption and production of textile and garment products through sustainable public procurement, marketing and lifestyle communication
campaigns).
(5) Appropriate waste prevention and management policies in the textile and garment sector;(6) Encouraging textile and garment enterprises and factories to apply environmental management standards in accordance with ISO 14000;(7) Introducing smart technologies, especially in yarn production and quality monitoring, for improving sector productivity.
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Specific Measures for Efficient Water Use & Minimizing Wastewater and Microplastics Discharges
 Establishing a smart water use program for the textile and garment sector to promote water efficient practices and technology countrywide.
 Adopting best practices in chemical and wastewater management to improve surface water quality.
 Conducting capacity building activities to equip relevant stakeholders in the textile and garment sector with necessary knowledge on how to
adopt water saving practices; how to manage and treat wastewater properly; and how to establish good practices on a sound chemical use andmanagement
 Properly manage wastewater and microplastics from garment/textile factories to avoid leakage and impacts on receiving water environment byimproving the performance of waste and wastewater treatment facilities within factories; and introducing cleaner production industrial
symbiosis solutions in all factories

Specific Measures for Sustainable Use of Chemical Substances Textile and garment factories should develop a specific guideline for chemical substances management, which should also include detailed
instructions on how to develop a prevention and response plan in case chemical incidents happen.
 In addition, an established inventory system of chemicals used and stored in a factory is necessary to understand what chemicals are being used, toconduct risk assessments, to avoid holding unnecessary inventory, and to provide information on the hazards of chemicals to employees or workers.
 Moreover, the inventory system should be regularly updated, which includes added chemicals and removal of expired and obsolete chemicals fromthe inventory.
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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION!

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