Novozymes and China Knitting Industry Association (CKIA) signed a strategic partnership agreement in Beijing to jointly promote the sustainable development of biological solutions in the Chinese textile industry. In particular, the agreement addresses bio-innovative application and research in the knitting sector. The new cooperation between Novozymes and China’s knitting industry is set to include environmental improvements to sewage treatment at knitted fabric and knitwear enterprises at CKIA member companies, with specific goals set on energy conservation, carbon emissions and environmental protection for the industry, whilst testing, technical guidance and ‘microbial and biologically-efficient’ technology which aims to improve waste water management facilities will also be provided by Novozymes, according to a China Daily report.
In comparison to using certain chemicals during textile production, tests at companies such as Esquel have found that bio-enzyme technology in textile processing can contribute to lowering the dilution volume for toxicity and reduce water used in processing, thus lowering the expense of water and effluent treatment.
China’s textile production industry has been increasingly under media spotlight, with increased pressure for greater regulation and policy change evident from new chemical legislation, which will see the creation of toxic chemicals blacklist under China’s 12th Five-Year Plan for Environmental Risk Control on Chemicals. The policy requires factories to register with their local governments, open up for risk inspection and disclose information on the chemicals they discharge to the public.
