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The textile industry is responsible for a large amount of production to cater to the clothing needs of the world. Products have been manufactured with great scope for marketability and function that range from basic needs to luxury demands. In an effort to improve the human standard of living and style, these efforts have been undertaken but ironically the wastewater serves as pollutants and hazards to the environment that in turn will invalidate the wanted standard of living. Many industries have been emptying the process and product effluent into landfills and water bodies causing severe effects on the environment and safety of all living organisms. During the last few decades, environmental problems have become a major issue and environmental and health legislations have come into vogue all around the globe. Market forces have seriously impacted the environmental policies and sustainable textile manufacture and fashion have created a growing awareness among all—raw material cultivator to the end personnel of the supply chain. As part of the sustainable effort, this chapter deals with the impact caused by textile manufacture, sustainable methods, and case studies of textile processes and production that have brought about a change in the amount of wastewater produced or treatment of textile wastewater for reuse through recycling methods. The reducing freshwater resource and its increasing demand call for responsible water management by the adoption of clean technologies, waste minimization initiatives, and effective water reuse treatment with optimum operating costs.

The production and manufacture of the textile and fashion industries are known for high utilization of natural resources and the impact on environment and community. The economy that was linear (take-make-waste system) has shifted to a circular economy where product designs are created to reduce waste and the waste generated is converted into new products (upcycling) or resources (down cycling) which go into the second generation of the raw material cycle either in full or as a percentage of the whole. Over the years, the global textile industry has grown to higher levels in terms of production and consumption, but has created a whole set of issues due to the linearity in production and economy. Now efforts are being directed to reduce the waste and close the loop for zero wastage creating a whole lot of challenges and opportunities that is translating itself not only in the manufacture and production techniques and standards but also in the marketing and advertising campaigns. Leading global brands like NIKE, Patagonia, Speedo, BASF are announcing their pledges and statements toward their contribution to circular economy and targets to be achieved in the near future. The new journey of the textile industry is to explore the methods of incorporating the principles of the circular economy in all levels of product development and stake holder consciousness. Some critical points of consideration are the creation of new business models that increase the utility of clothing, inclusion of safe and renewable inputs and smart solutions that convert used clothes into new ones. Similarly many solutions may be available or may be developed, but manufacturing and industry must aim at zero waste production and circular economy.

Fashion calls for constant change which urges consumers to indulge in purchasing garments to keep track with the latest trends. These practices result in large consumption patterns of clothing while the nonuse of fashion apparels is hidden truth. Clothes that are purchased with intense interest lie idle either in the wardrobe or in the landfill. The textile and apparel industry invest huge resources for the manufacture of garments to meet the demand of the consumers. Labels of top brands, retail houses, marketing divisions and advertising sectors add glamor to fashion to draw the attention of the consumer and manufacturers involved in fabric production and apparel development work towards high targets at the cost of environmental and social implications. The fashion industry is the backbone of textile and apparel production as all endeavors start with the design phase. Designers today have a different motto, and they work for long-lasting sustainable designs which in turn will promote sustainable consumption and production patterns among end users. This chapter will analyze the role of sustainable design development, the awareness of slow fashion and change in mind-set of the consumer to attain the 12th goal (Responsible Consumption and Production) of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Denim is associated with the history of success and has endured economic challenges and changes in fashion. Due to its versatility, the connotation it makes as a social statement and acceptance in business meetings and other formal occasions, jeans is considered the top selling ‘bottom’ in the retail market. According to BernadetteKissane, Euromonitor Apparel and Footwear Analyst, jeans are expected to show a global rate of 3 percent CAGR (compound annual growth rate) by 2020. The manufacturing of jeans involves cutting and sewing the raw material which may be made of cotton, polyester/cotton blend or cotton with elastane. In apparel production, the marker efficiency ranges from 90 to 95% and a high efficiency leads to low wastage to increase profit margins. Whatever be the marker efficiency fabric wastage results as cut part remains which are usually sold in the market for wiping soils and machines. The world today is moving towards zero wastage and sustainable production with the onus on all members in the supply chain, to take responsibility for their business initiatives and consumption. The policy is to use the waste material as a secondary raw material which may be included in the regular production thereby clearing all grounds of wastage. In an effort to help the industry to move towards zero wastage this study was undertaken to utilize the denim cut waste from the apparel industry and convert them into yarn and fabric in conjunction with virgin material. After many efforts recycled cotton fiber was extracted from the denim cut waste by mechanical means and blended with virgin cotton to produce recycled cotton yarns using different blend ratios. As the fiber was colored the dyeing process was eliminated and fabric was produced using recycled blended yarns as weft and 100% cotton white yarn in the warp to resemble the denim fabric. The fabric was tested for physical, mechanical and comfort tests for recommendation as raw material for apparel manufacture. Thus this method of recycling denim cut waste is sustainable and effective in apparel manufacture.

Biotechnology, a new impetus in the last few years, has seen rapid developments in genetic manipulation techniques (genetic engineering) which introduces the possibility of producing organisms in order to optimize the production of established or novel metabolites of commercial importance and of transferring genetic material (genes) from one organism to another. Industrial biotechnology is the application of technical advances in life sciences to develop commercial products or to incorporate in industrial processes. Enzymes are being used in numerous new applications in the food, feed, agriculture, paper, leather, and textile industries which results in enhanced product quality along with significant reductions in cost and environmental pollution. The potential to harness biotechnology and produce new or modified fibers as well as improving the production yields of existing fibers is being studied. Novel fiber-forming biopolymers with biocompatibility and biodegradability are now being manufactured using large-scale fermentation equipment for medical applications. Natural biological fibers from natural raw materials possessing properties of synthetic fibers have entered the textile field. Enzymatic processes have replaced chemical methodologies in textile manufacturing to obtain a sustainable biobased economy. Biological processes play a major role in the removal of contaminants. The elimination of a wide range of waste materials and polluting substances from the environment is an absolute requirement to promote a sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Without such advances in science and technology, the move to a more biobased economy would result in rapid depletion of renewable resources and environmental degradation. The natural protein molecules, enzymes, have paved the way for interdisciplinary partnerships with various textile applications for exploring new avenues in the textile industry. Further research is required for the implementation of commercial enzyme-based processes for the biomodification of synthetic and natural fibers.