Arvind Ltd. and Gap Cut Ribbon on Water Innovation Center
A new water management innovation center aims to become a hub for environmental action in the fashion industry.
Arvind, Ltd. and Gap Inc. are doubling down on a longstanding partnership with the launch of the Global Water Innovation Center for Action (GWICA) at the Indian denim manufacturer’s mill in Santej. The 18,000-square-foot facility will serve as a collaborative meeting point for manufacturers, brands, upstream suppliers, sustainability experts and environmental groups engaged in changing the way the apparel industry uses water and manages waste.
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The facility, inaugurated at a ceremony this week by Arvind vice chairman and executive director Punit Lalbhai and Richard Dickson, president and CEO of Gap Inc., aims to showcase technological advancements in water treatment and help the fashion sector establish best practices. “This center has a state-of-the-art laboratory that will allow testing of all wastewater streams from anywhere in the world, or any part of our supply chain, to be analyzed,” Lalbai said at the event.
GWICA’s wastewater treatment plant relies on a Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) first unveiled by Arvind and Gap in 2019. The technology allows for the treatment of domestic wastewater from the surrounding community without the use of harmful chemicals. Negating the need for fresh water in textile processing, the treatment plant also provides a source for reclaimed water to propel the manufacturing process.
The site, made up of several hexagonal buildings constructed using eco-conscious materials, will serve as an open-source repository for knowledge about water management in apparel manufacturing. It will contain both physical and digital innovations, along with a continuously curated selection of educational materials. It will house a research and development lab and incubator for piloting solutions, and a display of Arvind’s installations and advanced technology solutions. The innovation showcase will be open for tours.
GWICA plans to hold annual training sessions as a part of its educational initiative, offering comprehensive instruction for operators of textile factories. Training modules will be available at in-person classes and online. Another area of the facility houses a meeting space for brands, suppliers and other supply-chain stakeholders to collaborate.
In addition to promoting water recycling and efficiency in the apparel supply chain, GWICA will highlight water stewardship efforts that impact the natural world. The partners aim to spur action across the industry to help improve water health and resilience across ecosystems and communities affected by apparel manufacturing.
“Our founders understood the transformative power of a purpose-driven brand, and 55 years later we are a global company with the scale to make a real difference in the world,” Gap said in a statement on LinkedIn. “Combining our expertise and resources, we helped create the apparel industry’s first open source innovation hub for water stewardship in India that will help us build a more water-resilient future.”
Gap blew past its goal of facilitating improved access to clean water and sanitation for 2 million people by 2023, reaching 2.4 million people by the end of the fiscal year. It established the goal of reaching 5 million people by 2030, and also aims to reduce water use, and replenish water to natural systems, in volumes equivalent to what it uses at its company-operated manufacturing facilities.
Arvind, too, has made water efficiency and wastewater treatment a key part of its sustainability strategy, given the denim industry’s notoriety for guzzling and contaminating the natural resource. The denim maker’s production facilities have been equipped with Zero Liquid Discharge technology, resulting in a 93-percent reduction in wastewater discharge. “From the launch of the pioneering GWICA center to the success of our Sewage Water Treatment Plant, we are committed to a transformative path in the apparel manufacturing industry,” Lalbhai said.
