KNOXVILLE, TENN.—Aqua-Chem, a global water solutions company, announced that it has developed an innovative solution to removing dye and chemical additives from industrial wastewater used in large-scale carpet manufacturing. The results of an industry-first pilot project with J&J Industries conclusively demonstrates it is both practical and economically feasible to remove dye and other additives from industrial wastewater, and to reuse the water in carpet dyeing in an environmentally innovative process.
“This is the wave of the future in the global water purification market,” said David Gensterblum, president and CEO of Aqua-Chem. “Clean water is an increasingly valuable commodity everywhere, and our ground-breaking process addresses clean water as a critical expense and environmental issue for a wide range of manufacturers. Our state-of-the art water purification technology lowers operating costs dramatically by allowing re-use of wastewater in the manufacturing process. This is a green-themed solution, both environmentally and economically, that works for many manufacturers.”
The pilot demonstrated that 70% of wastewater effluents in dyeing operations can be reused in the manufacturing process. The full-scale system is projected to recover 90% of wastewater. “These are impressive results by any standard,” said Howard Elder, director of research and environmental affairs at J&J. “Decreasing water consumption is a major focus of ours and we are delighted to participate in the development of this technology. J&J and Aqua-Chem are committed to developing a process that minimizes water consumption and offers opportunities for energy recovery.”
Not only has J&J reduced its environmental footprint through energy conservation and waste reduction efforts, the company received a 2010 Excellence in Partnership (EIP) award by the Coalition for Government Procurement, and was also the recipient of the 2009 Evergreen Award by the General Services Administration (GSA) to recognize efforts in recycling, environmentally preferable procurement and waste reduction.
For more information on J&J, call 800.241.4586, ext. 8311.