The German development agency has drafted a new guideline on how to manage and reuse sludge discharged from textile and garment plants.

Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH designed the guideline with the main aim of improving social and environmental standards in textile and garment factories in Ethiopia. So far, the country does not have a standard for sludge management, though most leather and textile companies find it difficult to deal with this byproduct.

The guideline, which took two years to be designed at a cost of four million euros, was discussed and validated with stakeholders during a workshop held at Hilton Hotel Addis Abeba on August 23, 2019. It differentiates dangerous types of sludge and points out treatment methods to turn sludge into a resource for other uses.

Representatives from the Environment, Forest & Climate Change Commission, Ministry of Trade & Industry, Ethiopian Textile & Garment Manufacturers Association, Ethiopia Textile Industry Development Institute, Industry Parks Development Corporation of Ethiopia and Ethiopia Ministry of Labor & Social Affairs attended the validation workshop.

The guideline will also serve as a strategic document for reviewing policy and law, as well as prepare standards for hazardous waste management including sludge, according to Ayele Hegena (PhD), director of policy, legislation and standard research and development at the Environment, Forest & Climate Change Commission.

“There are 30 years of sludge accumulated in different industries," said Ayele. "The new industries are facing the same challenge."

There are 1,345 textile, apparel, garment and leather projects registered by the Ethiopian Investment Commission and the regional investment bureaus. Out of this total, only 16pc of them are operational, while the remaining are at the implementation and pre-implementation stages.

The textile industry is growing at an average of 51pc for the past five years, and 65 international textile companies have registered in the country. Last year, the country generated 110 million dollars from the export of textile products, meeting only 46pc of the goal.