Classic Example of Globalisation

THE Ramatex issue is a classic example of globalisation.The textile industry has long been a notorious user and polluter of water.

It requires huge quantities of clean water both for the dyeing process and for washing the cloth. For this reason it has, in many countries, been forced to develop expensive recycling processes to save water and counter pollution.The expiry of patent protection on some important synthetic dyestuffs developed in the seventies, however, recently precipitated a worldwide expansion of the industry, particularly into countries with high unemployment and no ‘polluter pays’ legislation where the expensive recycling systems were not legally necessary.Textile factory effluent generally is not particularly toxic, its main constituent is salt and the effluent is rather like dirty seawater.But this is notoriously difficult to purify and notoriously prone to raising the salinity of valuable groundwater, a process that is, in effect, irreversible.I find it hard to believe that the N$2m of our water bills that Windhoek is investing in the cleanup will do much that is permanent; it will probably be a recurrent cost.In general the most cost-effective way of addressing a pollution issue in the longer term is not to clear up after it but to stop it at the source.In this case it can be done; it would be interesting to know at what cost.Andrew Clegg Via e-mailFor this reason it has, in many countries, been forced to develop expensive recycling processes to save water and counter pollution.The expiry of patent protection on some important synthetic dyestuffs developed in the seventies, however, recently precipitated a worldwide expansion of the industry, particularly into countries with high unemployment and no ‘polluter pays’ legislation where the expensive recycling systems were not legally necessary.Textile factory effluent generally is not particularly toxic, its main constituent is salt and the effluent is rather like dirty seawater.But this is notoriously difficult to purify and notoriously prone to raising the salinity of valuable groundwater, a process that is, in effect, irreversible.I find it hard to believe that the N$2m of our water bills that Windhoek is investing in the cleanup will do much that is permanent; it will probably be a recurrent cost.In general the most cost-effective way of addressing a pollution issue in the longer term is not to clear up after it but to stop it at the source.In this case it can be done; it would be interesting to know at what cost.Andrew Clegg Via e-mail