Best Available Techniques (BAT) Insights from Textiles and Paper-Pulp Manufacturing Sectors OECD

This webinar is the second in a series on industrial pollution prevention and control. Explore how Best Available Techniques (BAT) are being used to reduce industrial emissions in the textile and paper-pulp manufacturing sectors. Drawing on cross-country insights from OECD reports: Activity 6: Cross-Country analysis of selected sectors for comparison and Activity 7: Cross-Country Analysis of selected BREFs for Iron-Steel, Paper-Pulp and Waste incineration sectors, this webinar shed light on significant environmental challenges, highlighted shared and sector-specific emission control techniques and discussed the potential for harmonising BAT implementation globally. The findings are based on reviews of BREFs from the European Union, the United States, China, India, Korea, Japan and the World Bank.

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https://www.oecd.org/en/events/2025/07/best-available-techniques-for-industrial-emission-
prevention-and-control-insights-from-textiles-and-paper-pulp-manufacturing-sectors.html

3. SESSION 1.
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION

4. OECD’S BEST-AVAILABLE
TECHNIQUES (BAT)
PROJECT
4

5. •Exchange best practices across countries that already have a
BAT-based permitting system
•Provide guidance to countries that seek to adopt a BAT-based
approach for the first time
•Achieve progress towards the SDGs, notably Target 12.4 on the
environmentally sound management of chemicals
5
Objectives of the BAT project

6. •Established in 2015 –increased tenfold in size
since
•162 members from 40+ countries and
organisations
The OECD Expert Group on BAT
6
© Photo credit: Oleksandra Klestova/Shutterstock.com
•One face-to-facemeeting and one webinar
per year, plus frequent exchanges by
email/phone
•10th meeting of the Expert
Group on BAT
13-14 November 2025, Seoul, Korea
45%
13%
3%
3%
10%
14%
6%
3%
3%
Expert Group on BAT Composition
OECD Member
governments
Non-member
governments
Key Partner countries
Accession countries
IGOs
Industry Associations

7. 7
Deliverables of the OECD’s BAT project (2016-2024)
Phase I
(2016-2018)
Act.1-Policies on BAT
Across the World (2017)
Act.2 -Approaches to
Establishing BAT
Around the World
(2018)
Act.3 -Measuring the
Effectiveness of BAT
Policies (2019)
Phase II
(2019-2021)
Act.4 -BAT guidance
document (2020)
Act. 5 -Study on value
chain aspects of
determining BAT (2021)
Act. 6 -Cross-country
comparison of selected
BREFs (2022)
Phase III
(2022-2024)
Act. 7 -Cross-country
comparison of selected
BREFs (2024)
Act. 8 -Capacity
building workshops
(2025)
Act.9 -Identifying
innovation and ETs for
potential BAT
determination (2025)
Phase IV
(2025 –2027)
Act.10 –Role of BAT in
Hydrogen Production
Act.11 –Recovery of
secondary raw materials
(SRM)
Act 12 –Capacity
building workshops

8. List of BREFs webpage

9. CROSS-COUNTRY ANALYSIS OF
BREFS FOR
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
CEMENT
TEXTILES

10. 10
Objective
•Analyse industrial pollution prevention and control
techniques across countries
➢BAT and BAT-AELs for selected sectors and their key pollutants
➢Facilitate harmonisation of BAT-AELs across countries

11. Global Importance
•A key driver of industrial growth and employment
•Major contributor to global trade and economic
development
Environmental Impact
•Significant user of water, energy, and chemicals
•Major source of industrial wastewater pollution
Textile Manufacturing sector

12. 12
Scope for Textiles sector
6 BREFs:
EU, Flanders/Belgium, India, Korea, US, WB
ThermalPowerPlants
Coal & gas-fuelled
Air emissions
NOx
SOx
Hg
Dust/PM
Cement
Portland
Air emissions
NOx
SOx
Dust/PM
Textiles
Water releases
•AOX, BOD, COD
•pH
•Metals
Processes
•Pre-treatment
•Dyeing
China
(2021)
Gujarat
(2024)

13. 13
Cross-country analysis of BAT
•Scope –e.g. capacity
•Types –min. stand or guidance, incl. legal
status
•Technical depth –single or multi media releases
•Production/update
Higher BREF-issues
•General BATs
•BATs used for KEIs identified
•Specific BATs to processes
BAT approaches
•Emission & performance levels specified for the
identified KEIs
•Associated conditions, e.g. averaging periods
where given
BAT-AE(P)Ls

14. BREFs in Textile Manufacturing

15. •The level of technical detail on the techniques and emissions/performance levels specified.
Technical Depth
EU-BREF
VITO
Guidances
K-BREF
WB EHS
Guidelines
Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP)
Onsite ETPs
•European Union
•BAT/BAT-AELs apply to onsite
treatment in textile installations.
•South Korea
•Wastewater is pre-treated
onsite, then sent to WWTP.
•India
•Industry applies MINAS
standardsbefore ETP processes
begin onsite
Offsite ETPs
•Flanders, Belgium
•If WWTP is insufficient,
separate/dispose offsitevia
external firms.
•United States
•Indirect dischargesgo to
municipal WWTPs. Pre-treatment
done at site.
Both Onsite & Offsite
•World Bank Guidelines
•Covers general treatment
approaches for both onsite and
offsite systems.
•India
•Also includes Combined ETPs
and CETPs, indicating
shared/off-site treatment.
India-
MINAS
US-Effluent
Guidelines

16. BAT Approaches for Textiles manufacturing
•Good environmental practices
General BAT
•Pollutant specific
•Environmental media
•Optimisation
Key Environmental Indicators (KEIs) specific
•Processes (treatments)
Sub-sector specific

17. Dyeing:
Dye adheres to
fabric via
adsorption
and diffusion.
Processes
Pre-treatment Dyeing Printing
Finishing
& Coating
Washing Drying
Pre-treatment:
Cleans fibres/fabrics
for dyeing; includes
desizing,
bleaching,
mercerising—all
chemical processes.

18. BAT for KEIs

19. Common BAT
Environmental Concerns
➢High water use across processes.
➢Wastewater contains toxic, persistent
pollutants.
BAT
Pre-treatment
•Desizing –recovery and reuse of water-soluble
sizing agents
•Bleaching –avoid using chlorine-based chemicals
•Mercerization-Recovery and reuse of caustic soda
Dyeing
•Physical and chemical treatments, such as
coagulation, flocculation, adsorption and filtration
•Material-specific –Cotton vs cellulose

20. KEI specific BAT approaches
Water Consumption Control
•Reuse of dyebath & process
water
•Effective planningto reduce
intake
Cross-cutting
measures
Chemical Substitution
•Replace harmful substances with
biodegradablealternatives

21. Quantitative BAT : BAT-AE(P)Ls

22. Scope & Coverage
•All BREFs define processes(pre-treatment, dyeing),
•Capacity limits often unclear
•Diversity in the sector across countries
Cross-Country Analysis in Textile Manufacturing
Technical Content
•BAT techniquesdescribed in all BREFs, but:
•Emission values (AELs/ELVs) often partial or missing
•Variation in process-specific detail
•Some allow flexible combinationsof techniques
Comparability Limitations -Lack of harmonisedmetrics

23. CROSS-COUNTRY ANALYSIS OF
BREFS FOR
IRON & STEEL
PAPER & PULP
WASTE INCINERATION

24. 24
Objective
•Analyse industrial pollution prevention and control
techniques across countries
➢BAT and BAT-AELs for selected sectors and their key pollutants
➢Facilitate harmonisation of BAT-AELs across countries

25. •Six BREFs/BREF-like
✓Different countries develop, structure and
implement BREFs
25
Activity 7 –Cross-country analyses of selected BREFs
Iron & Steel Paper & Pulp
Waste
Incineration

26. •Essential industry for modern life, but highly resource-
intensive
•Among the top water-consuming sectors
•Major contributor to chemical and air pollution
Paper and Pulp Industry

27. Sector-specific BREFs for Paper and Pulp
EIPPCB (2015), Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Pulp, Paper and Board,
https://eippcb.jrc.ec.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2019-11/PP_revised_BREF_2015.pdf

28. Environmental Issues in Paper-Pulp sector

29. •Water releases are the primary concern, followed by air
emissions
•Substances in water releases: COD, BOD, AOX, heavy
metals, tot-N, tot-P, TSS
•Air emissions: NOx, SOx, PM, TRS, dioxins/furans –
varies by region
Key Environmental Concerns

30. Scope for Paper-Pulp sector
Iron and Steel
Sinter Plants
Dust,
NOx,
SOx,
Hg,
dioxins
Blast Furnace
Dust
Electric Arc Furnaces
(EAF)
Dust,
Hg,
dioxins
Paper and pulp production
Kraft Pulping
(Recovery boilers)
•Dust,
•NOx,
•TRS
Paper manufactured from
recycled paper
•TSS
•COD
•AOX
•Tot-N
•Tot-P
Water consumption efficiency
Waste incineration
Municipal Solid Waste
incineration
Dust,
NOx,
NH3,
Heavy metals (Hg, Cd, tot-
metals),
PCDD/F

31. BAT Approaches for Paper & Pulping
•Good environmental practices General BAT
•Pollutant specific
•Environmental media
KEI specific
•Pulping processes
•Paper making
Sub-sector specific

32. •NOX
Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR)
Staged and controlled combustion methods
•Dust
Bag filters
Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs)
•TRS
White clay washing (China)
Gas collection and incineration (EU, WB)
Combustion control (US)
BAT for AirEmissions from Recovery Boilers

33. BAT for WaterReleases in Kraft Pulping and Paper
Production (Recycled)
Water Pollutants (TSS, COD, AOX, tot-N, tot-P)
•TSS: Flocculation, sedimentation, biological treatment
•COD: Coagulation, activated sludge, Fenton oxidation
•AOX, tot-N, tot-P: Similar to TSS/COD; emphasis on
nutrient substitution, physicochemical & biological
treatments
Water Efficiency Measures
•Common BAT : Water system closure, condensate reuse,
anaerobic pretreatment
•Regional Approaches:
•China: Dry peeling technology
•Korea: Moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBR)
•World Bank: Standby incinerators, effluent
minimisation

34. •Process Variability & Emissions
–Integrated millscombine pulping, paper-making, and energy
generation →diverse environmental profiles
–Kraft pulpingis the most common chemical pulping method
globally
–Geographic differencesshape pollutant priorities in BREFs (e.g.,
NH₃ in EU, HAPs in the US)
•BREF Insights
–BREFs vary insubstance coverage and regulatory focus
–Reflect local process preferences, raw material use, and
sustainability priorities
Cross-country Analysis for Paper-Pulp BREFs

35. CROSS COUNTRY ANALYSIS FOR
TEXTILES AND PAPER-PULP
SECTORS
CONCLUSION

36. Textile Sector
•Key pollutants: pH, AOX, BOD, COD, Cr,
Cu, Ni, Zn
•Measures: Activated sludge, adsorption,
coagulation
•Process-integrated: Water reuse, chemical
substitution
BAT in Textile & Paper-Pulp Sectors
Paper & Pulp Sector
•Key pollutants: TSS, COD, AOX, total N,
total P
•Measures: Similar end-of-pipe and
integrated techniques
•Water consumption per tonneof production
Emerging Trends
•Shift from purely end-of-pipe to
hybrid strategies
(e.g., process optimisation+ targeted
treatment)
•Increased emphasis on resource
efficiencyand sustainability

37. Regions Reviewed -China, EU, Flanders (Belgium),
India, Korea, US, + World Bankguidelines
Cross-Country BAT and BAT-AEL Analysis
Key Findings
Common Techniques Identified
•Shared use of effective techniques for water pollution control
•Widespread adoption of hybrid strategies (process + end-of-
pipe)
Differences Influenced by:
•Legal status of BREFs (binding vs. guidance)
•Economic and institutional context
•Specific environmental priorities

38. Cross-country Analysis of BAT frameworks
Challenges
•Lack of harmonisedBAT-AEL
measurement conditions
•Legal and institutional variability across
countries
•Limited comparability due to
inconsistent documentation
Opportunities
•Standardisingmonitoring and assessment
methods
•Expanding international collaboration and
data sharing
•Aligning environmental performance
benchmarks globally

39. PANEL DISCUSSION

40. QUESTIONS
Please send your questions via email:
[email protected]

41. CLOSING REMARKS

42. Activity 7: Cross Country Analysis of
selected BREFs for Iron-Steel, Paper-
Pulp and Waste incineration sectors
(2024)
Industrial Pollution Control Webinar Series
Activity 6: Cross Country Analysis of
selected BREFs for Thermal Power
plants, Cement and Textiles sectors
(2022)
Webinar series on BAT
TPP
(Act.6)
& IS
(Act.7)
13
June
TXT
(Act.6)
& PP
(Act.7)
3
July
CMT
(Act.6)
& WI
(Act.7)
TBD
42

43. Visit our website:https://www.oecd.org/en/topics/monitoring-and-
preventing-industrial-pollution.html
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Future?

44. Quantitative BAT : BAT-AE(P)Ls in Textiles

45. •NOx:
EU-BREF 120-200 mg/Nm3 ,
EHS guidelines 1.502.0 Kg/ADt,
K-BREF as 150 ppm
*EPA -site-specific limits in permits
•• Dust:
EU-BREF 10-25 mg/Nm3 (new) and 10 –40
mg/Nm3 (existing),
K-BREF 1-18 mg/Sm3 ,
India <100 mg/l
EU-EPA 0.034 –0.1 g/dscm
•TRS
*Diversity in reporting:
EU BREF 1-10 mg/Nm3 (daily average) and 1-5
mg/Nm3 (annual average).
India (H2S) <10 mg/Nm3
BAT-AELs for Air emissions of Dust, NOx, TRS

46. Cross-Country Evaluation of BAT-AELs
•Widespread regulation of NOx, SOx,
PM, Hg, dioxins, and waterborne heavy
metals
•Shared BAT: SCR (NOx), FGD (SOx),
ESP/filters (PM)
•TEQ-based dioxin metrics allow
global comparison
•Cyanide, lead, zinc AELs show high
alignment (esp. EU, US, WB)
•AEL stringency differs (e.g., PM <5
mg/Nm³ in EU vs. 150 mg/Nm³ in
India)
•Averaging periods: daily, monthly, or
unspecified
•Monitoring: continuous in EU/US;
random or periodic elsewhere
•SOx/NOx limits reflectfuel type &
policy differences