Eliminate Liquid Waste. Recover Water. Satisfy EU Buyers.
Clearion designs Zero Liquid Discharge systems that recover and recycle 95–98% of your process water — eliminating liquid effluent entirely. ZLD is increasingly required by European and North American apparel and textile buyers as a non-negotiable supply-chain sustainability standard.
At a Glance
EU buyer mandates
European and North American apparel buyers — H&M, Zara, M&S, and others — are requiring ZLD compliance from their Bangladesh textile and dyeing suppliers as a condition of continued orders under ZDHC and Higg Index frameworks.
Water scarcity risk
Groundwater depletion in Bangladesh's industrial zones is accelerating. ZLD systems recycle 95–98% of process water back into production — reducing freshwater dependency and future supply risk.
Tightening regulations
Bangladesh DoE is progressively tightening discharge standards in line with international norms. Investing in ZLD now protects against future enforcement and avoids costly retrofits under compliance pressure.
From wastewater to recovered solids — nothing discharged
A ZLD system takes treated effluent through successive concentration steps — high-recovery RO, thermal evaporation, and crystallisation — until only a dry solid salt cake remains. Water is recycled; nothing liquid leaves the boundary.
Wastewater passes through a conventional ETP (or a modified version) to remove suspended solids, biological load, and contaminants that would foul ZLD membranes and evaporators downstream.
Which industries benefit most from ZLD?
Textile Dyeing & Finishing
The primary ZLD driver in Bangladesh. Dyeing factories supplying EU buyers face ZLD requirements as a condition of continued contracts under ZDHC MRSL and Higg FEM frameworks.
Leather & Tannery
High-strength, high-salinity effluent with chromium and sulphide loads — ZLD eliminates discharge risk and supports export certification.
Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Solvent-recovery and API effluent streams where total containment is required for safety and regulatory compliance.
Chemical & Petrochemical
Process streams with complex contaminant profiles that cannot be safely or economically discharged under DoE limits.
Power & Utilities
Cooling tower blowdown, boiler blowdown, and demineraliser regeneration streams — high TDS reject streams ideal for ZLD.
Food & Beverage
High-organic, high-salt process streams from pickling, brining, or CIP cycles where water reuse delivers direct operational savings.
Design parameters
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Water Recovery | 95 – 98% |
| Liquid Discharge | Zero |
| Feed TDS Range | 2,000 – 50,000 mg/L |
| Capacity | 50 – 3,000 m³/day |
| RO Recovery (HERO stage) | 80 – 85% |
| Evaporator Type | Forced-circulation / Falling-film |
| Energy Consumption | 15 – 80 kWh/m³ (feed-dependent) |
| Solid Output | Dry cake (landfill or reuse) |
| Payback Period | 3 – 6 years (water cost savings) |
| Project Timeline | 4 – 8 months (design to commission) |
ZLD systems are the most complex and capital-intensive treatment systems. Clearion conducts a detailed feasibility study before final design.
Investment note
ZLD involves higher capital cost than conventional ETP — primarily in evaporation and crystallisation equipment. However, water recovery savings, avoided discharge penalties, and retained export orders from EU buyers typically deliver positive ROI within 3–6 years. Clearion provides a detailed cost-benefit analysis at the proposal stage.
Ready to resolve your compliance risk?
Tell us about your facility, discharge requirements, and timeline. Our engineers will review your situation and provide a detailed proposal — at no cost and with no obligation.