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Sustainability & Recycling

Textile Wasterwater Recycling Works, Says Viridis Research

• By  Textile Excellence
• March 01, 2026

Vancouver-based Viridis Research has delivered a major breakthrough for the global textile industry.

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, the company completed a full-scale industrial pilot with H&M Group and three textile mill partners. The objective was clear: prove that textile wastewater can be treated and reused under real factory conditions. The result: it works.

Viridis validated its electrochemical oxidation technology inside operating mills. This was not a laboratory test. The system treated wastewater directly from dye baths, equalisation tanks, treatment plants and reverse osmosis reject streams. These are some of the toughest waste flows in textile processing.

The numbers are decisive. The system removed between 99.56% and 99.94% of colour from dye baths. Organic contamination was reduced to target thresholds. Treated water was clean enough to be fed back into new dye cycles. Valuable chemicals were recovered. The loop was closed.

The technology fully mineralises dyes, surfactants and auxiliary chemicals into gas. It does not shift pollution from one stream to another. It eliminates it. That allows treated water to re-enter production safely and reliably.

For an industry known as one of the most water-intensive in the world, this is a structural shift. On full deployment, the system has the potential to sharply reduce freshwater intake and cut effluent discharge at scale.

Dr. Macarena Cataldo, CEO and Founder of Viridis, said the mission was simple: prove that water reuse in textile manufacturing is possible in real operating environments. The pilot confirmed it.

Sharif Hoque, Water Impact Lead at H&M Group, called the results credible innovation in real factory conditions, with the potential to reduce freshwater consumption while maintaining supplier performance.

The achievement also reflects the strength of British Columbia’s cleantech ecosystem. Early research was advanced through Simon Fraser University’s 4D LABS. Commercialisation strategy was refined via the MaRS Discovery District Women in Cleantech Accelerator. Further development was supported by the University of British Columbia HATCH Venture Builder and VentureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative. Research access, venture support and hardware scaling infrastructure helped move the company from concept to industrial validation.

For Vancouver’s growing water-tech sector, the message is powerful. Climate technologies developed locally can prove themselves in the world’s most demanding manufacturing environments.

Viridis is now exploring broader deployment across textile supply chains as it moves toward commercial scale.

For textile manufacturing, this is more than a pilot. It is proof that closed-loop water systems are no longer theoretical. They are industrially viable.

The achievement also reflects the strength of British Columbia’s cleantech ecosystem. Early research was advanced through Simon Fraser University’s 4D LABS. Commercialisation strategy was refined via the MaRS Discovery District Women in Cleantech Accelerator. Further development was supported by the University of British Columbia HATCH Venture Builder and VentureLAB’s Hardware Catalyst Initiative. Research access, venture support and hardware scaling infrastructure helped move the company from concept to industrial validation.