Step-by-Step: The Higg FEM Verification Trail

Section 5: Wastewater

March 18th, 2021

Karin Ekberg
Agenda 5

1. Verification Trail & Purpose

2. Section 5: Wastewater Use
3. Demo
4. Questions and Discussion
5. Added value & FEM training offer
6. About Leadership & Sustainability
The Verification Trail and its Purpose
Verification Trail – Purpose 7

• Gaining better understanding of Higg Index and Higg

FEM in particular and its meaning for your company
• Section-wise guidance through all processes
• Becoming acquainted with the requirements
• Ensure you can improve your performance
• Prepare for your verification
Higg FEM Verification Process – Overview 8

Complete
Make self- Verifier sends Reporting,
self-assessment, assessment, vFEM, posting results
agenda ahead of
FEM available to verifier on Higg.org
verification

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Engage verifier Verifier to review On-site/

Provide information on documents & inform off-site
• Type of factory about issues beforehand Verification
• No. of employees
• Use of chemicals in
production
• Chemical level
reached Please click below for a guidance from SAC about:
• Wastewater treatment • on-site verification
• Address of factory
• off-site verification
Verification Trail – Overview 9

1 • Facility Information & Permits

2 • Environmental Management System

3 • Energy & GHG

4 • Water Use

5 • Wastewater

6 • Air Emissions

7 • Waste

8 • Chemicals Management
Section 5: Wastewater
Wastewater - Applicability 11

Ensure Correct Applicability

• Does your facility generate industrial wastewater?
• Does your facility have Zero Liquid Discharge?
• Do you treat industrial and domestic wastewater
together?
• Where is the industrial/domestic/combined
wastewater treated?

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater - Applicability 12

Wastewater
Treatment
Process

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater - Applicability 13

Wastewater Treatment Process

• Wastewater collection
• Screening
• Primary treatment
• Secondary treatment
• Sludge handling
• Tertiary treatment
• Disinfection
You can find more information here (source
ZDHC)

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Levels 14

• Level 1:
1. Tracking
Wastewater Volume
2. Offsite Wastewater • Level 2:
Treatment Contact • Level 3:
7. Wastewater
3. Emergency Back-Up Standards 9. Wastewater
Plan Reuse/Recycling
8. Offsite Wastewater
4. Hazardous Sludge Quality Tests
Disposal
5. Non-Hazardous
Sludge Disposal
6. Septic Water
Treatment
Source: How to Higg Guide
Wastewater – Level 1 15

Q1. Tracking Wastewater Volume

Question:
Does your facility track its wastewater volume?
(Industrial/Domestic/Combined)
a) Total quantity of wastewater discharged
b) Tracking method
c) Frequency of measurement
d) Quantity of discharge points
e) Labelling
f) Monitoring
g) Final discharge point

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 16

Q1. Tracking Wastewater Volume – Additional

Information
Reporting Wastewater Data in the FEM:
Do:
✓ Review source data against aggregated totals to ensure it is
accurate
✓ Compare the current year with historical data
✓ Ensure the most recent and updated versions of data tracking
spreadsheets are being used
✓ Ensure the proper units are reported and verify any unit
conversions from source data
✓ Report the data source and frequency of measurement
✓ Report the final discharge point
Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 17

Q1. Tracking Wastewater Volume – Additional

Information

Reporting Wastewater Data in the FEM:

Do Not:
Report data that is not accurate (e.g. the data source is
unknown or has not been verified)

Report estimated data if it is not supported by verifiable

and reasonable accurate estimation methodology and
data (e.g. engineering calculations)

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 18

Q1. Tracking Wastewater Volume

New added unscored Question:

Does your facility have a mechanism to prevent wastewater
from mixing with stormwater in the storm drain systems?

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 19

Q2. Offsite Wastewater Treatment Contact

Question:
Do you have the name and contact information of the offsite
wastewater treatment plant?
• Name:
• Address:
• Ownership:
• Do you have a copy of the contract with the wastewater
treatment plant?

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 1 20

Q2. Offsite Wastewater Treatment Contact

Suggested Upload:
a) Signed contract with the off-site wastewater treatment
plant.
b) A permit and contractual agreement for your facility to
show that they are allowed to discharge into the off-site
wastewater treatment plant.

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 1 21

Q3. Emergency Back-up Plan

Question:
Does your facility have a back-up plan if there is an emergency
situation related to wastewater?
o Emergency Production Shutdown
o Holding Tank
o What is the size of your facility’s holding tank?
o Secondary Treatment (biological and advanced chemical
treatment—excluding coagulation, flocculation,
neutralization, clarification/sedimentation process)
o Discharge to Offsite Water Treatment Plant
o Training for employees
o Other Backup Process
Source: How to Higg Guide
new in Higg FEM 2020
Wastewater – Level 1 22

Q3. Emergency Back-up Plan

Suggested Upload:
• Documented emergency backup process
sufficient to treat the average daily amount of
wastewater discharged

Added new unscored question:

• Can you confirm that there is no leaking or
bypassing of wastewater?

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 23

Q4. Hazardous Sludge Disposal

Question:
Is hazardous sludge (chemical / industrial) disposed of properly?
o Hazardous Waste Treatment
o Incinerated controlled conditions
o Landfilled
o Open burning
o Fuel Blended
o Composted
o Fertilizer (applied to land)
Suggested Upload:
a) Permits or manifests for proper disposal or land application.

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 1 24

Q4. Hazardous Sludge Disposal

• Training
• Training Topic
• Number of employees trained
• Frequency of trainings
• The Toxicity Characteristics Leaching
Procedures (TCLP)
• Leachate & heavy metals
• Disposal Methods
• Sludge Treatment
• Energy Recovery
Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 25

Q5. Non-hazardous Sludge Disposal

Question:
Is non-hazardous sludge disposed of properly?
o Incinerated controlled conditions
o Landfilled
o Open burning
o Fuel Blended
o Composted
o Fertilizer (applied to land)

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 1 26

Q5. Non-hazardous Sludge Disposal

Suggested Upload:
• Sludge analysis or test results from last 12
months
• Permits or manifests for proper disposal or land
application
• Training
• Training Topic
• Number of employees trained
• Frequency of trainings

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 27

Q6. Septic Water Treatment

Question:
Does your facility treat wastewater using septic
before it is discharged?
• Does your facility provide training to all relevant
employees regarding the disposal method of
septic waste?
• How does your site unload your septic tank once
full?
• Do you have a plan to upgrade your septic tank to
a more modern wastewater treatment approach?

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 28

Q6. Septic Water Treatment

Suggested Upload:
• Documentation that your facility treats septic
wastewater before it is discharged
• Plan to upgrade your septic tank to a more
modern wastewater treatment approach
• Training
• Training Topic
• Number of employees trained
• Frequency of trainings

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 1 29

Q6. Septic Water Treatment

• Septic wastewater needs to be
treated and disposed of properly to
avoid contaminating the environment
• %40 BOD
• %70 TSS
• %77 FOG
• BOD load, EPA
standards

Source: (Clarke 2018)

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 2 30

Q7. Wastewater Standards

Question:
Is your facility reporting against a wastewater
standard?
o ZDHC Wastewater Guideline
o BSR
o IPE
o Customer/Brand
o Other(Local legislations, etc.)
• Have you tested and met all parameters specified
in the standard?

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 2 31

Q7. Wastewater Standards

• Allow multi-select on reporting wastewater standard
• Update table to include “Frequency of Sampling”
• Added new table on ZDHC Table 2A-N data

• Are you reporting against this standard?

• Have you tested and met all parameters specified in
the standard?
• Are your parameter results available in the
standard’s platform?

Source: How to Higg Guide

new in Higg FEM 2020

Wastewater – Level 2 32

Q7. Wastewater Standards

• Local Legislation & Limits
• ZDHC Wastewater Standard
• Sample Points
o Direct Discharge
o Indirect Discharge
o ZLD
• Sampling Deadline
o March 30th
o July 2nd
Source: How to Higg Guide
Wastewater – Level 2 33

Q8. Offsite Wastewater Quality Test

Question:
Have you requested wastewater quality test
results from the offsite wastewater treatment
plant?

Suggested Upload:
a) Documentation of your request to offsite
wastewater treatment plant for wastewater
quality records.
b) Off site wastewater treatment plant quality
records (if provided).

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 2 34

Q8. Offsite Wastewater Quality Test

Indirect Discharge
o Request for wastewater quality results
o Quality records
o Site Visit

Source: How to Higg Guide

Wastewater – Level 3 35

Q9. Wastewater Reuse / Recycling

Question:
Does your facility reuse and/or recycle process wastewater as process water (closed
loop)?
Suggested Upload:
a) Records demonstrating closed-loop recycling (process water to process water)
b) List of water reduction achievement(s) according to the location where water is
captured for recycling OR the location where recycled water is used
Note on scoring:
a) Reuse/Recycle 80% or more = full points
b) Reuse/Recycle 50-79% = partial points
c) Reuse/Recycle less than 49% = zero points
d) No or unknown = zero points
Source: How to Higg Guide
Wastewater – Level 3 36

Q9. Wastewater Reuse / Recycling

Example: Zero Liquid Discharge
Environ- Water as
• Advanced wastewater treatment method
mental Scarce
including ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis, Footprint Resource
evaporation/crystallization and fractional
electrodeionization
Objectives:
− Eliminate liquid waste water discharge Regulation
Resource
and
− Generate solids for landfill disposal or reuse Recovery
Limitation
− Recycle high-quality water that can be
beneficially used

ZLD‘s Key Drivers

Source: aquatech.com
Wastewater – Level 3 37

Q9. Wastewater Reuse / Recycling - Example

Overview of a typical ZLD concept.

Source: saltworkstech.com
Wastewater Treatment – How does ZLD work? 38

Q9. Wastewater Reuse / Recycling

Source: saltworkstech.com