CSIR-CSMCRI’s Saline Effluent Valorization Technology: transforming ZLD waste into reusable water and value-added salts for a sustainable leather and textile industry

India is a leading producer of leather and textiles, contributing substantially to gross domestic product (GDP), exports, and employment. However, these sectors are water-intensive and generate high-total dissolved solids (TDS) effluents. While zero-liquid discharge (ZLD) systems enable water recovery, they also produce concentrated residues. Treating these streams as resources can improve sustainability and reduce environmental and economic burdens. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research—Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) has developed technologies to process saline effluents, enabling selective recovery of high-purity salts such as sodium chloride and sodium sulphate, along with reusable water. These solutions use customized approaches like washing, crystallization, and recycling for efficient resource recovery. With minor adaptations, the technology integrates with ZLD systems to treat reverse osmosis (RO) rejects and solid wastes. Validated at pilot scale and transferred to industry, it supports sustainable growth, enhances resource efficiency, and helps industries meet environmental compliance while reducing waste and land-use constraints.