Alumichem’s complete wastewater treatment solution for CWS Hygiene enabled their industrial laundry to tackle heavy metal pollution, meet regulatory standards, and reduce CO₂ emissions with efficient water recycling and cost savings.
As the green transition accelerates, new pollution challenges arise in industrial settings, particularly in the laundering of work clothes used in battery factories. With the rapid expansion of electric vehicle production, the demand for batteries is increasing, which, in turn, results in greater contamination of work garments with heavy metals like lithium, cadmium, and nickel. These toxic substances can enter wastewater if not effectively treated, risking environmental harm. Alumichem addresses these challenges by providing industrial laundries with advanced, customized solutions that enable safe removal of pollutants, supporting water reuse and sustainable discharge.
Tailored solutions for industrial laundries
For over 15 years, Alumichem’s senior expert, Michael Bo Jensen, has focused on creating efficient wastewater treatment solutions specifically for industrial laundries across Europe. Alumichem’s approach is both comprehensive and adaptable, enabling laundries to meet increasingly stringent wastewater regulations. This focus has led Alumichem to establish partnerships with major industry players, such as CWS Hygiene International GmbH, a German-based hygiene service provider. Alumichem’s solutions enable laundries to actively manage water discharge and minimize sludge, significantly benefiting both operations and the environment.
“Our method begins by carefully analyzing each client’s wastewater profile,” explains Michael Bo Jensen. “This enables us to select the right combination of technology, systems, and chemicals to ensure effective purification. Additionally, we can modify the solution to exclude unnecessary components if, for instance, a particular heavy metal is not present in the client’s wastewater.” By designing these tailored solutions, Alumichem helps its clients optimize operations while meeting sustainability and compliance goals.
“Today, we can recycle more wastewater, saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions, making the solution greener. Plus, reusing purified water has significantly lowered our freshwater consumption.”
Jakob Penkert, CWS Hygiene
Sustainable heavy metal washing
The rise in environmental awareness has driven many companies to focus on minimizing their ecological footprint. Industrial laundries, in particular, are increasingly focused on achieving measurable sustainability targets. “More clients are requesting greener practices,” says Jensen. “This demand aligns with the growing expectation for laundries to demonstrate sustainable efforts in their production processes.” Alumichem’s wastewater treatment technology is highly automated, ensuring efficiency while reducing energy usage. By enabling the reuse of purified water within the system, the laundries need less fresh water and save on heating costs, resulting in lower CO₂ emissions.
Jensen further emphasizes the importance of effective treatment for industrial laundries that handle work clothes and mats from sectors such as battery production, where wastewater can contain a mix of oils, organic matter, and heavy metals. “If not properly treated, these contaminants can cause severe pollution,” he explains, underscoring the necessity of such systems for both public health and environmental protection.
Successful partnership with CWS Hygiene
One of Alumichem’s successful collaborations is with CWS Hygiene, a prominent German hygiene company that sought an effective wastewater treatment solution for their industrial laundry operations across Europe. Jakob Penkert, a member of the CWS Hygiene project team, highlights the challenges of dealing with heavy metals in items such as floor mats. “We needed a robust system to ensure compliance with environmental regulations,” he explains. After exploring various options, CWS Hygiene chose Alumichem’s solution for its superior purification capabilities and high degree of automation.
“We previously encountered many low-cost systems on the market that failed to adequately clean wastewater,” Penkert shares. “Working with Alumichem allowed us to design a customized, highly efficient wastewater solution. I believe it’s now one of the best systems in the industrial laundry sector.” Alumichem’s solution not only meets environmental requirements but also contributes to resource savings, enabling CWS to recycle a significant portion of treated water, further reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
Jakob Penkert, CWS Hygiene
Regulatory compliance and environmental responsibility
In the European Union, regulations surrounding wastewater discharge are increasingly strict, particularly concerning heavy metals, which cannot be effectively removed at municipal treatment plants. As Associate Professor Henrik Rasmus Andersen from the Technical University of Denmark explains, “Heavy metals like cadmium and nickel cannot be broken down naturally, so it is critical that companies address these pollutants at the source.” Alumichem’s solutions help laundries meet these regulatory demands by separating heavy metals from the wastewater and sludge, thus preventing harmful substances from entering public waterways.
Companies that fail to comply with these wastewater standards risk significant penalties and, in some cases, exclusion from industry practices. By implementing Alumichem’s solutions, laundries can avoid these risks while contributing to a cleaner environment. Through effective treatment, they are not only protecting public health but also aligning with corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.
