Message: Hi,  How do you minimize the toxic outflow in the waste water of the Procion particulates?

It depends on whether you are dyeing on a small scale, by hand, or whether you are instead running a factory in the textile industry.

If you are disposing of small quantities of fiber reactive dyes, such as a hand dyer uses, in either the sewer or a septic tank, then there is no need to be concerned about any toxicity from the Procion MX dyes. It is safe to dispose of these dyes down the drain. If you have a septic tank, you may wish to neutralize any acids or bases you are using along with your dyes, before disposal.

If you are disposing of huge quantities of dyes from a textile factory, then the sheer quantity of the dyes being used and disposed of will require some sort of treatment. Dye effluent should not be discharged directly into a river or pond without appropriate treatment.

See my earlier posts, "Are Reactive Dyes eco-friendly?", and "Dye clean up".

As a general rule, there is no particulate matter to dispose of after dyeing with Procion dyes, because the dyes are water soluble. If you find yourself with large quantities of expired dye powder, too old to react with cotton fiber, it can still be used as an acid dye on protein fibers such as silk or wool.

(Please help support this web site. Thank you.)