<p>Wastewater generated during herbal essences production is frequently discharged into the environment&#xa0;without adequate treatment, leading to significant environmental issues. This study examines the effectiveness of a multi-stage wastewater treatment system consisting of sand media (SM), a vertical flow constructed wetland (VFCW), and a nylon 6 membrane modified with zeolite (NMZ). The performance of this system was evaluated based on parameters including COD, BOD₅, turbidity, NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, PO₄³⁻, and phenol in the wastewater from the herbal essences industry in Kashan city, Iran. Results showed that the average removal efficiencies for COD, BOD₅, turbidity, PO₄³⁻ NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, and phenol during the two-stage approach (i.e., SM + VFCW) were approximately 82%, 87%, 96%, 92%, 94%, 93%, and 97%, respectively. Following treatment through the NMZ, the removal efficiencies slightly improved (2 to 3%) showing the major treatment effects of two primary stages including SM and VFCW. Overall, the multi-stage system achieved high removal efficiencies ranging from 79 to 100%. Most parameters, including BOD₅, turbidity, PO₄³⁻, NO₃⁻, and phenol, met the water quality standards for irrigation reuse and surface water discharge. However, COD and NH₄⁺ remained above the permissible limits for direct discharge, indicating that further optimization or additional treatment is required. These results provide a clear indication of the system’s effectiveness and highlight its potential for partial compliance with regulatory standards in small herbal essence industries.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>