Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine April Issue 2019 | Page 23

COVER STORY 2 in terms of using sustainable, eco- friendly and renewable natural resources either. “Currently we are producing around 250 Kilowatt of energy from solar power, which will subsequently go up to around 1 Megawatt with further addition of 700 kW,” Zaman underlined. The next in line towards embracing green is Mahmud Group’s jeans manufacturing unit, Mahmud Fashions Limited. The current eight-line (60 machines each line) facility, aiming to add 70 lines more to take the total to 78 lines in near future, has roped in some Sri Lankan experts to materialise its green goals. “At present, our production capacity is around 7,000 pieces bottoms (for buyers like Bestseller, Replay and Next)… Soon we are expecting 48 lines to be up and running,” said Shamim, DGM – Admin, HR & Compliance of Mahmud Fashions Limited, stopping the conversation in-between to introduce Team AOB to its two Lankan experts – Susanth Ranjith Ekanayaka (GM – Maintenance) and Ruwan Kumara Jayasinghe (Head of Wash). “Wash is very crucial in jeans and we want to impart sustainable washes without compromising on the effects and feel attained via traditional methods while being eco-friendly and efficient,” Ruwan explained. Through the use of Jeanologia’s system (an efficient combination of laser technology, ozone and the eFlow nanobubbles), Mahmud Fashions has managed to achieve the same, while cutting down Bodiuz Zaman, General Manager – Admin, HR & Compliance, Laila Styles Limited Mohim Hassan, CEO, Northern Tosrifa Group to wash, but ozone wash replaces all those aspects in wet washing, thereby saving energy and resources. on water consumption and minimising the ecological footprints. “Discharge is now reduced considerably. Usually one needs 70 litres of water for a pair of jeans but water consumption has been brought down to 20-25 litres/pair of jeans… In bleaching, we are going for ozone treatment. And in place of Potassium Permanganate (PP) spray, laser is being used, adjusting whose intensity, PP’s effects can be simulated,” Ruwan asserted. Ozone wash is a new technology and is used to change colour after washing. Normal washing needs water, chemicals, time and mechanical action Practice of proper segregation of chemical wastes is exemplary in Mahmud Fashions Limited “Wash is very crucial in jeans and we want to impart sustainable washes without compromising on the effects and feel attained via traditional methods while being eco- friendly and efficient.” – Ruwan Kumara Jayasinghe To record the progress made, Mahmud is using Jeanologia’s Environmental Impact Measurement (EIM) software to measure and document each step in the manufacturing spectrum. “The environmental impact software measures water, chemical and energy consumption as well as workers’ health in the production process, and how they affect the ecological footprint. By measuring the current impact, it is easy to identify areas of improvement, define actions and monitor them to become even more sustainable,” said the Lankan expert. Fabric dyeing in process at fabric division of TIL www.apparelresources.com | APRIL 2019 | Apparel Online Bangladesh 23