Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine July Issue 2018 | Page 41

SUSTAINABLE BD
How sustainability can be key to your
business efficiency
Sustainability is not just an
important part of the business;
it is, in fact, an effective
tool for business efficiency.
Representatives from across
the complete textile supply
chain, apparel manufacturing,
and brands witnessed thought-
provoking discussion on this
issue during the Global Organic
Textile Standard (GOTS India)
Seminar 2018, organised in
Coimbatore (India) recently.
Stanley/Stella, a Belgium-based
company, which only works in
organic cotton-based garments
is proudly sourcing from
Bangladesh and works with
the B2B segment. Bruno Van,
PR, Sustainability and Internal
Communication Manager of the
company, says, “Though B2B
segment is also majorly price-
driven, more and more of our
clients are asking for social
and environmental reference
which is adding business
opportunities.” He, in fact,
insisted that more organic labels
are required at international
level as there is not enough
awareness among people to
differentiate between organic
cotton and conventional cotton.
Bringing fashion with a purpose,
SoulSpace, India’s first organic
and fair trade certified brand
that just opened its first store
in Pune (India), works on the
philosophy that customer is
highly intelligent and aware .
Madhav Lohia, Brand Head of
SoulSpace is of the opinion that
being organic and sustainable
makes selling easy which
enhances business efficiency.
At the event, Gagan Kapoor,
Global Cotton Supply Chain
Responsible, H&M shared
that there is 89 to 90 per cent
visibility across H&M supply
chain while in cotton, there is
100 per cent visibility. Now the
brand is going deeper into the
supply chain by moving towards
the farmer level.
Representing manufacturers’
side, various South India-based
exporters with vertical set-ups
shared how they get benefited
in business through sustainable
initiatives or social compliances.
D. Subaash Kumaar, Vice
President, Anugraha Fashion
Mill shared how their green dye
house management proved to be
a big tool of savings and buyers
keep the company on priority due
to this sustainable initiative of
dye house.
“By some modification in the
mechanical evaporator, we
saved Rs. 5 million per year
just in steam, coal and power
consumption,” he added.
Sharing a case study of his
factory, ‘Better HR practices
for business efficiency’,
A Narayansamy, General
Manager, Armstrong Spinning
Mills highlighted that due to
Chemicals play an
important role in
being sustainable
but chemical
chemistry is like
a rocket science
for dyers, so some
stakeholders
are of the view
that chemical
manufacturers have
to make sure that
they fulfil all the
requirements of
sustainability.
best practices, not only has
their worker drop-out ratio
decreased, but also there has
been an increase in the number of
workers, who want to be part of
the company.
Anandi Enterprises associated
with more than 7,000 farmers
for organic cotton, BCI, and fair
trade, is also of the similar view as
RS Baalagurunathan, Proprietor
of the company, who avers that if
entire supply chain is transparent
and appropriate, ethical brands
are giving extra price, so it is
a perfect example of business
efficiency for his company.
The event also witnessed
discussion on efficiency through
GOTS criteria and chemical
compliance.
Chemicals play an important
role in being sustainable but
chemical chemistry is like a
rocket science for dyers, so some
stakeholders are of the view that
chemical manufacturers have to
make sure that they fulfil all the
requirements of sustainability.
www.apparelresources.com | July 2018 | Apparel Online Bangladesh
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