Apparel Online Bangladesh Magazine May Issue 2019 | Page 47

SUSTAINABLE BD
Recycling gaining currency
in Bangladesh
Once discarded, fabric cutting wastage is now being recycled by many.
Thanks to popularity of circular fashion among global buyers
W
astage is a major challenge
towards attaining sustainability
and business profitability. As per some
estimates, wastage from production
falls between 10 and 30 per cent from
intake materials, and that leftover
percentage can rarely be pushed
below 10 per cent. Unless the product
is designed for zero-waste production,
one can hardly avoid cutting scraps
and defects. What’s more, bigger the
production volume more is the waste.
Bangladesh, the second biggest
apparel exporter globally, is no
exception. According to some, if
China produces about 26 million
tonnes of textile wastage annually,
fabric wastage in Bangladesh is
not insignificant either. In 2017,
Bangladesh reportedly produced
around 16,356 tonnes of knit fabric
cutting wastage, which was 12,512
tonnes in 2013.
However, a study by Reverse
Resources – an Estonia-based
software company that has set up an
online track and trace system and
an intelligent management process
of garment waste in Bangladesh,
ensuring maximum utilisation and
better value for wastes – found that
the country could significantly benefit
from adopting more initiatives for
recycling wastes from RMG industry
for reuse as export-ready product,
which could generate substantial
revenue if wastes are repurposed into
higher grade textiles.
So why is the industry not working
towards it?
“It’s not that the RMG sector is not
utilising the wastes. As to what I
know, there are some mills that
successfully recycle wastes. However,
large-scale commercial endeavours
are yet to gain popularity in
Bangladesh,” maintained Md. Abdul
Mottaleb, Managing Director,
Global Sustainable Certification
Services Limited (GSCS), speaking
to Apparel Online over phone.
Mottaleb attributes this to lack of
awareness more than anything else.
GSCS is a well-known entity that
offers comprehensive services in
Social/ETI/Technical Auditing,
Certification, Inspection and Training
business at all sectors focusing on
RMG industry.
As per media reports, many textile
mills in Bangladesh are slowly but
steadily warming up to the idea of
recycling wastes, with a handful
already successfully trying their
hands in recycling wastes, bulk of
which otherwise used to make its way
to landfills or to countries like India
and China (technically well-equipped)
after changing a series of hands to be
recycled and introduced to the supply
chain in form of fabrics again.
A very small portion of the waste is
also reportedly used in making low-
end garments for the local markets as
well as filling materials in furniture,
mattresses and car seats.
According to reports, Bhaluka-based
Simco Spinning and Textiles Ltd.
is one such name to have taken
up recycling to produce yarns.
Established in 2010, Simco reportedly
has capacity to produce 15 tonnes
of yarn/day from ‘cotton clips’ cut
out during the garment stitching
process. The eco-friendly yarn is
then said to be used for knitting and
weaving products like T-shirts, socks,
gloves, towels, home textiles, denims,
sweaters, etc. for global clients.
Filotex Ltd., a sister concern of
Mosharaf Group, is another name
which is reportedly playing a
pioneering role in turning ‘cutting
waste’ into luxurious recycled
products to be used for home
furnishing and upholstery since 2014.
The concept of circular fashion gaining
currency amongst global buyers,
Filotex reportedly turns the waste into
fashionable products like doormats,
table mats, terry towels, carpets, etc.
Considering the economic viability
of such an approach, leave alone the
sustainability aspect, it is perhaps
time for the industry to nurture a
healthy recycling culture and set new
benchmarks for others to follow.
www.apparelresources.com | MAY 2019 | Apparel Online Bangladesh
47