The apparel manufacturers in Bangladesh aim to align themselves with the global sustainability movement in production and consumption, according to industry experts.
They also emphasized embracing circular fashion, which offers Bangladesh a substantial opportunity to minimize its environmental impact, enhance economic performance, and generate social advantages.
These sentiments were expressed during a discussion titled "Switch to Upstream Circularity Dialogue: Pre-consumer Textile Waste in Bangladesh," which was jointly organized by UNIDO, the EU, the Government of Finland, Chatham House, Circle Economy, BGMEA, and EIB in the capital on Sunday.
Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, the chief guest at the event and the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, noted that sometimes during recycling, manufacturers may lose value during the process.
He suggested upcycling, which adds value and pointed out that this value equation encompasses not only environmental benefits but also the potential for higher price levels, which is the norm in Europe.
Chowdhury explained that recycling yields a value of 1, while upcycling can potentially result in a value of 1.5 or even higher.
He highlighted that this value addition is a primary focus for BGMEA and also said that this process needs support.
“We have to change the traditional way of consuming whether we use and throw away and that is not really where the future is going, we have to come out of this current situation,” he added.
He also said that the best way to support this case is not just from a commercial point of view, but also the environmental funding.
“Our emission in the global space is not as much as that of other countries but still we want to be in solidarity with the global movement for sustainable production and consumption,” he added.
Bangladesh is one of the largest textile hubs in the world and waste management is a huge challenge for Bangladesh.
He also said that the government’s support is always in this regard.
In his speech as a special guest, Faruque Hassan, president of the BGMEA, said that living in a world in this time where the climate is most threatened, business as usual is no longer an option.
“In a race to zero-emission and resource decoupling, circularity emerges as the ‘next normal’ linking business and sustainable development. For BGMEA, circularity sits in the core of our values, mission and vision,” he added.
He also said that their goal is to help conserve the natural ecosystem as much as possible via an economic shift from a linear to a circular system while generating greater social and economic values.
Alexander Granberg, senior project specialist at Bestseller, said that everybody understands the need for new business practices in order to transition to a circular economy.
“Bangladesh is a key sourcing country for Bestseller, with many long-standing business partners, and that makes Bangladesh an obvious starting point for creating systemic changes in regard to waste segregation,” he added.
Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, said that the transformation to a circular economy requires collective efforts beyond the capabilities of any individual agent or company.
“Bangladesh is poised to be the global leader in recycled materials, provided it effectively harnesses the potential of post-industrial waste,” he added.
Attendees from diverse groups of stakeholders including brands, manufacturers, policymakers, and financial institutions also spoke at the event.