Apparel makers are now switching over to environment-friendly manufacturing as demand for ‘green’ products grows, industry insiders said. They said a good number of apparel factory owners are now investing millions of taka to set up state-of-the-art green units considering the environmental aspects and also branding the image of the country. A total of 26 local garment factories have received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the US Green Building Council (USBC), while more than hundred are in pipeline to join the new era of eco-friendly technologies within the next couple of years, BGMEA president Md Siddiqur Rahman said. Out of 26, five each are Platinum and Silver, 14 are Gold and two are only certified. “An investment of Tk 1.20 billion-TK 1.50 billion is needed to set up a green factory of bigger size,” he told the FE. To set up a green factory, it has to be purely compliant from use of raw materials, to design approval and to manufacturing and it has to meet other requirements like open space, garden, water, he noted. Last year, a record one dozen garment manufacturing units have jumped on the green bandwagon, including Plummy Fashions Ltd and two more received the recognition in January 2016, according to the BGMEA. The LEED rating is a points-based system, where a rating level is achieved once a project meets all of the prerequisites and a minimum number of points. Depending on the number of points earned, a project may be labelled LEED-certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold or LEED Platinum. In Bangladesh, the first LEED Platinum-rated garment factory is Vintage Denim Studio, situated in Ishwardy Export Processing Zone that produces only denim. It was LEED certified on 30 May 2012. Explaining the sizable investment made by the apparel makers in setting up green units, the BGMEA president said “Definitely it is for business interest.” The global market is a competitive one and it might not be possible to sustain in the long run without being fully compliant and a world class one, he added. Terming the ongoing safety measures ‘reactive’ after Tazreen fire and Rana Plaza building collapse, industry insiders said the new trend of setting up eco-friendly industries is part of proactive measures to protect environment and make best use of natural resources. The series of industrial accidents also forced the garment makers to rethink and they have reinvested to take the sector to a new height, they said. Rainwater storage and use, waste water managing as well as recycling and reusing, reducing carbon emission, use of efficient and renewable energy, and use of heat-resistant and carbon emission-free building materials are a few of the major features of the green garment projects, they added. AKH Eco Apparels Ltd, an AKH group concern, invested Tk 1.50 billion in a project on 13 acres of land, which has recently received LEED certificate in gold category. Managing director of AKH Group Shamsul Alam said “Buyers put importance on safety compliance and environment and these are also demand of the time.” Being eco-friendly and green helps garment companies rope in customers as they want to know from where they are sourcing products, he said. He added a green factory also helps reduce carbon emissions and improve brand image of the country. Roger Hubert, regional head of Bangladesh and Pakistan at H&M, recently told a programme the visionary entrepreneurs, who are applying the green concept, are the ‘future of Bangladesh’s garment industry’. “No doubt Bangladesh will become a role model for the garment sourcing market,” he said. Classic Fashion Concept Ltd, a sister concern of Classic Group, is expected to get LEED certification by the end of this year when the company begins production of woven items like tops. Shahidullah Azim, managing director of the group, said a green factory means to meet all the required conditions at a time ensuring workplace safety and other compliance issues. Explaining the reason for his new venture, Mr Azim said such an initiative helps gain buyers’ trust and sustain work order flow with better price.
