Bangladesh & circular economy: Guilt-free?
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Bangladesh, the small, green country on the Indian Ocean, is the second largest garment manufacturing hub globally and recognized more and more for improvements in compliant and sustainable manufacturing. On the international Denim Exhibition in Dhaka in May, the 10th edition of Bangladesh Denim Expo, sustainability and circularity were the topics. Therefore the organizers invited international experts to discuss ideas in panels, seminars and workshops about how to establish a more circular denim industry for the benefit of the environment and society as a whole. What are the challenges facing the Bangladesh RMG sector as the fashion industry begins to embrace circular business principles? What roles do the sector’s customers, end consumers and politics play? How far away are we from guilt-free consumption? Here some of the answers they gave…
…sustainability and circularity
“You are not only responsible for your product, but also for circularity and how to fulfill this demand. If you are smart, you have to take this challenge, because circularity is an opportunity.”
Khalilur Rahman, country manager, Groupe Carrefour
“Circularity is not only a question of economy, or environment, or even production, it is a triangle. We can’t go only for one thing and need to invest in all the three.”
Jacob Kahl Jepsen, head of trade section/commercial counselor, Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh
“We need to have a holistic view and there is also a responsibility of buyers.”
Mahjabeen Quader, senior policy advisor of the economic affairs and CSR team of the Netherlands Embassy
“Circularity is a big challenge, but it is not an option, it is an obligation.”
Shovon Islam (Shawn), managing director, Sparrow Group
“Whatever is made has to respect workers and nature.”
Miran Ali, managing director, Bitopi Group; director Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA)
“We are overusing our resources.”
Mahjabeen Quader, senior policy advisor of the economic affairs and CSR team of the Netherlands Embassy
“We are working on the brand Bangladesh. We want to communicate what we do, we want fair pricing and we want that the same compliance standards apply to all the markets in the world.”
Miran Ali, managing director, Bitopi Group; director BGMEA
“The first impact is that awareness has to be built very quickly. We have to bring sustainability in every subject and have to be environmentally responsible. The BGMEA is a good platform to make sustainability more meaningful to all of us.”
Sharif Zahir, managing director, Ananta Group; director, BGMEA
…consumers
“’Don’t ask me how and where my jeans were produced’–these days are gone! For 100% there is a demand after guilt-free shopping. People are getting more aware about it and we as a company push a lot for sustainability, because there is only one planet….”
Ziaur Rahman, woven supply chain manager, H&M
“Who has to start? The buyers! We should be open and educate the consumer about what we are selling.”
Mostafiz Uddin, founder & CEO Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE)
“Minimizing the impact, recycling yarn itself and all the other things along the supply chain–at the end of the day the customer has to pay for a product and the question is: Does my buyer pay more for circularity? If the entire supply chain takes responsibility, it lasts on the consumer to make the right choice.”
Mahjabeen Quader, senior policy advisor of the economic affairs and CSR team of the Netherlands Embassy
“Bangladesh has the most sustainable industry in the world, but now the consumer has to be educated. He has to be guided and must be aware that somebody in the supply chain has got to pay for it.”
Miran Ali, managing director, Bitopi Group; director BGMEA
“The consumer should be conscious, but we all have to reduce waste, every day, everywhere!”
Shovon Islam (Shawn), managing director, Sparrow Group
…fashion vs. sustainability
“Fashion will always be fast. The volume will possibly go down, but we can grow in new markets and territories.”
Miran Ali, managing director, Bitopi Group; director BGMEA
“The fastest growing market is high fashion as well as multipurpose clothing such as sweatpants. These products are constantly changing. However, basics have to last for longer.”
Shovon Islam (Shawn), managing director, Sparrow Group
“We have the tendency blaming fast fashion for lots of problems in the world, but fast fashion is a good thing, it has raised an almost satisfied market–there won’t be more Zaras in New York City… The question is: How do you buy fast fashion? Shipping by air or by sea? In many cases the buyers adopt their buying decision too late…”
Miran Ali, managing director, Bitopi Group; director BGMEA
…Bangladesh as manufacturing base
“We have more than 300 suppliers in Bangladesh and I have to say: Bangladesh has nothing to hide!”
Ziaur Rahman, woven supply chain manager, H&M
“This is a long journey not only for Bangladesh but for all countries. We have to make it step by step, and planning is very important. We have to put circularity in our planning program.”
Jacob Kahl Jepsen, head of trade section/commercial counselor, Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh
“In Bangladesh, we are denim manufacturers for the last 20 years. We were focusing on the product, trying to get innovations, new techniques. That has been our main achievements. Today Bangladesh is the second largest supplier for denim in the world and this denim industry is still run by Bangladesh people, but now we have to change our mindset and have to believe in sustainability. A new mindset–that is the most important thing!”
Arshad Jamal (Dipu), chairman Tusuka Group; vice president, BGMEA
“It is still that the manufacturers here in Bangladesh are treated differently than the ones in other countries: For example: To get a company through compliance takes in Turkey half an hour, in Bangladesh it takes three days…”
Sharif Zahir, managing director, Ananta Group; director, BGMEA
“Here in Bangladesh we have 67 platinum certified factories–that shows, how hard we are working on sustainability.”
Shovon Islam (Shawn), managing director, Sparrow Group
“We no longer want Bangladesh to be seen for cheap products by consumers and by international media. We have to try and sell the story of Bangladesh–that we came mostly by own initiative from what it was to the most sustainable denim production in the world. We have to move out of the cheap items. To get better employees for the middle management we need to be more plugged into the global network.”
Miran Ali, managing director, Bitopi Group; director BGMEA
“Every time I come to Bangladesh, every company I visit has implemented a new technique.”
Khalilur Rahman, country manager, Groupe Carrefour
“We have to work with the government to upgrade the education system in Bangladesh, so we don’t have to bring people from abroad. Especially for the middle management we need at least employees who have finished 10th grade.”
Shovon Islam (Shawn), managing director, Sparrow Group
…politics
“The government can play an important role.”
Ziaur Rahman, woven supply chain manager, H&M
“Our task is to explain how we do it in Denmark with environment, with preserve areas etc. We try to put value on natural resources such as taxes on water.”
Jacob Kahl Jepsen, head of trade section/commercial counselor, Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh
“Environment and economy are both important at the same time. Sustainability shouldn’t cost more money than the normal cost, but all governments are into e-cars and not thinking about giving a discount on recycled denim for example.”
Besim Ozek, strategy & business development director, Bossa
“First of all Bangladesh needs an industry where waste is managed.”
Mahjabeen Quader, senior policy advisor of the economic affairs and CSR team of the Netherlands Embassy
“The government should push and create the infrastructure, but too much government impact creates corruption. The government should only have a monitoring body. But the best option would be a worldwide standard monitored by one reputable organization. We have just too many different programs and standards in our sector. We don’t want too many governments in the process, what we want is transparency.”
Shovon Islam (Shawn), managing director, Sparrow Group
…concrete ideas
“We ask ourselves every day, are we transparent enough? Our books are very open, we name all our suppliers. Now the next step must be that you scan with your iPhone, where a pair of jeans is made, how much water has been used etc. I think it is amazing to establish a creative relationship between customers, retailers and producers. This is how it should be and the smartphone can play an important role in this process.”
Ziaur Rahman, woven supply chain manager, H&M
“First we have to reduce the usage of energy, second we have to recycle as much as possible, but we have to share the costs of circularity. We have to increase our effectiveness to become sustain and therefore we have to update our skill-set.”
Shovon Islam (Shawn), managing director, Sparrow Group
“We can’t move this country closer to US or Europe, so we have to become faster in logistics.”
Miran Ali, managing director, Bitopi Group; director BGMEA
Source: https://www.sportswear-international.com
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