The Bangladesh textile industry is the second largest in the world. The factories annually consume 1,500 billion litres of groundwater and contaminate surface water through inadequate effluent treatment. International fashion brands are increasingly aware of their social responsibility concerning the sustainability of their supply chain to achieve a cleaner textile production process.
It was also introduced as a new theme in 2013 by the Embassy after the collapse of the nine storey Rana Plaza building in Savar near Dhaka. Over 1.138 people, mostly garment workers, were killed, more than several hundred injured and at least 159 were missing and left more than 130 children who lost their parents. It was the worst-ever industrial disaster in the country. The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN) suggested to Minister Ploumen to spend the 9 million Euro Trade budget to improve the working conditions of garment workers. The Netherlands took the lead to coordinate the donor community with the aim to improve, together with the government, among others the labour standards and fire safety in the factories.
In November 2012 another disaster had taken place: a fire killed 112 garment workers at Tazreen Fashions in Ashulia, close to Dhaka. After the fire, logos of different brands of C&A were found in the ashes. It became clear that the work safety conditions were quite bad, as well as the payments. Among buyers and consumers in the Netherlands awareness raised that garments were produced without proper labour rights conditions. Improvements started by C&A paying compensation to 67 families, victims of the Tazreen fire.
There was a rising trend in investment from India and China to Bangladesh as the costs of production in those countries were greater than in Bangladesh. Foreign investors also enjoyed duty free import facilities of raw materials. However the unavailability of gas and power had hurt the flow of investment in the sector. In 2012 the country had 341 spinning mills, more than 1000 dyeing, finishing, printing and weaving factories, more than 5000 woven garment factories and 1700 knitwear factories. This caused a tremendous flow of young workers and among them many women, from the rural areas to Gazipur and Savar and the already existing slums expanded.
Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) Contribution by Gert Uittenbogaard
Together with some leading textile brands, The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Solidaridad and other organizations established the Bangladesh Water PaCT: Partnership for Cleaner Textile, in 2014. PaCT seeks to bring about systemic, positive environmental change for the Bangladesh textile wet processing sector, its workers and surrounding communities, and to contribute to the sector’s long-term competitiveness. PaCT’s inaugural Annual Event was in June 2014. Ms. Lilianne Ploumen, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands launched the Textile Technology Business Center (TTBC), the first of its kind in Bangladesh, as a part of the PaCT-program on 26th May 2014. The TTBC was set up by the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands (EKN) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). One of the key roles of the TTBC is to assist the textile industry in adopting resource efficiency measures including waste water and ground water management systems.
Dutch Minister Lilianne Ploumen: “The Netherlands aims to support this industry in becoming more sustainable and globally competitive. Bringing in cleaner production practices and technologies that significantly reduce water consumption and effluent will make the sector more resource-efficient and more competitive”. “Launching the TTBC is an important step towards a sustainable garment industry,” said BGMEA Vice President Md. Shahidullah Azim. “The need of an institution that connects the industry with academia and provides localized, tailor-made solutions is vital if we are to ensure the long term sustainability of the Bangladesh textile sector.” “Supporting the Textile Technology Business Center aligns with IFC’s commitment to Bangladesh’s textile sector and improves its environmental sustainability. It is part of our broader initiative to help the sector thrive and remain competitive,” said Jeeva PerumapillaiEssex, Regional Business Line Manager for IFC. Through its strong local and international network, the TTBC collects, analyzes and translates practical information on best available technologies, business-to-business linkages, and financing. It is shared with factories, service providers, input suppliers, knowledge institutions and other stakeholders in the textile sector. The TTBC provides unbiased information on Cleaner Production (CP), Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). TNO of the Netherlands provided technical support.
Second phase of the Partnership for Cleaner Textile (2018-2023)
The project intends to widen its reach and deepen its engagement with the entire textile value chain. PaCT works as a platform that facilitates cooperation between factories, brands, sector organizations, technology providers and local banks. Its objectives are to avoid water use, reduce wastewater, avoid energy use, reduce GHG emissions, avoid chemical usage, and facilitate the financing of ‘green’ investments. It consists of three components: 1) firm level advisory, 2) group of firm level advisory through the Textile Technology Business center (TTBC - established through PaCT), 3) enhance sector competitiveness through the Textile Sustainability Platform (TSP – established through PaCT) and market/feasibility studies. As the second phase of the project is intended to be the last phase, much emphasis will be placed on the sustainability of the platforms TTBC and TSP beyond the project period.
Read more:
NICC collection : NCDO 2013 DUTCH CONSUMERS AND THE BANGLADESHI GARMENT INDUSTRY Boonstoppel & C.L. Carabain
