BGMEA wants to import scrapped clothes
The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) wants to import scrapped clothes to make recycled apparel items from them as their demand is on the rise globally.
Bangladesh, the second largest apparel exporter worldwide after China, ships scrapped clothing items through informal channels as they are not used by local manufacturers to a large extent.
But the demand for the apparel items made from recycled clothing items is increasing globally owing to consumers' growing awareness about the impact of the apparel supply chain on environment.
For example, globally, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions, with textile production alone is estimated to release 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere every year, according to a BBC article.
The fashion industry is responsible for 20 per cent of global waste water.
Recycled clothing items can save the environment since their production would involve less water and energy consumption
But recycled clothing items can save the environment since their production would involve less water and energy consumption.
"We export jhoot (scrapped) clothes but the time has come to import them to make garments from them in order to save the environment," said Faruque Hassan, president of the BGMEA, at a press conference on the recently concluded Made in Bangladesh Week at the Hotel InterContinental in Dhaka.
Hassan said the supply of electricity to the factories has improved a lot recently but the gas crisis is still there.
The waiting time at the Chattogram port has also come down to two days on the back of the improvement in the efficiency at the country's premier port, he said.
"The progress needs to be maintained," he said, adding that the efficiency in the scanning of goods at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport has improved a lot.
According to the BGMEA chief, the Middle East is going to be a major garment export destination for Bangladesh and it was evidenced during the Made in Bangladesh Week, where 43 retailers and brands from the region participated, compared to almost zero previously.
"The Asian markets are going to be another major export destination for apparel exporters."
Bangladesh wants to export $100 billion worth of garment items by 2030 and the BGMEA is preparing a roadmap to achieve the target.
The country wants to raise its stake in the global garment market to 14 per cent from 6.26 per cent now.
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