Bangladesh's garment industry can reduce its annual spending by $500 million if it recycles cotton waste from its factories and fabric mills, according to analysis from the Circular Fashion Partnership (CFP), a project that promotes recycled materials in fashion. In 2019, the country generated 250,000 tonnes of cotton waste that could have been recycled, it said.
The ‘100% pure cotton waste’, which includes cuttings and yarn from the end of bobbins, can reduce imports by 15 per cent and save about $0.5 billion, CFP said.Bangladesh's garment industry can reduce its annual spending by $0.5 billion if it recycles cotton waste from its factories and fabric mills, according to analysis from the Circular Fashion Partnership, a project that promotes recycled materials in fashion. In 2019, the country generated 250,000 tonnes of cotton waste that could have been recycled, it said.#
"These findings demonstrate that a circular fashion system could breed not only environmental but financial benefits for a country," Federica Marchionni, chief executive officer of the non-profit Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), which leads the partnership, was quoted as saying by a global newswire.
Domestic collectors of cotton waste, which is informally controlled and not well traced, use it as filling for mattresses or export it for recycling. Manufacturers also incinerate cotton for energy.
Bangladesh's carbon emissions are minimal compared to the developed world, but its economy strongly depends on the readymade garment industry, which accounts for 80 per cent of its exports and employs more than 4 million.
Launched in February, the CFP brings together clothing brands, recyclers and manufacturers to identify ways the sector in Bangladesh can transition to a more sustainable system. Next, Primark and Benetton were among the latest fashion brands to join the initiative, which has big retailers like H&M and C&A.
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