A recent study revealed that the fashion industry contributes to 10% of carbon emissions per year. With the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) presenting the aim to reduce 45% of carbon emissions by 2030, attention has turned to clothing factories who use a greener manufacturing approach.

Since 2009 Bangladesh has set up 202 factories which run on greener manufacturing, these factories are known as ‘eco-friendly’ factories. They are a $45 billion industry and employ 4.4 million people, with their most prominent aims centering around putting a significant amount of effort into reducing its environmental impact and carbon emissions. They achieve these aims through using green initiatives. Within the last 15 years Bangladesh has been setting up ‘eco-friendly' factories and they have now been recognized by U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) as one of the countries who are setting an example of green and sustainable manufacturing.

The USBC awards companies a green certification if the company evidently follows their green initiatives and clearly portrays that they are utilising greener manufacturing techniques. These criteria involve things such as being a sustainable site development, water efficiency, less energy consumption and atmosphere conservation. The other benefit of eco-friendly factories is they are designed to efficiently improve greenhouse gas emissions and reduce environmental pollution and energy consumption, as they are designed and equipped with greener manufacturing machines and techniques.

Rakib, who is a director of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) commented on eco-friendly factories, saying, “I believe a green factory complements the sustainability vision in multiple ways, like reducing environmental footprint[s], such as carbon footprint, specific energy consumption reduction, water footprint, ensuring better indoor air quality, thermal comfort and safety for workers.”

This USBC recognition is an excellent achievement for the eco-friendly clothes factories in Bangladesh, as the incredible work they do to help the environment highlights just how important these greener factories. If we did not have these factories, greenhouse gas emissions would be set increase from 10-50% by 2030. This emphasises precisely how necessary these factories are, as placing sustainable, environment-friendly and greener manufacturing at the forefront of manufacturing policies, is evidently one of the most necessary steps the clothing industry needs to take.