Bangladesh now has the top green factory in the world

The world's number one or top eco-friendly factory is now in Bangladesh. In the latest list of US Green Building Council, 52 of the world's top 100 environmentally friendly factories are in Bangladesh. The fourth unit of Green Textile Limited located in Bhaluka, Mymensingh has topped the list of eco-friendly factories worldwide in the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) standard.

It has scored 104 out of 110 marks in various eco-friendly factory criteria. The USGBC issued the certificate on February 21. However, the organization of garment industry owners, BGMEA, officially announced the matter yesterday on Saturday.

According to the latest USGBC list, 8 of the top 10 environmentally friendly factories in the world are in Bangladesh. Of the remaining two, one is from Indonesia and one is from Sri Lanka. As of 2018, the world's best environmentally friendly factory was in Indonesia. The factory scored 101 out of 110 marks. Now green textile has taken the top place.

Apart from this, the remaining 7 Bangladeshi factories in the top 10 list include Remy Holdings, Fatulla Apparels, Tarasima Apparels, Plummy Fashions, Silken Swing, and Mithela Textile Industries. The name of the Bangladeshi factory in the third place on this list has not been disclosed. Only the name of the country is mentioned.

The USGBC is a council composed of architects from the United States. It advises and supports the construction of environmentally friendly buildings and factories around the world. They even have specific criteria for building environment-friendly factories or facilities. The certificate given by the organization is internationally recognized in different countries of the world till now. The world's major buyers evaluate the company's certificate with importance. For this reason, USGBC's certificate is also given great importance by the industrial entrepreneurs of this country.

All factories in the top 10 on the USGBC list have received Lead Platinum certification. This certificate is given to factories that get 80 or more out of 110 marks in various criteria. The full form of LEAD is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. To receive the certificate, a project must meet standards set by the USGBC, from construction to production. Factories can apply for this certificate by constructing new buildings or renovating old buildings while maintaining the prescribed standards.

Green Textile is a domestic-foreign jointly owned textile sector factory. It is owned by Hong Kong-based multinational apparel company Epic Group and Bangladesh's Envoy Legacy. Qutb Uddin Ahmed, former president of BGMEA, is managing Green Textile on behalf of Envoy Legacy. His son Tanveer Ahmed is currently the Managing Director of Green Textiles.

When asked, Tanveer Ahmed told BusinessHabit yesterday, "This achievement will help Bangladesh meet the goals of the SDGs." Besides, the reputation of Bangladesh will increase a lot in the world. It is hoped that this global recognition will be prioritized in terms of product price negotiations. Global brands will take this recognition into account while placing any purchase orders.

According to company sources, the environment, and natural resources have been given utmost importance in the construction of the 54 thousand-square feet factory. As part of that, 65 percent of the water used in the factory is through rainwater harvesting. Apart from this, more green fuel is used in the factory instead of fossil fuel. 80 percent of the factory's electricity needs are met through solar power.

According to Green Textile sources, the company already has four units in its own industrial area in Bhaluka. Out of these four units, the fourth one has been recognized as the world's best eco-friendly factory. The third of the remaining three units have also received 'Lead Platinum' factory accreditation. The remaining two units are 'Gold' certified. If a factory scores 60 to 79 on various USGBC criteria, it receives a 'Gold' certification. And if you get 50 to 59 marks, you get 'Silver', and 40 to 49 marks get a 'Certified' certificate.

52 of the top 100 factories are from Bangladesh:

In the USGBC list, 52 of the world's top 100 environmentally friendly factories are in Bangladesh. China, which is in the second position on this list, has 10 factories. Then Pakistan has 9 factories. Sri Lanka and India have 6 and 12 factories each. Vietnam and Taiwan have 4 and 8 factories each. The rest are from other countries.

As for readymade garment industry owners, currently, there are 183 eco-friendly factories in Bangladesh in various categories including lead platinum, gold, and silver. Apart from this, more than 500 factories are in the process of getting eco-friendly factory certification. Lead Platinum certification is awarded through number allocation in several categories. These include sustainable factory premises, efficient use of water, sustainable energy and environment, materials and resources, innovation, and regional priorities.

The journey of eco-friendly factories in the country started in 2012 at the hand of garment industry entrepreneur Sajjadur Rahman. The Vintage Denim Studio he established at Ishwardi EPZ in Pabna was the first eco-friendly factory internationally recognized. Apart from the ready-made garments and textiles sector, there are also eco-friendly factories in the shipbuilding, footwear, and electronic products sectors. Apart from this, there are now eco-friendly commercial buildings, but they are fewer in number.

When asked about the increase in the number of eco-friendly factories and the position of Bangladeshi companies at the top, Mohammad Hatim, Executive President of BKMEA, said to BH, "This achievement is a matter of great pride for Bangladesh in the world." None of the competing countries are close to Bangladesh in terms of environment-friendly factories. Hopefully, this global recognition will help increase the price of clothes.