Dhaka hosts first Bangladesh Circular Economy Summit
The first-ever Bangladesh Circular Economy Summit took place in Dhaka on June 15.
Co-organised by Bangladesh Apparel Exchange (BAE), Laudes Foundation and US-based development platform P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030), the day-long event was partly funded by Germany’s GIZ, the Dutch embassy and Swedish fashion group H&M. The Bangladesh Circular Apparel and Textiles Forum also took place concurrently, at the same venue.
Keynote speakers, all hailing from the Netherlands, presented on topics including “circular economy myth-busting”, market challenges and opportunities, and circular business models and design solutions for the local apparel industry. Meanwhile, four plenary sessions explored concepts such as “circular cities”, the outlook for post-industrial textile recycling in Bangladesh, the country's “path towards a circular economy” and the role of policy in getting there.
“Bangladesh is unique as the country with the world’s largest share of pre-consumer textile waste ready for recycling,” commented head of sustainability at H&M, Leyla Ertur.
“It has great potential to attract investment to scale up the production of high-value recycled fibres from pre-consumer waste. However, we are well-aware that the industry needs advancing policy to regulate the waste handling sector, in order to move forward in this area.”
The summit also offered attendees ample opportunity to participate in a further three presentations, in addition to a roundtable discussion and a fireside chat along the same lines.
BAE founder and chief executive, Mostafiz Uddin (pictured right), said the goal was to explore pathways to opportunity “for the shift from linear to circular business model[s] and foster[ing] collaborations among stakeholders”, to promote circular economy principles in Bangladesh.
Take a trip to Mr Uddin’s Denim Expert Limited jeans-making factory in Chittagong with us here.
Image courtesy Bangladesh Apparel Exchange.
