A delegation from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) is in the Netherlands on a visit in an effort to boost experience on textile waste recycling.
The visit, organised in collaboration with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Dutch Embassy in Dhaka, seeks to bridge technological gaps and foster partnerships to transition towards a more sustainable and circular textile economy.
Bangladesh's apparel industry, the world's second-largest, generates an estimated 500,000 to 700,000 tons of textile waste annually, according to a press release.
While this "jhut" has a high potential for recycling—especially the cotton-based portion—the country currently recycles only a small fraction, with most of the waste either exported or disposed of in landfills and waterways. This lack of a formal recycling infrastructure has created environmental and social issues, including an unregulated, informal labor market with poor working conditions.
The BGMEA team's visit is seen as a pivotal step for Bangladesh to align with global sustainability requirements and the growing demand for recycled content from international buyers.
The European Union, for instance, has introduced regulations that will require suppliers to use more recycled materials by 2030. By actively seeking out Dutch expertise and technology, Bangladesh's industry aims to enhance its recycling capacity, reduce its reliance on raw cotton imports, and secure its long-term competitiveness in a greener global market.
This effort reflects the BGMEA's Sustainability Vision 2030, which prioritizes circularity and emission reduction. The mission is a proactive response to the industry's need for a formal, scalable textile recycling ecosystem, which could not only mitigate environmental impact but also unlock a significant new revenue stream and create a more transparent and equitable supply chain.
