Finalise Bangladesh’s textile-RMG circular economy strategy: Experts

Bangladesh government officials, industry leaders and sustainability experts recently called for finalising a national circular economy strategy for the country’s textile and readymade garment (RMG) sector as such a framework is essential to protect the country’s competitiveness in the global apparel market.

The call came at a national consultation in Dhaka on the draft Bangladesh National Strategy on Circular Economy for the sector.

Bangladesh government officials, industry leaders and sustainability experts recently called for finalising a national circular economy strategy for the textile and RMG sector as that is essential to protect competitiveness in the global apparel market.
They emphasised the need to embed circular practices across the entire value chain while improving transparency and building institutional capacity.

The event was organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the country’s Ministry of Commerce, in collaboration with Chatham House, under the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains (SWITCH2CE) project, co-funded by the European Union (EU) and Finland.

SWITCH2CE project partner Chatham House worked with two leading national research organisations in Bangladesh to conduct two policy level research, and lessons from the pilot projects outlined future steps to foster a national circular textile strategy for Bangladesh, a release from SWITCH2CE said.

Through SWITCH2CE, technical support has been provided by Chatham House and a diverse network of partners, including international brands, research institutions, and financing organisations, working alongside local industry actors and technology providers.

Participants emphasised the need to embed circular practices across the entire value chain—from design and production to waste recycling—while improving transparency and building institutional capacity.

They emphasised policy recommendations to formalise and scale circular approaches across the entire value chain—from design and production to textile waste recycling—while improving traceability and building institutional and financial capacity.

Discussions also addressed challenges in blended fiber recycling, transparent supply chains, and the need for coordinated efforts to build a sustainable textile ecosystem by adopting a national circular strategy.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)