Different fashion giants are shifting towards recycled or sustainable fibres. These brands have decided to use cent per cent recycled fibres by 2025-30 in readymade garment production. On the other hand, Bangladesh produces a staggering 5.77 lakh tonnes of textile waste or fabric scraps (locally known as jhut), with nearly half (2.5 lakh tonnes) consisting of pure cotton. Do you find any connection between these trends?
It points to the fact that Bangladesh has a large untapped market ready to be explored. With different global brands focusing more on recycled fibres, Bangladesh has the potential to expand its foothold in the global apparel sector since the country is producing a good amount of cotton waste as well as fabric scraps.
As the lead news published yesterday in our daily suggests, a $100m opportunity is in store for Bangladesh while the country has the potential to earn up to $100 million annually by selling cotton waste to the recycling market. This is huge.  
The problem is that this large amount of jhut is currently exported by a small group, hamstringing the growth of this sector at large. This is also one of the reasons that are deterring local companies from entering the recycling market. To overcome this problem, the country needs to formulate industry-friendly policies and regulations that will be beneficial for building proper infrastructure necessary for textile waste recycling.
In addition to this, the EU is putting emphasis on sustainable and circular textiles strategy, which will open up new windows of opportunity. The country should adopt strategies now to tap into this opportunity. The country should take initiatives to develop a circular textile industry, which will make it easier to export jhut to European countries. In this connection, it is important to support institutional capacity for extended producer responsibility (EPR) and ensure technology transfer to adopt state-of-the-art recycling technologies. Mandatory reporting at a national digital database and marketplace (jhut hub) is also crucial for developing a traceable jhut value chain.
By doing these, the country could make a place for herself in the global textile waste recycling market. Given that Bangladesh is already facing a lot of challenges and fierce competition to retain its position as the world’s second-largest garment exporter, it is of paramount importance that we start looking for alternative markets.