- June 21, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
DHAKA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Zaber and Zubair Fabrics Ltd, a supplier of home textiles to major European retailers H&M and Lidl, is one of a growing band of Bangladeshi garment factories on a mission to clean up their act – and improve their bottom lines by going greener.
The business on the outskirts of Dhaka previously used large amounts of sulphuric acid to remove excess caustic, a chemical that strengthens fabric, from its waste water.
But in 2010, the factory installed two plants that recover from the water 95% of the caustic used to rinse the fabrics made into goods like sheets and pillow covers, saving 6.5 million litres of caustic soda annually as well as sulphuric acid.
The plants also generate hot water as a by-product, which is used in machines to process fabrics at high temperatures, economising on water and electricity.
The plants cost about $2.3 million to set up but have helped the factory save $3.8 million a year through buying…
