Looking at a Positive Future: How One Bangladeshi Company is Recycling it Raw

Looking back, Abdur recollects: “It was in 2016 that we started sampling for different recyclers and started to understand quality parameters of different buyers like chemicals, mechanical recyclers, upcyclers, and as we grew, we learnt along the way. We tried our hands in two-three sectors, losing all our savings. But being textile technologists, we realised that textile waste management was the best option. I went to China to study about recycling where I took that Master‘s degree in Recycled Fashion, besides looking for customers“.   

Talking about the advantage, if any, that Recycle-Raw had as an early mover, Abdur says: “Yes, Recycle-Raw is an early mover. But recycling is not new in this world. Waste management is informal business in Bangladesh and there is a lot of threat; plus, there are players who pass the ball without adding any value which makes the waste expensive, and it invariably falls short of quality. Recyclers face the problem of quality feedstock. 

"We took this as an advantage and used our theory and practical knowledge to make it a one-stop solution for textile waste management. Since we were in the trade, we could understand that recycling is a must for any industry to save planet earth. So, we started in an organised way. We still do a lot of study and work with many organisations to propel this business into an organised orbit. We believe that we will be able to set an example on how to change the garbage sector into one full of opportunities.”

The challenges faced as an early mover were primarily on how to get the waste material directly from the factories due to the informal syndicate. The situation has changed for the better, albeit slowly. “We now buy waste not only from factories, but also from the informal syndicate.”

Talking about the blended materials, he maintains that recyclers opt for 100% cotton. Blends like cotton/elastane, cotton/polyblended where the maximum percentage is cotton, polyester/cotton are slow and mostly go for downcycling like home textiles.

Recycle-Raw exports around 80% of its products — spinnable raw materials — while the balance is used within the country. 

If the textiles industry — a major pollutant — can be diverted from a linear to a circular fashion ecosystem, then the cultivation and production of virgin fibres will reduce and more land can used for food cultivation. And, a circular fashion ecosystem would bring changes in overall sourcing. 

Says Abdur about their operations, “We are reusing coloured clips/coloured post-industrial waste. This means there is no need to dye the fibre/yarn/fabric anymore and that saves energy and water, and cuts down on air pollution.”

One challenge for recycled fibres /yarn is that it has to compete with traditional fibres/yarn. The cost of recycled fibres, says he, is still lower than the conventional fibres by around 20–30%. But recycled yarns are expensive by around 5–10% at least. “To make the entire process transparent, brands, manufacturers (waste producer) and recyclers must collaborate and work together with traceability,” Abdur exhorts.

“We are observing that the demand for recycled yarn is increasing rapidly. As pressure mounts on brands to set targets to make fashion circular, they are putting their effort directly and indirectly in this sector. Brands are also advising their manufacturers to provide waste to those mills who are making yarn to close the supply chain loop.”

Closing the loop

Bangladesh, he informs, generates approximately 0.8 million metric tonnes of textile/garment waste annually. The country, which counts the textile industry as one of the main stays of its economy, uses less than 10% of the waste locally, with the rest being exported for recycling or downcycling. 

Local consumption is increasing day by day and that’s a positive vibe. “Some international companies have started their operations in Bangladesh. Besides, around 16-18% goes for incineration in industrial boilers as well as brick fields.”
Affirming that the future looks “really positive,” he says that Bangladesh been able to close the loop by about 8-10%” and the percentage is on the rise.