The hidden costs of fashion: Bangladesh’s struggle with waste and pollution

In the early mornings or late afternoons, vans brimming with heaps of clothing travel the streets and lanes of the country, peddling to eager consumers. These images have become so frequent that they conceal a troubling reality: customers contribute to a culture of “disposability” – intended to be used only once and then thrown away.  

The customers do not see the bigger picture. 

We risk losing sight of our long-held principles of reusing and recycling in this disposable culture, which is propelled by materialism and convenience. Meanwhile, the captivating and ever-changing world of fashion frequently masks its role in contributing to pollution and carbon emissions. 

We must now highlight the critical necessity of a transition to slow fashion. Despite Bangladesh not being the world’s biggest polluter, we cannot ignore the importance of fostering sustainable practices.

The fashion business makes a big splash, and it’s responsible for around 10% of the world’s carbon emissions. The annual global average carbon dioxide emissions per person stand at approximately 4.76 tons. Meanwhile, this number is much lower in Bangladesh, ranging from 0.33 to 0.47 tons per person annually. 

The garment industry in Bangladesh is responsible for yearly emissions of carbon dioxide ranging from 0.03 to 0.05 tons per person. Although insignificant on a global scale, the environmental impact of the sector cannot be overlooked due to Bangladesh’s critically high population density. 

The ‘waste’ numbers and its ails 

With 1,329 people per square kilometre and a metropolitan area density of 23,234 people per square kilometre in Dhaka, the environmental toll of the garment industry goes far beyond pollution and carbon emissions, affecting waste management as well. 

In Bangladesh, where ineffective waste management systems worsen health and environmental concerns, there is an immediate need for sustainable methods in waste management and the fashion sector.

For many towns, landfills are more than just a faraway place to dump trash; with over 160 million inhabitants, this is an everyday reality. Our waste management systems are already overwhelmed by the amount of textile waste, which includes both abandoned clothing and production waste. 

About 62% of this waste in Bangladesh goes uncollected and ends up in unapproved dumps, demonstrating the country’s persistent problem with waste management. This is in sharp contrast to nearby India, where uncollected waste is about 27%. 

Despite the increasing amount of textile waste, textile recycling remains insufficient, with 57% of discarded clothes ending up in landfills. Landfill incineration emits harmful compounds, including methane, contributing to numerous public health and environmental hazards. 

In addition to contributing to carbon emissions and uncollected waste, Bangladesh’s garment, tannery, and other related sectors are major sources of water contamination. Hundreds of washing, dyeing and finishing facilities pollute rivers with effluent, causing diverse negative effects. 

Dye, detergent and microplastic pollutants cause extensive environmental deterioration and human health problems, including skin illnesses, respiratory disorders and cancer. The widespread use of synthetic fabrics derived from petrochemicals, like nylon and polyester, intensifies these concerns. These non-biodegradable materials release microplastics into the environment, posing a significant threat to all living organisms.

The projections indicate a 9.6 billion piece surge in the global apparel market from 2024 to 2028, culminating in a total of 196.1 billion pieces. As the global textile and apparel trade expands, fabric wastage during production processes also intensifies, with an estimated 10-15% of fabric wasted during cutting. This expansion, driven by fast fashion, exponentially increases waste generation. 

Bangladesh generated approximately 577,000 tons of waste from this sector in 2019, of which 250,000 tons were pure cotton waste, capable of producing approximately 1.25 billion garments, highlighting the magnitude of waste and the potential for recycling initiatives. 

Recycling all textile waste locally could save Bangladesh nearly $500 million in imports, highlighting the economic and environmental benefits of sustainable practices.

Aligning with the 2024 World Environment Day theme of land restoration and drought resilience, the fashion industry in Bangladesh can play a role by managing landfills more effectively and reducing textile waste through recycling and upcycling. 

Conscious water use is also critical in fashion production. Initiatives like the Water PaCT aim to mitigate water pollution, signalling growing awareness and commitment to eco-friendly textile production. 

The ‘thrifting’ and consumer behaviour problem 

Amidst these discussions, it’s important to acknowledge the evolving dynamics of consumer behaviour. A student might purchase anywhere between 15 and 25 garment products in a year, while for adult professionals, this number might range from 25 to 35. 

We are living in a throwaway culture that values convenience above all else, and the old ways of reusing and recycling things are becoming out of style. Modern trends and social media, which emphasize outward appearances and showcasing possessions, have influenced a consumerist culture, contributing to the decline in garment recycling and hand-me-downs. 

A piece of clothing priced at Tk1 lakh could have a usable life of just a few hours until it is photographed and posted on social media. Once again, people treasured and put to good use their clothes instead of throwing them away. An item of grandmother’s clothing no longer evokes the strong feelings that it once did. 

As “thrifting” has grown in popularity, many households’ reliance on hand-me-downs has dwindled, and families that used to recycle clothes now prefer to buy new ones. While thrift shopping generally promotes reusing garments, it can also encourage bulk purchases of low-cost, rejected items, inadvertently increasing consumption and waste. 

In Dhaka, thrifting primarily involves buying cheap clothing in large quantities that the factory rejects due to minor flaws, resulting in minimal actual reuse. The rising tide of youth thrifting is impacting society in both positive and negative ways. While it’s great that people are reusing clothes, it could also cause them to buy more rejected items, which would add to their consumption and waste.

The purchasing decisions of responsible Bangladeshi consumers may have a tremendous influence on the fashion industry. They may make a difference in the fashion industry by supporting sustainable brands, demanding more open supply chains, and reconsidering their consumption patterns. 

Bengal’s long tradition of eco-friendly technology and traditional textiles serves as a model for eco-friendly clothing production. These traditional methods can serve as a basis for new ideas in the contemporary era. An increasing amount of policy lobbying is required to deal with this change and its effects on the environment. 

We suggest that producers, lawmakers, and consumers form a national alliance to raise awareness about the need to reduce landfills and embrace slow fashion. Through this joint effort, we could educate the public about the advantages of reducing waste and supporting a more sustainable fashion business, thereby promoting sustainable practices and recycling.

We must encourage conscientious consumption as a society if we are to spare subsequent generations the ecological toll of the fast fashion industry. Yet, the journey towards sustainable fashion faces challenges such as supply chain complexities and consumer demand for fast, disposable fashion. 

It is a continuous fight to redefine fashion and embrace a more conscious philosophy of sustainability, which will reduce harm to the environment and the health of future generations.

Nazra Mahjabeen Sabet is the CEO of Friendship Colours of the Chars. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.