Mapping environmental sustainability of knitted textile production facilities

Shamsuzzaman, Md, Islam, Md Mazedul, Hasan, HM Rakib Ul, Khan, Adnan Maroof and Muhammad Sayem, Abu Sadat ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3034-7892 (2023) Mapping environmental sustainability of knitted textile production facilities. Journal of Cleaner Production, 405. p. 136900. ISSN 0959-6526

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Abstract

To achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12, it is important to investigate the sustainability of both products and manufacturing facilities to identify the areas to improve. The number of published research works on measuring the eco-indices of fashion products are plenty, while ignoring the measurement of the eco-indices of fashion production facilities. Therefore, this study investigated the environmental sustainability of knit-dyeing facilities linked to fast fashion production in Bangladesh. The Facility Environment Module (FEM) of the Higg index tool 2.0 from Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) was applied to detect the sustainability scores. Multiple case study approach was adopted for this study. Seven tools of FEM related to the environmental management system, energy use, GHG emissions, water use, wastewater, air emissions, waste management, and chemical management were applied to collect data. Scores of these categories were calculated using the FEM tool. Qualitative data was collected through short interviews using a questionnaire. A varying range of scores (from low to high) was found for all the categories. The scores reveal the technical, managerial, and resource limitations on practicing sustainable production approaches in knit-textiles facilities. The overall finding urges all stakeholders, including manufacturers, researchers, buyers, and policymakers, to pay serious attention and reformulate strategies and resources to reduce the negative impact of knit manufacturing on the environment.