Organized in collaboration of G. Güldenpfennig GmbH (Bangladesh), the one-day event focused on sustainable practices
TÜV Rheinland Bangladesh recently turned the spotlight on the importance of sustainable practices in the apparel and textiles industry, when it hosted a Chemical Management and Detox Awareness Training Program in Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka.
Organized in collaboration with the apparel and textile giant G. Guldenpfenning (Bangladesh), the one-day program attracted more than 100 attendees from a host of industry firms and organizations, eager to understand the best ways to address concerns around health, safety and environmental issues related to chemicals in textiles.
TÜV Rheinland Bangladesh speakers included Mr. Hasem Ali, Director – Technical & Laboratories, and Mr. Wakil Hossain, Manager – Sustainability Services, who showcased some of the most critical sustainability requirements and chemical management audit processes affecting the industry today. They also outlined a number of factors that are driving demand for the removal of hazardous chemicals from textiles, including:
- Increased knowledge of the hazards associated with certain commonly used chemicals
- Legislation, such as the European Union’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals) and Proposition 65 in California
- Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) Waste Water Quality
- Chemical Management Audit Protocols
In addition to examining the overall impact of the textile industry, which is widely believed to be the second most polluting after oil, and the number two polluter of clean water after agriculture, TÜV Rheinland offered strategies to rectify the situation. These included risk assessments and wastewater monitoring, MRSL compliance, supplier audits, product RSL checking and chemical management training.
One of the highlights of the day was a session on the requirements for meeting the Detox guidelines adopted by the German retail giant, Aldi, which operates over 10,000 stores in 20 countries, with an estimated combined turnover of more than €50 billion.
The team from G. Guldenpfenning (Bangladesh) was led by the head of the Sustainability Department, Mr. Monzil Hossain, and provided an update on the environmental requirements for Bangladeshi wet process suppliers working with German customers. Mr. Gourab Hussain, Environmental Officer, and Mr. Golam Shorower, Sr. Environmental Officer, covered environmental compliance-related issues, such as “amfori BEPI Chemical Management Audits.” They also discussed their approach to environmental initiatives and upcoming sustainability challenges in the RMG sector.
The program concluded with a visit to TÜV Rheinland’s testing and certification laboratory – the first in Bangladesh to be provisionally approved by ZDHC as a Green Status Lab.