As major fashion brands increasingly aim for 100% recycled yarn products, recycled fibers and yarns are becoming the next big opportunity for Bangladesh. Despite being one of the leading RMG sourcing hubs in the world, our country is still highly dependent on the import of cotton and recycled yarn. For Bangladesh, this opportunity loss translates to an added $3 billion in raw material imports annually—an expense that can be slashed through proper formalization of the recycling system and utilization of post-industrial textile waste.
According to Reverse Resources, fabric and garment factories discard anywhere from 25% to 47% of materials during production. Which means we are wasting about 44.57 m2 of textile per 100 t-shirts. Considering Bangladesh is currently home to about 1,430 textile mills, the current waste quantity is staggering, which can be reduced and become a valuable resource through recycling and reuse.
Pacific Recycled Fiber Limited was founded with an aim to formalize and scale Bangladesh’s waste management system. Established with state-of-the-art technology and advanced recycling processes, this industrial textile waste recycling plant converts post-industrial textile waste into high-quality recycled cotton fiber.
The company uses the cotton-based waste highly available in the industry and reinserts it into the production system by converting it into quality recycled fiber that does not compromise in quality and ensures a longer lifespan of products, maintaining international sustainability standards. By establishing local recycling capacity and reducing Bangladesh’s dependency on imports, the company is creating a transparent, efficient, and sustainable ecosystem.
The company strictly adheres to its values, keeping sustainability at the core of the operation. 70% of the plant’s energy requirements are met through a rooftop solar installation with a capacity of 409 kWp. In addition, the facility is designed with skylight panels providing ample natural daylight, eliminating the need for artificial lighting during daytime operations. Excess solar energy is sent back to the national grid via a net metering system, further contributing to renewable energy use.
The machineries are equipped with high-efficiency motors (IP3 rated) controlled by inverters to optimize energy usage and performance. Efforts to make the entire process sustainable are further highlighted by the usage of harvested rainwater for operations, electrical-powered loading, unloading, and handling equipment to maximize the usage of renewable energy sources, and using recycled materials for packaging finished product bales. The recycled fiber will also slash the estimated 2700 liters of water typically needed for producing cotton for a single t-shirt and significantly reduce carbon emissions.
With the yarns from Pacific Recycled Fiber Limited, manufacturers can be assured that the fibers that they are using are made with the highest quality assurance and minimal environmental footprint. Manufacturers can confidently meet the rising demand for transparent and traceable garments, gaining a competitive edge in appealing to eco-conscious consumers.
Most importantly, the Pacific Recycled Fiber Limited will provide the garments manufacturer access to locally produced recycled cotton fiber for their production, curbing the need for imported, costly material for high-quality garment, making the products truly, entirely, and proudly “Made in Bangladesh.”
