The Bangladeshi textile industry is cleaning up its act.
Runoff from textile production into the Buriganga River commonly contains poisonous chemicals and heavy metals. But in recent years, under pressure from international buyers and financed by a green development fund, factories have introduced “frugal” technologies to cut waste, use safer dyes, and conserve water, MIT Technology Review reported.
There are now 268 factories certified by an international sustainability rating system, and one Bangladeshi group estimates that the cleanup saves 35 billion liters (9 billion gallons) of fresh water annually. The country’s garment industry is far from perfect, though: Workers are poorly paid, and wages are often delayed or withheld altogether.
