Once seen by some international clients as a cheap sourcing location with unsafe factories, Bangladesh has come a long way in just ten short years: after the deadly Tazreen Fashion fire in 2012 and the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in 2013, Bangladesh seemed to have come a long way sourcing in Bangladesh had hit rock bottom and the country’s reputation as a manufacturing location had been tarnished.
Some pessimists predicted at the time that the damage was irreparable, but just ten years later, eight of the world’s top ten LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified garment factories are located in Bangladesh; 18 of them were recently with the [Sustainable Leadership Award](https://fashionunited.de/nachrichten/business/sustainability-leadership-award-zeichn-18-nachhaltige-fabriken-in-bangladesch-aus/2022112349218). Also, almost half of the world’s top 100 LEED certified factories are located in Bangladesh, with 48, with hundreds more to come.
FashionUnited wanted to know how this is possible and to see the situation on site for themselves. As part of Made in Bangladesh Week held in Dhaka last month, an opportunity arose to introduce Green Smart Shirts Ltd. (GSSL) in Gazipur. GSSL is part of the multinational PDS group which manages supply chains for major brands and retailers worldwide including American Eagle, C&A, Carrefour, Pantaloons, Primark, Topshop, Reliance Trends and Walmart. In addition to Bangladesh, the group has sourcing and manufacturing operations in Turkey, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia and China.
A surprisingly quiet campus
The factory consists of eight buildings of different sizes, arranged on an area of 32,000 square meters. On the way to the main building along the extensive grounds, one member of the small group of visitors exclaimed with wide eyes: “We should visit a factory; this looks more like a resort!”
Indeed, with the two-storey red brick buildings that blend harmoniously into the landscape and the lush, tropical vegetation with palm trees, gulmohar trees, tall bamboo plants and even a lotus pond, one could mistake the factory site for a peaceful oasis. Especially after the hustle and honk of the never-ending traffic in Dhaka, the silence in Gazipur is soothing. Although the city is only 25 kilometers north of Dhaka and is itself a large industrial city and textile center with a population of almost six million, you don’t notice it because the factories are far apart and the grounds are lush, green and quiet.
That is, except for the upbeat music blasting out of speakers inside and outside the various buildings. “Music makes everything better, has a calming effect and helps keep the tempo going,” said Fateh Ul Islam, Managing Director and CEO of Green Smart Shirts Ltd. “The workers like her and she breaks the monotony,” he adds.
Sustainable construction
Ul Islam is pleased to point out the many eco-friendly features of ‘his’ LEED Gold certified factory: it has been constructed using recycled materials and high-performance glass reduces heat and makes the most of natural light. Energy-efficient lighting inside reduces light flooding, and the pitched roof of the main halls ensures an efficient balance of heating, ventilation and air. Overall, efforts have been made to improve indoor air quality. The factory also has a wastewater treatment plant and maximizes water efficiency through rainwater harvesting with an underground tank that holds 600,000 liters of water.
In terms of building, fire and electrical safety, all designs have been approved by the Government and the Accord and Alliance. The factory also has its own automatic fire hydrant system, sprinkler systems in all buildings and fire doors to contain a fire in a specific area should one break out.
Later this year, GSSL will also commission a one-megawatt solar power plant, which will not only raise its LEED certification to platinum status, but will also completely cover the factory’s total energy consumption of 800 kilowatts at present. Speaking of energy: When construction began in October 2016, there was no energy supply in the area; GSSL first had to connect the area to the electricity grid and now also has its own power plant and a backup generator with a capacity of one megawatt.
As mentioned during the talks at the Dhaka Apparel Summit, nowadays it is no longer possible for a factory to have just one accreditation as different clients adhere to different standards, often even their own. Accordingly, GSSL has a variety of accreditations, from Accord and BSCI to Oeko-Tex, Sedex and Wrap.
capacities
The factory produces men’s formal and casual shirts, as well as women’s tops, blouses and dresses, with men’s and women’s clothing accounting for about 50 percent each, and the same ratio for washable and non-washable garments.
“GSSL deliberately started with a limited opening with only two production lines in July 2017 and then gradually grew to its current capacity of 30 lines and between 800,000 and 900,000 pieces per month,” explains Ul Islam. That corresponds to about 10 million items of clothing per year.
The factory currently has a workforce of around 3,000 employees, 90 percent of whom are women. By 2025 it is planned to double the capacity to 60 production lines, more than 6,000 employees and a volume of around 18 to 20 million pieces per year.
The camp that seemed large when it opened is now bursting at the seams and a second one is needed. About 80 percent of the material is imported, as the clients determine what type of fabric and where from they want to use for a specific garment.
The employees
The overall working atmosphere has changed drastically compared to just ten years ago, with “smart” factories leading the way. At GSSL there is currently only one shift, from 8am to 5pm, and optional two hours of overtime thereafter. Wages are well above the minimum wage, as Ul Islam assures, “we must remain competitive”. There is also an additional attendance incentive of 800 taka (about 7.50 euros).
All newcomers start in the training department for a month and receive an introduction to the profession before they are accepted into a regular department. After that, there are further training opportunities for specialized and technical skills. Outside of work, the employees also take part in team-building exercises and celebrate together. “Valentine’s Day is very popular here,” reveals Ul Islam, “and employee retention is high.”
And how was it during the pandemic? “We didn’t have a single case of Covid among the workers,” reports Ul Islam proudly. “The workers were very disciplined, followed all safety instructions and received two doses of the vaccine. Nor did they travel, such as management who were more affected.”
Speaking of management: One area that could be improved – as in so many other industries – is women in managerial positions and women in technical professions. While efforts are being made to train women, it is a slow process and technical (and thus better paid) positions are still predominantly male.
A day in the life of a garment worker
Let’s see what a typical day of a garment worker at GSSL looks like to get a better idea: The worker arrives at the factory gate from her home, which is probably in Gazipur, just before 8am and climbs with her Child from the free shuttle bus. She may rush to the fair price shop at the factory entrance to place her order for rice, oil, wheat, but also soap and shampoo.
She then takes her child to the factory’s kindergarten, which is right next to the health center, and goes to her workplace on the factory floor. After putting on her vest, which identifies her as “Line Bandhu” or “Helper”, she sits down at her Juki sewing machine to sew arms onto a blouse for a well-known western brand. During her lunch break, she goes to kindergarten to eat lunch with her child.
Her shift ends at 5 p.m. Sometimes she works overtime until 7 p.m. Then she picks up her child from kindergarten and goes back to the fair-price store, where the groceries ordered in the morning are already packed and ready to be picked up; payment is made electronically. Upon exiting the store, she realizes she needs cash and goes to the ATM on the factory premises. Outside she can buy fresh vegetables and fruit from the waiting vendors and then – loaded with the groceries and the child at her side – gets on one of the waiting buses and drives home.
What is the secret of Bangladesh? There is no secret; “Green” and socially responsible factories existed before the Tazreen Fashion fire and the Rana Plaza building collapse, they just weren’t in the sights of the average international client (and the foreign media) because they didn’t make the headlines. That is, until now – for the third year in a row, the Sustainability Leadership Award has been given to particularly sustainable clothing factories in Bangladesh. This year, 18 of them were awarded for their pioneering efforts in Bangladesh and beyond the country’s borders.
FashionUnited was invited by PDS Group to visit the factory.