Sustainability and Social Responsibility

Exploring the Current Sustainability Practices in the Bangladesh Garment Industry

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Abstract

Bangladesh is currently a major global sourcing hotspot for the garments industry. Since sustainability is a megatrend in the global apparel industry and Bangladesh is a major player in garment manufacturing, it is important to examine the current sustainability practices emerging in the Bangladesh garment industry. This study aimed to explore the type of sustainability practices that are embraced by this industry in Bangladesh. Publicly available 25 garment factories’ 2020-2021 sustainability reports were used for the content analysis. Using the triple bottom line theory, this study identified current sustainability practices occurring in the Bangladesh garment industry that are most valued by buyers who import textile products from Bangladesh. The findings demonstrated that the economic dimension of sustainability was not transparently presented in the reports compared to the other two dimensions, environmental and social. This study offers important insights into the current sustainable practices in the Bangladesh garment industry. 

Keywords: Sustainable practices, Bangladesh garment industry, triple bottom line

How to Cite:

Barsha, U. H. & Lee, Y., (2024) “Exploring the Current Sustainability Practices in the Bangladesh Garment Industry”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17407