Bangladesh, the second-largest garment exporter in the world, is a significant producer of pre-consumer waste. There is a considerable opportunity to position Bangladesh as a leader in circularity by expanding the country’s recycling capacity and creating greater value from these waste streams.

The BESTSELLER Switch to Upstream Circularity Pilot is part of the SWITCH2CE Project, led by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), in partnership with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), BESTSELLER, Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), Reverse Resources, Chatham House, Circle Economy, and European Investment Bank. The project is driving efforts to facilitate transition to circular economy and sustainable growth in Bangladesh’s apparel sector.  

On November 12, the ‘SWITCH to Upstream Circularity Roundtable: Path Towards Circularity in Bangladesh’s RMG Industry’ was held in Dhaka, with active participation from industry stakeholders, policymakers, and sustainability experts to review the progress of the BESTSELLER Switch to Upstream Circularity Pilot and outline future steps to foster a circular textile ecosystem in Bangladesh.

The discussants of the roundtable highlighted policy recommendations to accelerate the formalization of waste recycling, while sharing their insights into how to create a roadmap for future initiatives that ensure compliance with global sustainability standards. 

The event featured key discussions on the transition of pre-consumer waste, locally known as "Jhut," from informal practices to more structured and transparent recycling models. 

The roundtable discussed crucial topics, including the transition from informal to formal recycling models, assessing the realities of circularity in Bangladesh, and exploring collaborative solutions for the RMG sector. 

The event highlighted both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as Bangladesh strives to transform its textile industry into a benchmark for sustainability and circularity.

Presentations by Shamiul Hoque from Global Fashion Agenda and Dr. Patrick Schröder of Chatham House provided valuable insights and actionable policy recommendations to support the industry’s shift towards a sustainable circular model.

The event featured a distinguished lineup of speakers, including Chief Guest Md. Abdur Rahim Khan, Additional Secretary and Head of the Export Wing at the Ministry of Commerce; special guest Dr. Bernd Spanier, Deputy Head of EU Delegation to Bangladesh; Mark Draeck, Chief Technical Advisor on Circular Economy in Global Value Chains, UNIDO. Also in attendance were Md. Rezwan Selim, Member of the Support Committee at BGMEA, and Ms. Vidiya Amrit Khan, former Director of BGMEA.

Abdur Rahim Khan said, “We really need to frame a policy for Jhut waste management, and this will help us transition into circularity. We really need a national strategy for circularity. We really need to establish the zero-waste policy. Circularity projects will be encouraged from the Ministry of Commerce for the sustainability purpose. This roundtable discussion will add value to BGMEA’s sustainability strategy 2030.”

Dr. Bernd Spanier said, “I recall our discussion on this topic last year, and I am pleased to see BGMEA continuing this conversation on circularity. We think that, for Bangladesh the next five years will be crucial for its garments industries. Under the EU strategies for sustainable and circular textiles, the garments producing countries must transition from linear to circular production model.”

Mark Draeck said, “We are leading this project with distinguished partners and our mandate as a specialized agency of UN system is basically to help government and industries to use innovation to maintain or increase competitiveness while using greener technology. This is the heart of this project.”

UNIDO-led SWITCH to Circular Economy Value Chains project (SWITCH2CE), co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, works with EU multinational companies and their suppliers from developing countries to switch to more circular economy approaches and practices in three selected value chains: Plastic Packaging, Textile & Garments, and ICT & Electronics.