SMEP Projects: Spotlight on Bangladesh The Peoples’ Republic of Bangladesh is a target country within the SMEP Programme. In 2023, Bangladesh became the fastest-growing economy in the world, with a 7% average GDP growth over the past decade. Today, the country is the second-largest exporter of ready-made garments in the world, with the industry constituting […]
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Getting started on leather due diligence A good practice guide for brands and retailers Over the past fifteen years, a growing body of voluntary standards and regulations has sought to strengthen expectations for businesses to conduct human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD). These include the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the
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From Traceability to Biotechnology Trade-led innovative solutions for sustainable leather Leather was one of the first materials used by humankind, alongside natural fibres. The leather industry involves some of the oldest examples of a circular economy, adding value to meat, primarily through by-products such as animal hides and skins from slaughterhouses, while solving a significant
A machine learning approach to wastewater treatment Gaussian process regression and Monte Carlo analysis Conducted under the SMEP-funded SAFECONOMY project, this study aimed to analyse the application of Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) modelling to improve the accuracy of degradation response predictions in wastewater treatment. Three crucial factors, i.e., catalyst (CFA–ZnF), oxidant (H2O2), and pollutant (MB)
Promoting dignity through transforming workplaces The Sustainable Manufacturing and Environmental Pollution Learning Brief The ready-made garment (RMG) sector is a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s economy, employing approximately four million people, most of them women. Despite the industry’s economic importance, many female workers continue to face significant challenges in accessing adequate hygiene facilities, particularly those required for
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Decarbonising the Textile Sector in Bangladesh Insight’s from a Textiles Wastewater Management project at Fakir Knitwears The SMEP Textiles Wastewater Management project, co-led by Primark and Panta Rei Water Solutions in collaboration with the Fakir Group, Grundfos, WaterAid and H&M at the Fakir Knitwear Plant, in Dhaka, demonstrates how integrating advanced wastewater treatment and reuse
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Beyond Compliance Trade as a channel for the adoption of industrial wastewater treatment in the Global South Water emerges as a pivotal element within the context of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity. As a fundamental resource for all life forms, water plays a multifaceted role in our ecosystems, as a
Challenges and opportunities for single-use plastic substitutes Insights from Bangladesh Bangladesh is a hotspot for plastic waste entering the ocean and was among the top 20 countries in 2016 with the highest volumes of mismanaged plastic waste generated by coastal populations – approximately 360,000 tonnes. Of the 87,000 tonnes of single-use plastic (SUP) waste produced