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 technologies, such as ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis, can both significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as reduce water and chemical usage in the textile sector.

By reusing 50% of wastewater and reducing softening agents, the project will potentially achieve GHG emissions reductions of 30.3 kgCO2e and 17.8 kgCO2e per cubic meter (m3) of treated water, compared to untreated and secondary-treated scenarios, respectively. Scaling similar systems to 25 per cent of wastewater treated across the industry could help Bangladesh to conserve over 43 million m3 of groundwater annually and cut GHG emissions by 1.5 to 2.6 million tonnes CO2e, contributing 4–7 per cent toward Bangladesh’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions targets.

To enable scale-up across the industry, the study recommends implementing financial incentives and establishing multilateral partnerships for infrastructure deployment, and embedding circular economy frameworks into national policy alongside robust monitoring and verification systems. The study also emphasises having supportive trade mechanisms (considering both tariff and non-tariff measures) to facilitate technology transfer from developed to developing countries.