The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) today launched a project titled "SWITCH to Circular Economy Value Chains (SWITCH2CE)" in Bangladesh to steer the textiles and garments sector toward sustainable circular practices.

The UNIDO and the commerce ministry jointly organised the inaugural event at the Westin Dhaka with the presence of industry leaders, government representatives, academia, and international partners, according to a press release.

The event aimed to foster collaboration, highlight project strategies including the model of piloting circular strategies with the private sector, showcase circularity in the textiles and garments industry, and explore policy and knowledge ecosystems, the UNIDO said.

The UNIDO said the environmental concerns associated with textile waste have emerged as a critical challenge.

Addressing this, the global SWITCH2CE project, co-funded by the European Union and Finland government, is poised to pioneer circular strategies across textiles, plastic packaging and ICT and electronics value chains.

In Bangladesh, the project works with local and international partners from the private sector, think-tanks, and the government, to support the circular transition in the textiles and garments industry.

Addressing the event as the chief guest, Textile and Jute Minister Golam Dastagir Gazi said the lack of local capacities for recycling solutions for blended and pure cotton textile waste pose environmental and health risks, as well as economic losses.

With 183 USGBC LEED-certified factories, Bangladesh reached a new milestone in 2022, surpassing all other countries in the globe in terms of the number of green apparel manufacturing facilities, he said.

"Moving forward to this industry, we should have a constructive outlook and combine sustainability and growth in our strategy approach."

Gazi said he and his ministry is highly ambitious for the project. "We are looking forward to enjoy the benefits for this Circular Economy Transition by creating trade and social impacts for the country-will definitely support our Journey for the Developed country by 2041."

The event was inaugurated by Zaki Uz Zaman, UNIDO representative to Bangladesh, and Abdur Rahim Khan, additional secretary and wing chief (export) of commerce ministry.

On behalf of the EU delegation to Bangladesh, Bernd SPANIER, chargé d'Affaires, also spoke at the programme.