CBI Home Textiles Bangladesh: tackling water, building compliance
Bangladesh is a land of water, and that is exactly where its home textiles industry faces its biggest challenge. Rivers and groundwater are under pressure, and wet processing, the dyeing that gives cushion covers, throws and rugs their colour, is one of the main sources of strain, particularly in small and medium sized workshops.
This is where the Home Textiles Bangladesh programme focuses its work.
What CBI is doing
- Supporting responsible chemical management, working toward Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals
- Helping fund and install Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs), for smaller workshops and larger factories alike
- Building a supply of natural dyes at commercial scale and consistency: a wide colour range, consistent shades, acceptable fastness, guaranteed AZO- and chemical-free
- Increasing recycled content in production, with traceability and compliance built in from the start
- Encouraging manufacturers to make use of local, renewable and regenerative raw materials
Why this matters to your sourcing plan
For buyers, this translates directly into:
- Access to suppliers that already meet EU regulation, and are preparing for upcoming EU Green Deal standards
- Reduced compliance risk in your supply chain
- Earlier access to natural-dye and recycled-content ranges, as they scale from pilot to production
For creative directors, that means new dye and material stories to build a range around.
Join a pilot
We are looking for brands, retailers and importers to join active pilots over the next years, with new or existing craft suppliers in Bangladesh:
- Wastewater treatment pilot - helping suppliers reach zero hazardous discharge
- Natural dyeing pilot - indigo and plant-based dyes, from artisan to industrial scale
- Recycled yarn and fabric pilot - integrating pre- and post-consumer waste into product ranges
What we offer: connections to craft suppliers, guidance through a co-creation project, or training and access to expertise for your supplier's sustainability implementation. What we don't offer: direct funding or certification.
If you have a sustainability plan that fits here - or a supplier who would benefit - let's set up an introduction.
→ Get involved in the pilot, or come and see the new ranges first
