Background

Sustainability, as we understand it today, means the use of resources to meet our needs without depleting them. Thus, from the business perspective, sustainability is a balancing act where business decisions take into account the impact they may have on the aspects of sustainability including the economic viability of the business.

Our universally accepted concept of sustainability is based on three pillars: sustainability of the environment, of society and of the economy.

The objective of environmental sustainability is the preservation of nature and the environment for future generations, and the responsible stewardship of renewable resources and ecosystems. Thus, environmental sustainability activities focus on the impact of resource usage, hazardous substances, waste and emissions on the physical environment. These activities may have a direct benefit for a business by reducing costs.

The main goal of social sustainability is to create and maintain the well-being of a community as a whole. The integration of all members of the community into this process is a prime concern.

Thus, social sustainability activities focus on maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with employees, customers and the community. These activities often have benefits in terms of positive profile and customer and community support.

Economic sustainability means developing business practices which provide a sound basis for income and wealth without exploiting economic resources such as raw materials, energy or workforce. Thus, economic sustainability activities focus on business efficiency, productivity and profit.

Together these three pillars of sustainability are often referred to as ‘people – planet – profit’.

However, the concept of sustainability cannot be viewed in isolation but demands a holistic approach: it is not a case of “either … or” but rather “both … and”.

Introduction

There is almost no part of the world or industry where the sustainability movement has not hit. The textile industry is one of the biggest polluters as most of the work is done in the third world. Conventional textile production is one of the most polluting industries on the planet. The World Bank estimates that the textile industry is responsible for as much as 20 percent of industrial pollution in our rivers and land.

Holistic understanding of sustainability is very important for a country, a company or an individual not only to reduce risk for future but also identify opportunities. This is the high time to perceive it not as ‘a legislation or requirement’ but as a scope of adopting the challenges to become more efficient and profitable.

For the job seekers sustainability is opening just another horizon. Numbers of jobs are popping up every day in this domain. Come join the program to understand your opportunities and set a goal keeping sustainability in the core!

Objective of this workshop

The objective of this workshop is to enhance the ‘conceptual skills’ of a textile professionals which is a must knowledge for those who want to reach leadership positions in jobs and businesses.

Textile Today introduces ‘Professional Proficiency Incubator (PPI) Workshop’ on a series of 20 topics which will prepare a textile professional ready for any sector in textile industry. This series of workshops will help the ‘Human Captial’ of the sector to transform to lead the world of textiles.

Contents of workshop

• What is Sustainability?
• Three pillars of Sustainability
• Why is Sustainability important?
• What is Sustainable Textiles?
• Why are Sustainable Textiles important?
• How to measure Sustainability
• Sustainability issues in Textile industry
  • Water consumption
  • Chemical use
  • Energy
  • Fire and building safety
  • Labor rights
• Sustainability issues in the process flow
  • Material
  • Yarn preparation
  • Weaving or Knitting
  • Finishing
• Holistic approach
• Opportunities and Barriers
• Key challenges
• Policy makers’ role in sustainability
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• H&M’s Sustainability report: 100% circular and renewable
• Government policies of Bangladesh Textile industry