In today’s global economy the protection of the environment is a key component of any sustainable business plan. Reversing, Global warming, climate change, damage to the ozone layer and the loss of biodiversity is the responsibility of business today.

Plummy Fashions Ltd (PFL) has established The Greenest Knit Apparel manufacturing unit of the world. This project earned prestigious LEED Platinum certificate from U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). PFL strives for sustainable and accountable business practices in Bangladesh and is establishing the definitive business model that manufactures and customers can follow for the benefit of everyone.

The site is 6.5 acres, sensitively landscaped with a combination of award winning designed buildings and 3 acres of tranquil gardens. PFL has installed a class leading natural water management system re-cycling and reusing both rainwater and surface water. A natural lake located inside the factory premises not only ensures a balanced eco system, but a feeling of relaxation and tranquility, important in a busy world.

In order to comply with USGBC core standards and guidelines PFL has installed digitally calibrated machines essential for utilizing Solar energy, CFC free cooling systems, efficient water fixtures, LED lighting, low energy plant minimizing the company’s carbon footprint. In order to meet and exceed natural energy requirement, PFL has constructed one of the largest solar energy plant in Bangladesh and the factory has utilized a state of the art skylight system to trap natural sunlight for lighting its facilities.

Despite a strong emphasis on the environment, people remain at the core of all initiatives. The company’s ethos is geared towards the well-being of workers and employees, the core of PFL. PFL ensures a comfortable and safe workplace, separate child-care, health care, recreation and training facilities.
PFL has been certified as 40% energy efficient, 41% water efficient and carbon emission less by 35% comparing any standard factory. On top of that PFL treating the dye house waste water in a manner that after treatment that water become not only reusable but also drinkable.

PFL is the only garment manufacturing unit of the country who won National Award on Environment.

For details about PFL initiatives and watch a video please click on www.plummyfashions.com 

Paving the way for the Green Movement
In the aftermath of Rana Plaza, a lot of buyers moved away from Bangladesh after facing a lot of pressure from their buyers in media/social media. Over the last decade, Plummy has lead a movement for green initiatives in the RMG sector in Bangladesh which has changed the outlook of an industry that employs more than 4.2 million people, indirectly supporting almost 40 million people (ILO report). Plummy has been featured by numerous newspapers, media outlets over the world. This has helped changed the narrative regarding Bangladesh’s RMG Sector. Today Bangladesh has a total of 143 LEED green factories, certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC), with the highest of 41 platinum-ranked units. (The Daily Star,2021). Whilst not all of that is down to Plummy but taking the initiatives and the risks that are associated with it so that everyone else can see the benefits is something that Plummy did very commandingly.

Efficiency & the Long-Term gains
RMG sector is one of the highest consumers of resources like water, electricity etc. but with green initiatives, garment factories are now being able to reduce their dependencies on these significantly, helping not only the nation itself but also saving environment in general.

A lot of these garments are moving into the direction of green is not only to save environment but to follow Plummy in the path of actually saving costs. What Plummy has been very successful in showing that with lessening the irrigation water demand by 80%, reducing water wastage by 60%, consuming less than 50% power of traditional industry or 13% of energy of the premise being produced by the factory, with some long term planning & investments, costs can be cut for the long haul.

Care for People over Everything Else
In Plummy, workers have access to a complete Lifestyle Center to have a much better work life balance and a 6-bed hospital for any medical emergencies. Plummy has gone the extra mile to make sure that even in an incident of any disaster, everyone has the necessary training to know what to do and the tools to do everything that’s needed to be done. This is incredibly important to recognize because once any garment factory sets up significantly better standards for workers wellbeing, it becomes almost impossible for everyone else to not follow those same footsteps. The alternative to upgradation is to lose out on competition and an inability to attract the biggest buyers.