Each year fabric scraps can earn a huge income from Bangladesh. The gross waste collected by the textile industry is nearly 4,00,000 tons annually. Discarded fabrics are obtained by local miscreants in many dense areas of garment factories, and shipped to counties such as India and China in bulk. The buyers then recycle the materials required to make yarn, particularly for denim products.
Polyester Staple Fiber (PSF), made from recycled plastics, is rapidly becoming the world's first choice in manufactured fibers. PSF is a synthetic fiber comprising solely polyester and can be made from both virgin and recycled polyethylene terephthalate chips. PSF is widely used in the textile, automation and furniture industries for products such as rugs, fibrefill, and non-woven fabrics.
PSF imports from Bangladesh were up 13 per cent from 2014 to 2018. The textile chemical market in the country is rising 8 per cent a year. Coronavirus (COVID-19) associated supply chain disorders are hitting the apparel sector in Bangladesh, with prices for raw materials soaring. The apparel sector in Bangladesh is the top foreign-exchange earner in the region. Lack of raw materials hampers production in several factories. Because of the short supply, prices of various raw materials have risen between 30 and 40 per cent.
