United News of Bangladesh

The fashion industry, which has always been praised for its productive and cultural contributions, has turned into one of the most environmentally damaging sectors in the world. Its impact stretches across natural resources and climates. From piling up in masses in landfills, polluting and clogging water, and making air unbreathable to destroying the balance in the earth’s resources and atmospheres, fashion waste is making life impossible on the planet. What is Fashion Waste? The term fashion waste refers to the useless materials naturally produced during the manufacturing of textile products and thrown away afterwards. It also includes worn-out clothes and other materials like wastewater, plastic waste, and toxic dyes discarded or discharged after their use. Though the term fashion waste mostly highlights the wastage related to garments and fabrics, it has more branches. Any poisonous discharge of non-biodegradable waste that pollutes energy and natural elements like earth, water, and air during or after the manufacturing and use cycle of garment products falls under the definition of fashion waste. Read more: How to Declutter Your Wardrobe to Donate Some Clothes Key Environmental Impacts of Fashion Waste . Landfill Overflow Much of the fashion waste is synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic. These elements take about centuries to decompose and mix with soils or never decompose. There are many regions on the earth where miles after miles have been occupied by them. Massive piles of non-biodegradable materials are slowly eroding away, releasing poisons into the soil and air, making those regions unlivable. In 2018, the US single-handedly generated about 11.3 million tonnes of textile waste, about 66% of which ended up in landfills. Water Clog and Pollution Fashion waste contaminates water in two ways: chemically transforming its nature and clogging it with insoluble materials like plastic. Among chemical polluters, textile dyeing is the world's most common and second-largest water contaminant. Several rivers in Bangladesh and India, such as the Buriganga and Ganges, are carrying the mark of the devastating impact of textile waste. Synthetic and plastic materials cause water clogs, impeding usual flow and preventing water from passing. They are the primary reason for clogged drains and sewerage. Synthetic clothes are also known to release microplastics into water during washing or when dumped in a water body. These microplastics are invisible, insoluble fibres that travel with river currents and fall into oceans, where they accumulate in large amounts and are consumed by marine life.  Read more: How to Choose the Best Fabric for Your Suit Greenhouse Gas Emissions Dumped clothing waste in landfills doesn’t only pile up and occupy spaces; during decomposition, it releases methane, one of the primary catalysts of the global greenhouse effect and about 25 times more potent than CO2. Studies have found the fashion manufacturing industry to be highly energy-intensive. To manufacture a single shirt, about 2,700 litres of water are needed, and 2.1 kg of CO₂ is emitted. A pair of jeans produces 33.4 kg of CO₂ in their cotton cultivation and dyeing phases. At the current production acceleration rate in the fashion industry, the emission rate will increase by about 50% by 2030 without interference from regulatory bodies. Resource Depletion The fashion industry is one of the most resource-depleting sectors. For example, cotton covers around 2.5% of the world’s farmland and consumes about 24% of all insecticides and 11% of pesticides. That’s a huge environmental cost for a single crop. Then there’s polyester, the most common fabric in today’s clothing, found in about 60% of garments. It’s made from crude oil, tying fast fashion directly to fossil fuel depletion. Read more: Personal Grooming Tips and Tricks for Better Life and Career The impact doesn’t stop at raw materials. The dyeing and finishing stages of textile production are some of the most chemically intensive and responsible for nearly 20% of global industrial water pollution. Around 43 million tonnes of chemicals are poured into the process each year. 

Unchecked fishing, including the reckless use of high-powered pumps to drain wetlands, is driving indigenous fish species in Jamalganj upazila towards extinction, sparking serious concerns over biodiversity loss. Once brimming with native fish such as Ruhi, Katla, Chital, Boal, Shol, Gazar, Kali Baush, Tengra and Pabda, the haor region is now witnessing a sharp decline in fish stocks due to illegal fishing practices and environmental degradation. Local residents and environmentalists point to excessive pesticide use, destructive fishing techniques like China duari and current nets, and large-scale wetland drainage as key contributors to the crisis. Besides fish, other aquatic species, including snails and turtles, are also disappearing at an alarming rate. Fisheries experts warn that several fish species have already vanished, with many more facing imminent threat. Corrupt Leasing Practices Worsen the Crisis Although the government replaced individual leasing with fishermen’s cooperatives, reports suggest that many cooperatives are controlled by influential third parties who exploit the resources for profit. Leaseholders allegedly auction off fishing rights to the highest bidder, perpetuating destructive fishing practices unchecked. “The administration occasionally conducts drives, but they are ineffective,” said a local fisherman, requesting anonymity. Read: Inoperative water regulators in Sunamganj haors threaten Boro crops Residents also accuse leaseholders of using powerful pumps to drain water bodies for easier fish harvesting. Besides, chemicals are reportedly being used to extract fish buried deep in mud, further decimating aquatic life. A field visit by a UNB correspondent revealed that several key waterbodies—including Digha, Baim Dair, and parts of the Gangadharpur River—had been drained for fishing. Machines were seen pumping water in Ayla-Chhagaia’s Chinai Dhora, Dhalapakna, Dhalia and Nayakhal Nainda wetlands. Authorities Aware but Action Remains Weak Shahab Uddin, General Secretary of the Harinagar-Noagaon-Nalowarpara-Jagannathpur Fishermen’s Cooperative Society Limited, defended the practice, saying, “We secured a six-year lease under a development scheme. Due to sediment buildup and gas pockets, fish populations have declined. We obtained approval from the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), and fisheries officials to excavate the wetland.” Ballooning number of crop protection dams in Sunamganj haor region raises concern Locals, however, turn down these claims, alleging that the same wetland was drained in 2023-24 under the guise of excavation, with no actual dredging conducted. A fisherman from Pagna Haor lamented, “During the monsoon, if we fish, our nets are burned. But when they drain the water, no one stops them. If you have money, you can do anything in this country. Soon, there won’t be any fish left in the haors.” Urgent Call for Stricter Enforcement Social activist Md Abdur Rob urged the administration to take stringent action against those destroying the region’s biodiversity. “If leaseholders continue drying up wetlands, native species will vanish forever. The authorities must enforce the law and hold violators accountable,” he said. Kamrul Hasan, acting Upazila Fisheries Officer of Jamalganj, said that his office is closely monitoring the situation. “If we find unauthorised use of machines to drain wetlands, we intervene immediately. We have already reported violations to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer,” he said. District Fisheries Officer Shamsul Karim acknowledged the issue, saying, “I learned about the situation in Jamalganj from a newspaper report. The authorities will take legal steps against those responsible.” Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mushfiqeen Noor said that only approved portions of wetlands can be excavated. “If any leaseholder violates the rules, their security deposits will be confiscated,” he warned. Stop lease of haors immediately: Adviser Farida Deputy Commissioner Dr Mohammad Elias Miah assured that leaseholders breaching contract conditions by draining wetlands would have their leases revoked.

Statistics and Informatics Secretary Dr. Shahnaz Arefin has said that environmental degradation is a burning issue, but the severity and impact is not yet well measured. She made the remarks while addressing a workshop on “Environmental Statistics and GIS Integration for Natural Resource (Capital) Accounts to Measure Green Growth in Bangladesh” jointly organised by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the World Bank on September 16-19 in Tangail. She said, “Where we are today is a comparison from yesterday, and we need accurate data to give us a better understanding of where we will be tomorrow, especially in the context of climate change and environmental degradation”. So, she said, having robust environmental statistics is very important. “This work is multidisciplinary and multifaceted.” She urged for a convergence of different organizations and agencies’ workflows. The importance of the regular production of environmental statistics of the highest possible quality has been emphasized at the opening session of the workshop The workshop explores a range of evolving technologies for collecting more and improved environmental data to support natural resource (capital) accounting and nature-smart policymaking for green growth in Bangladesh. Read: Govt committed to protect ozone layer: Environment Minister The government stakeholders emphasized the fact that the environment and development nexus is very strong and interrelated, thus environmental statistics would become mandatory and urgent for understanding and monitoring the progress of green growth, the SDGs, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) and the 8th Five Year Plan. Md. Rafiqul Islam, project director of the Strengthening Environment, Climate Change and Disaster Statistics (ECDS) scheme, BBS said, “The workshop creates an opportunity for Bangladesh to advance its implementation of the ‘Bangladesh Environmental Statistics Framework (BESF) 2016-2030’. “Now we have to plan how BBS can successfully institutionalize and operationalize natural resource accounting for measuring green growth indicators of Bangladesh in partnership with ministries, divisions, departments and organizations.” The challenge is to approach green growth through market-based solutions. And sound data is needed to devise these solutions,” said Eun Joo Allison Yi, Senior Environmental Specialist, World Bank Group. Dr. Ahsan H. Mansur, Executive Director of Bangladesh Policy Research Institute (PRI) said, “Unless there is a strong economic rationale behind actions, people are unlikely to change. Green growth is no different – we need to understand its economic imperative and make strides.” A wide range of ministries, government departments, research institutes, and stakeholders that are key for environment data production and application joined the workshop, including the Ministry of Planning Statistics and Informatics Division (SID), Planning Commission, Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Department of Forest (BFD), Department of Environment (DOE).