No Water, No Life:
The water saving practices of DBL group
Water covers 71% of the Earth's surface, and the human body is composed of 50% to 65% water—up to 78% in infants. As Leonardo da Vinci once said, "Water is the driving force of all nature." The importance of water is undeniable.
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The textile and apparel industry heavily relies on water, particularly in dyeing and finishing processes. According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Bangladesh’s textile industry consumes 1,500 billion liters of groundwater annually, discharging it as wastewater. Dyeing one kilogram of fabric can require up to 200 liters of water, meaning a facility with a 90-ton daily capacity might use up to 18 million liters daily. With groundwater levels depleting by 1 to 2 meters each year, the question arises: "How will we survive in the future?"
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DBL’s approach to water saving
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Even from early on in 2010, DBL Group was making use of 120 litres for dyeing 1 kilogram of fabric instead of 200 litres. However, this was still a significant amount. And that was when DBL undertook the Cleaner Production (CP) program by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) as a supplier of H&M back in 2010. This followed through by taking part in IFC’s Partnership for Cleaner Textile (PaCT) program, as a supplier of Puma, in 2013.
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After an initial analysis, several water-saving opportunities were identified. Along with the existing practices, some of the implementations made by DBL include:
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Using efficient machineries which consume up to 50% less water than the average
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Using chemicals which require less water and contributed to water consumption of 55 liters per kilogram of fabric from 120 liters
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Repairing leaking taps and educating staff to turn off water after use
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Replacing water taps with aerator water taps
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Replacing single flush cisterns with dual flush
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Reusing hot water from boilers.
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In addition, proper moisture management is done to further reduce the water consumption. Furthermore, wicking finishing process converts hydrophobic fabrics (such as polyester) to hydrophilic. Hydrophilic products intake water much better than hydrophobic ones and thus enable optimum consumption of water.
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Results
Resource saving and reduced emissions
We have made significant strides in reducing water, dye, and chemical consumption. Between 2010 (prior to the Cleaner Production (CP) program) and 2016, despite a 74.44% increase in production, the company achieved remarkable efficiency improvements. Water consumption per kilogram of fabric processed dropped from 120 litres to 55 litres, while the usage of dyes and chemicals decreased from 540 grams to 417 grams.
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By 2022, DBL Group ensured further resource savings, with annual reductions of 1.4 million cubic meters of natural gas, 316,387 cubic meters of water, and 411 tons of chemicals. These initiatives underscore DBL Group's strong commitment to sustainability and resource efficiency.
These are summarised below:​
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Community impact
Continuous improvements have been made throughout the years after the initial phase of CP. DBL currently has a fabric to water ratio of 1:55. Through CP as well as DBL’s own initiatives, we have been able to save 1.22 billion liters of water and 2.4 million kilograms of dyes and chemicals in 2016 alone. The water saving has catered to serving 13,927 families in Kashimpur, assuming a requirement of 240 liters of water per family per day. The dyes and chemicals saved means that there are lesser amounts of effluents and wastewater discharged into the environment.
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DBL believes in “Sharing is caring” and “Collective goodness is better than individual goodness”. And therefore, DBL is creating awareness among other factories in the Konabari local cluster about prevention of ground water depletion and saving for next generation. Best practices are discussed among the different factories so that a collective positive impact on the community can take place.
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Other programs
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Along with the reduction of water usage, DBL is also implementing the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) program to address the wastewater quality discharged after being treated in the biological Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs). H&M and other brands and retailers have a shared commitment through this program to help lead the industry towards zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020.
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Within the garments production units, the Sustainable Action and Vision for a better Environment (SAVE), a project co-financed by DEG and Puma, in partnership with H&M and ASSIST, was implemented. This had helped in saving 22,927 cubic meters of water along with 351,188 kilowatt-hours of energy and 8,000 kilograms of waste.
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Linking with the SDGs
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The water saving practices of DBL has contributed to multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and these include:
Conclusion
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Water is the essence of life. DBL believes in continuous improvement and sharing the knowledge with and learning from different stakeholders. Through these initiatives and sustainability reporting, DBL aims to contribute to a combined effort of multiple stakeholders for the preservation of water for sustainability of the future generation. As stated by the American marine biologist, explorer, author, and lecturer, Ms. Sylvia Earle:
“No water, no life. No blue, no green.”
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About the organisation: ​
A Bangladeshi based conglomerate, DBL Group has diversified industries in Apparel, Textiles, Textile Printing, Washing, Garments Accessories, Packaging, Ceramic Tiles, Pharmaceuticals, Dredging, Retail, and Digital Transformation Services. The UN Development Program Business Call to Action recognized its business practices in apparels and textiles to be well-aligned with Sustainable Development Goals. DBL has a diverse set of sustainability programs to ensure that its practices incorporate environmental and community friendly approaches.
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