How Akij Textile Mills is the setting the examples of sustainable manufacturing

Sixty kilometres west of Dhaka, past the Bangabandhu Bridge and deep into Manikganj, the Golora campus of Akij Textile Mills Ltd does not look like a place that is winning awards for saving the planet. But step inside, and the picture changes rather quickly.

There are solar panels on every roof, as far as the eyes can see. A biogas plant sits quietly beside the effluent treatment zone, converting sludge into cooking fuel for the dormitory kitchens. Rice husk arrives in trucks from local mills and gets compressed into briquettes on-site, then burnt in a 14-TPH biomass boiler. And somewhere in the utility building, boiler smoke is being piped directly into the effluent treatment plant to neutralise pH levels, eliminating roughly half the factory's acid consumption at a stroke.

Akij Textile Mills received the National Green Factory Award 2025 from the Bangladesh government. Having spent a day walking its production floors, talking to machine operators and technicians, and observing equipment rooms that most visitors never see, it is not difficult to understand why.

ATML was founded in 1998 as a sister concern of the Akij Group and occupies 55 acres at Golora, Charkhanda in Manikganj. It employs around 7,000 workers and positions itself as a single-source supplier—spinning yarn, weaving fabric, dyeing, finishing, and exporting, all within one integrated campus. Its buyers include INDITEX, Uniqlo, GU, Decathlon, Celio, C&A, M&S, PVH, A&F, Levi's, Tom Tailor, Ralph Lauren, Next, Tommy Hilfiger, Bestseller, H&M, Primark, K-Mart Australia, US Polo, and Hugo Boss, among others.

The most immediately visible element of ATML's sustainability programme is its solar installation. The factory currently has 10 megawatt-peak of rooftop solar capacity in operation, with another 5 MWp under installation ahead of a 15 MWp target by 2026. On a clear day, solar power meets approximately 50 per cent of the factory's electricity demand during peak sunshine hours, saving around Tk 10 per unit compared to grid rates. Total solar generation to date has crossed 21.5 million units, translating to cost savings of approximately Tk 14.8 crore.

Akij Textile has established an ultra-modern recycling unit to support their buyers to meet growing demand for sustainable textile products.Photo: Courtesy.

The biomass story, however, is arguably more interesting. ATML operates a 14-TPH solid biomass boiler fuelled by agro-waste: jute sticks, rice husk briquettes, corn cobs, mustard stalks, cow dung cake, and wood chips from sawmill waste, all collected from the surrounding agricultural belt. The boiler is a step-grate design imported from Forbes Vyncke in Europe, chosen specifically because it can handle fuel ranging from wet to dry and from coarse to fine without operational disruption. The target is to meet 80 per cent of the factory's total steam demand from this renewable source by 2027.

The boiler's air emission control system is layered: a mechanical dust collector captures fly ash at source, an air pre-heater recovers flue gas heat, a multi-cyclone system reduces suspended particulate matter, and a wet scrubber brings the exhaust down to below 100 ppm SPM before it exits the chimney at 150 degrees Celsius. But the most novel feature is what happens to the post-scrubber flue gas. Instead of venting it, ATML pipes it directly into the equalisation tank of its effluent treatment plant, where its dissolved CO₂ acts as a natural acid for pH control—a customised technology implemented for the first time in Bangladesh, cutting sulphuric acid consumption by roughly 50 per cent.

Recycling: Converting waste into competitive advantage

Akij Textile has established an ultra-modern recycling unit with a production capacity of 30 metric tonnes of recycled yarn per day. The facility converts used garments into recycled fibres, which are then processed into partially blended or 100 per cent recycled yarns. ATML is capable of producing yarns containing up to 40 per cent recycled cotton content (depending on fabric type and construction) and fabrics containing up to 65 per cent recycled polyester content, which are in high demand in the international market. The recycling spinning facility produces two categories of yarn: ring yarn ranging from 16/1 to 30/1 and open-end yarn ranging from 7/1 to 20/1.

The use of recycled fibres reduces consumption of virgin raw materials, water, and energy whilst lowering carbon emissions. International fashion and textile brands are now highly committed to offering sustainable products by incorporating recycled garments and fabrics into their supply chains.

To support its international operations and ensure credibility, ATML has achieved globally recognised certifications including RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) and GRS (Global Recycled Standard). These reflect the company's strong commitment to responsible and sustainable manufacturing practices.

Water: From liability to asset

The effluent treatment system at ATML goes considerably beyond compliance. It operates two biological ETPs—ETP-01 handling 2,000 cubic metres per day and ETP-02 handling 3,200 m³ per day—both graded 'Green' by H&M under their supplier assessment programme. Third-party ZDHC testing of the treated wastewater has returned no detections for heavy metals or MRSL substances. The factory publishes its ZDHC wastewater and sludge reports twice a year through the ZDHC Gateway, accessible to all buyers.

The treated water does not stop at discharge. Approximately 1,150 m³ of treated effluent is currently reused daily in sanforising machine cooling drums, road cleaning, car washing, and gardening across the 45,000 square-metre green zone, and a retention pond that doubles as a fish farm. About 15 per cent of process water is being recycled, with a target to reach 30 per cent by 2028 through a 50 m³/hour reverse osmosis plant.

ETP sludge is pressed through solar-assisted sludge beds, and the dried material is used for brick manufacturing and biogas generation in two on-site digesters that supply cooking fuel to the dormitory quarters. Rainwater harvesting completes the water picture. The factory collected 2,200 m³ of rainwater in 2020; by 2025, that figure had risen to over 22,000 m³ annually, stored in six dedicated tanks totalling 350 m³ of holding capacity.

Additional efficiency measures include lean-burn gas generators to reduce gas consumption, energy-efficient machines and motors (IE3 and IE4), heat exchangers, and caustic recycling plants.

The human dimension

Walk deeper into the campus and the sustainability conversation shifts from pipes and panels to people. ATML's residential infrastructure is substantial: a female dormitory for 400 women, a male dormitory for 520, a bachelors' block for 185, and family quarters for 200 families. Approximately 80 per cent of the workforce is recruited from the local Golora and Charkhanda area.

The CSR programme extends beyond the annual tree-planting day and HR office notice board. Around 250 people from neighbouring villages receive a cooked meal from the factory daily. Free medical treatment is provided to community members. The factory has built educational infrastructure nearby, distributed laptops to students, contributed to culvert and road construction, and sent warm clothing to winter-affected communities. Humanitarian assistance has been extended to Rohingya refugee populations as well.

Recognition and the path ahead

ATML's environmental journey has attracted formal recognition at several points. The Bangladesh government awarded the factory its National Award for Energy Conservation in 2012. The WaSaTex programme, implemented by GIZ in collaboration with H&M, awarded it a Certificate of Excellence in Achieving Water Efficiency in the 2023–2025 cycle. The Apparel Impact Institute presented it with a Clean by Design Certificate of Achievement in January 2026 for demonstrating measurable reductions in energy and water footprint. In 2025, the government presented the Green Factory Award.

The company currently holds several internationally recognised certifications: GOTS, OCS, RCS, GRS, ISO 14001:2015, BSCI, Higg Index, Textile Genesis, Regenagri, European Flax, and ZDHC. It is also progressing towards Organic Oeko-Tex and Step certifications.

The roadmap through 2027 is ambitious: 15 MWp of total solar capacity, a new 12-TPH rice husk multi-fuel biomass boiler already in commissioning, a biological sewage treatment plant for dormitory and quarters, partial zero liquid discharge from the ETP using membrane bioreactor technology under feasibility study, and a salt recovery plant for yarn and fabric dyeing processes.

ATML's CO₂ intensity has fallen from 5.6 kg per kg of fabric in its 2018 baseline to 2.2 kg/kg in 2025. Groundwater consumption per kilogram of production has dropped from 117 litres to 71.99 litres over the same period. The targets are 67 per cent GHG reduction and 40 per cent groundwater reduction, and the trajectories, on the evidence available, look credible.