Determination of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka

Thiwanka Sandaruwan De Fonseka

doi:10.29333/ejosdr/13816

Full Text (PDF)

Thiwanka Sandaruwan De Fonseka ¹ ^*

More Detail

¹ Vern University, Zagreb, CROATIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Apparel is the second most polluted industry in the world after oil. Therefore, implementation of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector is a buzzing topic discussed throughout the globe. There are many operations throughout the value chain of the apparel sector from yarn manufacturing to final product finishing such as but not limited to dyeing, printing, washing, cutting, sewing, bonding, and packaging, which impact on the environment and there are many practices implemented to mitigate the environmental impacts throughout this value chain. Apparel industry is the prominent export revenue generator of Sri Lanka, which contributes to more than 40% of their export income. There are about 300 export-oriented apparel manufacturers in Sri Lanka, and all are managed by the private sector. This research was done to determine the environmental sustainability practices currently being implemented in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka. Qualitative data gathered via semi structured interviews was utilized in this study. It was found that there are six main pillars that the apparel sector of Sri Lanka has been implemented environmental sustainability practices namely, energy and emissions, water and wastewater, solid waste, chemicals, biodiversity, and product.

Keywords

environmental sustainability
apparel
Sri Lanka

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES, 2023, Volume 7, Issue 4, Article No: em0237

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/13816

Publication date: 19 Oct 2023

Article Views: 403

Article Downloads: 693

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Ahirwar, M., & Behera, B. K. (2022). Development of hemp-blended cotton fabrics and analysis on handle behavior, low-stress mechanical and aesthetic properties. Journal of the Textile Institute, 113(5), 934-942. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405000.2021.1909799
Alam, F. B., & Hossain, A. (2018). Conservation of water resources in textile and apparel industries. IOSR Journal of Polymer and Textile Engineering, 5(5), 11-14.
Alamoush, A. S., Ballini, F., & Olcer, A. I. (2021). Revisiting port sustainability as a foundation for the implementation of the United Nations sustainable development goals (UN SDGs). Journal of Shipping and Trade, 6, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41072-021-00101-6
Allen, M. R., Friedlingstein, P., Girardin, C. A. J., Jenkins, S., Malhi, Y., Mitchell-Larson, E., Peters, G. P., & Rajamani, L. (2022). Net zero: Science, origins, and implications. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 47, 849-887. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-112320-105050
Almeida, L. (2015). Ecolabels and organic certification for textile products. In S. S. Muthu (Ed.), Roadmap to sustainable textiles and clothing: Regulatory aspects and sustainability standards of textiles and the clothing supply chain (pp.175-196). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-287-164-0_7
Almenhali, A. A. A. (2019). Embedding sustainable strategies for competitive advantage in the UAE sports sector [PhD thesis, University of Wolverhampton].
Amutha, K. (2017). Sustainable practices in textile industry: Standards and certificates. In S. S. Muthu (Ed.), Sustainability in the textile industry (pp. 79-107). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-2639-3_5
AWGNM, A. (2021). Impact of green environmental planning on managing work related employee stress in Sri Lankan apparel companies. In Proceedings of the 7^th International Research Conference on Humanities & Social Sciences. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3809022
Brandix. (2021). Brandix sustainability report 2020-2021. https://www.brandix.com/images/brandix-sustainability-report-2020-21.pdf
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2021). To saturate or not to saturate? Questioning data saturation as a useful concept for thematic analysis and sample-size rationales. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 13(2), 201-216. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1704846
Chakraborty, R., & Ahmad, F. (2022). Economical use of water in cotton knit dyeing industries of Bangladesh. Journal of Cleaner Production, 340, 130825. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130825
Chandrasekara, S. S. K., Chandrasekara, S. K., Gamini, P. H. S., Obeysekera, J., Manthrithilake, H., Kwon, H.-H., & Vithanage, M. (2021). A review on water governance in Sri Lanka: The lessons learnt for future water policy formulation. Water Policy, 23(2), 255-273. https://doi.org/10.2166/wp.2021.152
Chen, Y., Awasthi, A. K., Wei, F., Tan, Q., & Li, J. (2021). Single-use plastics: Production, usage, disposal, and adverse impacts. Science of the Total Environment, 752, 141772. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.14177
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method approaches. SAGE.
da Fonseca, L. M. C. M. (2015). ISO 14001:2015: An improved tool for sustainability. Journal of Industrial Engineering and Management, 8(1), 37-50. https://doi.org/10.3926/jiem.1298
Dehghani, M., & Goyal, P. (2022). Design and development of textile fabrics using 3D printing technology. ECS Transactions, 107, 19313. https://doi.org/10.1149/10701.19313ecst
Drofa, E. A., Prihodchenko, O. V., Yadykin, V. S., & Goryainov, M. F. (2021). Technological methods of improving mechanical and energy characteristics of sewing machines. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 1029, 012030. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/1029/1/012030
European Parliament. (2021). The impact of textile production and waste on the environment (infographic). European Parliament. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/society/20201208STO93327/the-impact-of-textile-production-and-waste-on-the-environment-infographics
Export Development Board Sri Lanka. (2022). Export performance of apparel. EDB Sri Lanka. https://www.srilankabusiness.com/apparel/about/export-performance.html
Flowers, M. E., Matisoff, D. C., & Noonan, D. S. (2020). In the LEED: Racing to the top in environmental self-regulation. Business Strategy and the Environment, 29(6), 2842-2856. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.2547
Furferi, R., Volpe, Y., & Mantellassi, F. (2022). Circular economy guidelines for the textile industry. Sustainability, 14(17), 11111. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141711111
Goyal, A., & Parashar, M. (2023). Organic cotton and BCI-certified cotton fibres. In R. Nayak (Ed.), Sustainable fibres for fashion and textile manufacturing (pp. 51-74). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-824052-6.00011-1
Gupta, R., Kushwaha, A., Dave, D., & Mahanta, N. R. (2022). Waste management in fashion and textile industry: Recent advances and trends, life-cycle assessment, and circular economy. In C. M. Hussain, S. Singh, & L. Goswami (Eds.), Emerging trends to approaching zero waste (pp. 215-242). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-85403-0.00004-9
Hirdaramani. (2021). Putting the future first. https://www.hirdaramani.com/themes/hirdaramani/assets/downloads/sustainability-report- 2021.pdf
IPCC. (2018). Global warming of 1.5 °C. Intergovernmental panel on climate change. https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/sites/2/2022/06/SR15_Full_Report_HR.pdf
Juanga-Labayen, J. P., Labayen, I. V., & Yuan, Q. (2022). A review on textile recycling practices and challenges. Textiles, 2(1), 174-188. https://doi.org/10.3390/textiles2010010
Kankanamge, L. H., Premarathne, L. P. N. D., Perera, H. A. C. C., Perera, K. D. H., & Zoysa, C. D. D. (2023). Analysis of survivability, trends, and status of sea turtle species found in Sri Lanka. In Proceedings of 10^th Ruhuna International Science & Technology Conference.
Kyngäs, H. (2020). Inductive content analysis. In H. Kyngäs, K. Mikkonen, & M. Kääriäinen (Eds.), The application of content analysis in nursing science research (pp. 13-21). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30199-6_2
Liu, J., Liang, J., Ding, J., Zhang, G., Zeng, X., Yang, Q., Zhu, B., & Gao, W. (2021). Microfiber pollution: An ongoing major environmental issue related to the sustainable development of textile and clothing industry. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 23, 11240-11256. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-01173-3
Lovelock, C. E., Barbier, E., & Duarte, C. M. (2022). Tackling the mangrove restoration challenge. PLoS Biology, 20(10), e3001836. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001836
MAS Holdings. (2022). Ocean plastics, recycle clothing, & circular fashion. MAS Holdings. https://www.masholdings.com/plan-for-change/our-planet-changed-for-good/
Mueller, S. A., Carlile, A., Bras, B., Niemann, T. A., Rokosz, S. M., McKenzie, H. L., Kim, H. C., & Wallington, T. J. (2015). Requirements for water assessment tools: An automotive industry perspective. Water Resources and Industry, 9, 30-44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wri.2014.12.001
Murray, J. W., & Hammons, J. O. (1995). Delphi: A versatile methodology for conducting qualitative research. The Review of Higher Education, 18(4), 423-436. https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.1995.0008
Muthukumarana, T. T., Karunathilake, H. P., Punchihewa, H. K. G., Manthilake, M. M. I. D., & Hewage, K. N. (2018). Life cycle environmental impacts of the apparel industry in Sri Lanka: Analysis of the energy sources. Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 1346-1357. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2017.10.261
Namey, E., Guest, G., O’Regan, A., Godwin, C. L., Taylor, J., & Martinez, A. (2020). How does mode of qualitative data collection affect data and cost? Findings from a quasi-experimental study. Field Methods, 32(1), 58-74. https://doi.org/10.1177/1525822X19886839
Okafor, C. C., Madu, C. N., Ajaero, C. C., Ibekwe, J. C., & Nzekwe, C. A. (2021). Sustainable management of textile and clothing. Clean Technologies and Recycling, 1(1), 70-87. https://doi.org/10.3934/ctr.2021004
Patra, A. K., & Pariti, S. R. K. (2022). Restricted substances for textiles. Textile Progress, 54(1), 1-101. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405167.2022.2101302
Pradhan, S., Ghose, D., & Singh, A. K. (2020). Impact of power factor correction methods on power distribution network–A case study. In A. Bhoi, K. Sherpa, A. Kalam, & G. S. Chae (Eds.), Advances in greener energy technologies (pp. 513-526). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4246-6_30
Prasanga, W. C., Ranathungage, A. N., & Rathnasiri, P. (2021). Use of cotton apparel waste as an energy source for biomass boilers: A feasibility study. International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics, 16(1), 41-51. https://doi.org/10.18280/ijdne.160106
Ronan, J. (2022). Michelle Yeoh discusses sustainable clothing. One Tribe. https://onetribeglobal.com/sustainable-lifestyle/united-nations-michelle-yeoh-discusses-sustainable-clothing/
Sadowski, M., Yan, C., Cummis, C., & Aden, N. (2021). Apparel and footwear sector: Science-based targets guidance. World Resources Institute. https://doi.org/10.46830/wriwp.20.00004
Sarathchandra, C., Abebe, Y. A., Wijerathne, I. L., Aluthwattha, S. T., Wickramasinghe, S., & Ouyang, Z. (2021). An overview of ecosystem service studies in a tropical biodiversity hotspot, Sri Lanka: Key perspectives for future research. Forests, 12(5), 540. https://doi.org/10.3390/f12050540
Saxena, A., & Khare, A. K. (2019). Awareness of green manufacturing in apparel industry. In A. Majumdar, D. Gupta, & S. Gupta (Eds.), Functional textiles and clothing (pp. 371-382). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7721-1_29
Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority. (2022). Sri Lanka energy balance 2020. https://www.energy.gov.lk/images/energy-balance/energy-balance-2020.pdf
Supplier to Zero. (2022). Implementation hub. https://www.implementation-hub.org/supplier-to-zero
Tagra, D. (2022). Many textile and apparel companies are investing in solar energy. Apparel Resources. https://in.apparelresources.com/business-news/sustainability/many-textile-apparel-companies-investing-solar-energy/
Tian, S., Su, X., & Geng, Y. (2022). Review on heat pump coupled desiccant wheel dehumidification and air conditioning systems in buildings. Journal of Building Engineering, 54, 104655. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2022.104655
Varshney, N. (2022) Meanwhile in Sri Lanka! Apparel Resources. https://apparelresources.com/business-news/manufacturing/meanwhile-sri-lanka/
Verhoeven, G., Razvi, A., & Mertens, J. (2023). Sustainable apparel coalition. https://apparelcoalition.org/
ZDHC Chemical Management System Framework. (2022). Roadmap to zero. https://downloads.roadmaptozero.com/process/ZDHC-CMS-Framework
ZDHC MRSL. (2022). Roadmap to zero. https://mrsl.roadmaptozero.com/

How to cite this article

APA

De Fonseka, T. S. (2023). Determination of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 7(4), em0237. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/13816

Vancouver

De Fonseka TS. Determination of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2023;7(4):em0237. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/13816

AMA

De Fonseka TS. Determination of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka. EUR J SUSTAIN DEV RES. 2023;7(4), em0237. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/13816

Chicago

De Fonseka, Thiwanka Sandaruwan. "Determination of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research 2023 7 no. 4 (2023): em0237. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/13816

Harvard

De Fonseka, T. S. (2023). Determination of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka. European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, 7(4), em0237. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/13816

MLA

De Fonseka, Thiwanka Sandaruwan "Determination of environmental sustainability practices in the apparel sector of Sri Lanka". European Journal of Sustainable Development Research, vol. 7, no. 4, 2023, em0237. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejosdr/13816