Experts at a roundtable have called for adopting eco-friendly production process in the manufacturing sector, especially apparel units, for the sake of the environment.
They also suggested using biotechnology more in the manufacturing process to significantly reduce the negative impact on the environment.
With the growing number of population, the need for manufacturing various goods also increases, but this shouldn't jeopardize the environment, they said.
The Embassy of Denmark and The Daily Star jointly hosted the roundtable on 'Promoting eco-friendly production process in the RMG sector' in the city on Monday.
Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Winnie Estrup Petersen, Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam and the embassy's Commercial Counsellor Jacob Kahl Jepsen, among others, spoke at the event.
Underscoring the need for eco-friendly production method, the Danish envoy said, "Increased production creates pressure on the Mother Nature, but we cannot stop production."
Ms Winnie said use of enzymes can save a lot of water during textiles' wet processing, which is one of the key sources of water pollution in the country. She also said Bangladesh and Denmark maintain good relations on trade and other sectors.
Apart from the readymade garment (RMG) sector, various other sectors also contribute to the pollution of the environment in the country, said Mahfuz Anam.
"We cannot harm the environment and, at the same time, we cannot do anything which would hamper the growth of our RMG sector," he added.
Officials of Novozymes, a Denmark-based global biotechnology company, also attended the roundtable.
The company's South Asia regional marketing manager Radhey Kaushik gave a presentation on the benefits of using enzymes, which can play a great role in minimising environmental hazards.
Textile and garment units need a large amount of water in their production process, which contributes to the pollution, he said.
Use of enzymes can both reduce the amount of water during the production process and the extent of pollution, he added.
Such biotechnology can also help increase productivity, shorten lead time and improve sustainability, he said.
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