This week, Novozymes, a Danish company and a world leader in biological solutions, launched Livelong® – a sustainable solution for producing better quality and longer-lasting clothes for plant-based fibers. The event was jointly organized by the Embassy of Denmark in Bangladesh and Novozymes A/S – Denmark on 24 November at the Edge Gallery in Dhaka.
The event included a guided tour through various booth stations, presenting consumer and market insights and showcasing Novozymes’ new biological concept called Livelong®. After the tour, a panel discussion was arranged on how to make the textile industry in Bangladesh more sustainable with industry experts, key opinion leaders, buyers, brands and other stakeholders with a focus on the challenges the Bangladesh textile industry faces.
Her Excellency Ms. Winnie Estrup Petersen in her inaugural remarks said that “Bangladesh plays a vital role in adopting sustainable practices, especially in textile and garments’ industry. I am glad that Novozymes is a partner to Bangladesh in its journey to adopting more sustainable practices. Being a country of energy efficiency and environmentally friendly solutions, Denmark is always striving towards technological advancements through research and development. Sustainability is not only a word, rather a way of living and sharing with all, for the well-being and future of the world we live in.”
“Bangladesh has a lot of challenges, but we are quick learners to adopt innovation. We are a challenge taker as a nation. We are adopting new technology. Novozymes is producing biological solutions which we are using to create more sustainable clothing for our branders and retailers,” said Mr. M.A. Jabbar, Managing Director of DBL Group.
Global clothing production has more than doubled in the last 15 years, but consumers keep clothes for just half the amount of time, making the textile industry one of the most wasteful industries in the world. Consumers are demanding more sustainable solutions and they are willing to pay for it. However, they need help in making the right choice. Consumers are demanding traceability and transparency and they want to be informed.
“All textile manufacturing and brands – even with eco-friendly fibers — have a hefty environmental impact. Brands should seriously consider the opportunity of offering consumers the sustainable choice of longer-lasting garments. Because buying clothes that last longer is one of the best and easiest things that consumers can do to make an eco-friendly choice,” says Ms. Ethel Fanny Laursen, Business Unit Director, Technical Industries, Novozymes.
Dr. Rubana Huq, President of BGMEA said, “Market is changing, consumers are changing, and consumption patterns are changing. The next generation is far more conscious about what they are purchasing. They are not just buying the product, they are buying the experiences and they want to know which impact their choices have on the environment.”
The Livelong® Concept, a sustainable innovation of Novozymes, can address these challenges. It makes it possible for the first time to extend the life of plant-based fabrics by 20%, making the garments look new, wash after wash. This Livelong® solution saves substantial water, chemicals, and energy by reducing textile waste.
“We only have one world, one planet. We know that it requires 10,000 liters of water to produce one pair of jeans and one t-shirt. Novozymes can help decrease the amount of water used when producing clothes which is the first step in the right direction, but we need to do more. If not for business or profit, we need to do more for the next generation” Mr. Mostafiz Uddin, Managing Director of Denim Expert Ltd. and Founder of Sustainable Apparel Forum.
Novozymes’ new enzyme technology that gives the Livelong effect is expected to help fill the gap and making the textile industry more sustainable. A Life Cycle Assessment shows that if all-cotton T-shirts produced in the world had a 20% extended lifetime, this would save 24 million tons CO2, which corresponds to the annual emissions of 10 million medium-sized cars. It would also save 27 billion m3 of water. This corresponds to the annual consumption of 700 million people in India (LCA details available upon request).
To know more about Livelong®, contact Novozymes today on https://www.novozymes.com/en/advance-your-business/textiles/biopolishing/livelong
