Can one company change an entire industry? Muhammad Sohail has a vision for Pakistan’s textile industry and his company, Green Textiles International (GTI), is working with companies to help them find practical, commercially viable ways to become more sustainable.
Our motto is “Reduce, Recycle, Re-use,” said Mr. Sohail, CEO, explaining to Inside Fashion the path that he advises manufacturers take to become more sustainable. The idea is to be both sustainable – and more profitable.
“When we do value stream mapping for companies we suggest ways in which they can generate more profit by implementing the ‘lean concept.’ We help them identify wastage and then work with them to figure out how to reduce it,” he said.
“When you start to consider how to reduce waste, you can then think about how to re-use the waste that can’t be eliminated,” said Mr. Sohail.
His strategy is based on the principles of Design For Six Sigma (DFSS), which are derived from the overall concept of ‘lean’ manufacturing.
“The first step is that manufacturers must realize that they need to be ‘leaner’. They need to look beyond the initial costs and realize that investing in sustainable production will make them more competitive in the international market,” he said.
While most factories are resistant to spending capital on new machines or taking the time to implement new systems, the long-term benefits are more than simply environmental.
“For example, one of our clients is a dye house and we introduced a boiler that runs on industrial waste to produce steam.
“Better machines can save energy, while new processes that focus on recycling or re-using can also reduce costs. By reducing inventories, manufacturers can free up capital,” said Mr. Sohail.
In a nation that suffers from ongoing energy shortages (and hence often relies on expensive privately run generators), reducing the amount of energy used has benefits that go beyond the environment.
“Even something as simple as installing skylights instead of using transferred energy to light the factory helps make it more sustainable,” said Mr. Sohail.