Brandix leads green drive
Commissions redesigned environmental friendly
factory:
Brandix will be the first Lankan apparel factory to get the LEED USA
(Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) certification as a
converted Green factory, said Brandix Group Director AJ Johnpillai.
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Brandix Group Director, Johnpillai and Head of Technology, M&S
Paschal Little. Picture by Sumanachandra Ariyawansa |
Sri Lanka's Brandix Group will commission an environmental milestone
today with the opening of the country's first redesigned Green Factory.
The 130,000 square-foot Brandix Casualwear factory at Seeduwa, the
Group's lead manufacturing plant for top international retailer Marks
and Spence (M&S) will surpass stipulated Green factory standards for
energy consumption, water conservation, solid waste management and
carbon emissions.
"The conversion of the factory was done with an investment of Rs 270
million. Production continued during its transformation into a green
manufacturing facility," Johnpillai said.
"We expect profits to go up. The redesigned factory will reduce its
carbon footprint by as much as 75 per cent, achieve a 45 per cent saving
in energy and cut water consumption by nearly 60 per cent. All
calculations on achievements have been certified by LEED USA," he said.
He said the 30 year old factory has undergone an exhaustive
conversion that took nearly 10 months to complete. "The factory will
support Marks and Spencer's 'Plan A' initiative to encourage suppliers
around the world to make their supply chains carbon neutral through
Green manufacturing processes," Johnpillai added.
He said the Green factory is one of a series of initiatives across
the group to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 35 per cent by
2012. "Another challenge was a decision that energy conservation targets
would be achieved with air-conditioning, which accounts for about 70 per
cent of the energy consumed in a garment factory," Johnpillai said.
M&S contributed towards the conversion cost with sky lights,
insulation of roofing and repainting white to reflect heat away and
upgrading boiler and steam system costing Rs. 16 million.
Brandix is Sri Lanka's largest apparel exporter with an annual
turnover that exceeds US$ 320 million. Brandix started supplying to M&S
through a full service vendor in 1999 and became one of the first direct
suppliers to M&S in 2003.(RA) |
