Sustainability is a centerpiece objective of Dekko Accessories Limited since its inception in 1995. Dekko button manufacturing process is following the sustainability process by recycling of the wastage materials and introducing natural elements in the production process. Textile Today Research Team unearth the fascinating stories of sustainability while visiting the unit.
Figure1: A lush green overview of Dekko Accessories Limited premises.
Why sustainability is major concern
Dekko Accessories focused sustainability from the very beginning of its commencement. Commitment to the environment has no monetary value even it requires additional investment to recycle the materials or make them environment-friendly. Dekko is working for sustainability from its loyalty mindset.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Executive Director, Dekko Accessories Limited said, “We have the vision to thrive in the global platform by ensuring strictly maintained international standards in the manufacturing process. And sustainability is our key feature along with quality products.”
Recycle materials in the Button manufacturing process
Purposes of Recycling: As the world is facing an acute crisis of indiscriminate dumping of apparel, chemicals, etc. and the call for reduce, reuse and recycle to ensure a sustainable livable planet is growing than ever before. Dekko Accessories leading from the front by reusing materials like aluminum, copper, polyester and preventing from ending up in landfills.
Polyester button waste: In the production process polyester button always produce massive wastage materials daily that has no use. A big burden for any manufacturer and to destroy them there is no sustainable process is maintained. The common practice is to dump the wastage in the open space or some time burning to destroy them.
Dekko Button unit registered that a minimum of 20% of polyester materials found leftover as wastage from each batch. In general, the wastage is being destroyed by burning which is injurious for the environment because of its toxic fume. So waste management has become an essential task for the Dekko Button to save the environment and to keep the promise of sustainability.
R& D activities for the recycling process
Dekko Button did an extensive lab examination for recycling the wastage materials. The major challenge was transforming the materials back into raw form. After the hardness process, turning the wastage back into the original raw form was not possible.
Dekko R& D and lab experts researched several options and experimented to get the desired result. Finally, the entire team identified the stage and level of the production process where wastage was possible to turn back into raw form. By crashing the wastage materials of whatever wastage come out from the polyester button before the hardness process.
“the polyester button waste was an immense challenge to destroy in a sustainable process. So our internal lab did a long time experiment to figure out the possibility of melting the wastage for the recycling process. But we have found negative results due to polyester materials in buttons that are not reusable. Later on, they successfully figured a new process to recycle the materials.”
SK. MD. Emran, Deputy Manager, HR & Admin, Dekko Accessories Limited said, “The polyester button waste was an immense challenge to destroy in a sustainable process. So our internal lab did a long time experiment to figure out the possibility of melting the wastage for the recycling process. But we have found negative results due to polyester materials in buttons that are not reusable. Later on, they successfully figured a new process to recycle the materials.”
Recycle polyester button
This is a special button for the brands that are focused to use sustainable materials in their products. But the cost and process of a recycled polyester button is higher than the button that is made from virgin raw materials. As recycled materials need additional chemical adjustment to regain the original raw form and its property.
Figure 2: Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Executive Director, Dekko Accessories Limited is inspecting the recycle polyester button process.
Mohammad Abdur Rouf, Executive Director, Dekko Accessories Limited elaborated, “We are manufacturing buttons from the wastage materials that are sold as recycle button to our valued customers. Actually making a recycle button is costly but from our sustainable commitment we are making this button as a special product.”
Recycling metallic button
The recycling process of a metallic button is not complicated and costly than that of a polyester button. The wastage materials of metallic buttons can be melt in the machine by the mechanical process of immediate time that it produced.
Abdullah Al Mamun, Sr. Manager General, Dekko Accessories Limited said, “Except iron all the metallic materials like copper, zinc alloy, etc. we can recycle in our in-house process. To reprocess the iron material we take external help because the process of melting iron is not available in our facilities.”
Figure 3: An operator is working on recycling materials by melting them in the machine.
Using natural element in the production process
Dekko Accessories is using natural elements in their production process to make the product more environmentally friendly and to give a natural look. While talking with the production concern Textile Today team found some interesting facts. The natural elements are used for different types of the finishing process on the metallic items.
Figure 4: Dekko Accessories are using various kinds of natural elements in the finishing process.
The natural elements – which are available everywhere – can give an astonishing finished look on the metallic buttons. Dekko R& D team with a prolonged experiment invented the ingredients for a polished finishing process.
In fine, it can be said that Dekko Accessories Limited is a pioneering example for the Bangladeshi manufacturers to work on sustainability.
