Shamiul
Hoque

The programme advances circular economy practices within Cambodia’s textile industry by strengthening sustainable waste management systems, enhancing material traceability and supporting the transition from conventional disposal to value-driven recycling. It prioritises reducing landfill and incineration by promoting textile-to-textile recycling and improving transparency across the waste value chain.

Key contribution

• Conducted baseline assessments to map waste generation and identify gaps in existing practices.
• Developed structured waste management systems covering segregation, documentation and traceability.
• Worked with manufacturers and stakeholders to redirect waste from low-value or unsustainable end uses towards higher-value recycling.
• Built factory-level technical capacity to adopt and sustain circular practices.

The CFP Indonesia initiative strengthened circularity in the textile sector by improving waste management, traceability systems and industry capacity. It supported the diversion of textile waste from landfill and incineration towards high-value textile-to-textile recycling, with an emphasis on data-driven decisions, transparency and collaboration across the value chain.

Key contribution

• Led baseline assessments of existing waste flows and management practices within textile facilities.
• Designed sustainable waste management frameworks covering segregation, tracking and reporting.
• Guided stakeholders in moving waste from low-value or harmful end uses to higher-value recycling pathways.
• Delivered capacity-building support to improve operational efficiency and alignment with circular economy principles.

The assignment supported the RMG Sustainability Council team in developing and implementing a comprehensive environmental performance assessment framework. The framework addressed chemical management, energy, water, wastewater and waste management within the ready-made garment sector.

Shamiul provided technical expertise on textile-sector waste management and helped ensure that waste performance was appropriately represented within the wider environmental assessment approach.

The assignment covered research and recommendations on the project terms of reference, staffing structure and costs. It also included reviewing and improving the quality of the terms of reference, integrating stakeholder feedback and revising the waste-handler guidebook for clarity and practical use.

Key responsibilities

• Led development of the terms of reference in line with GIZ requirements.
• Simplified and strengthened the guidebook for waste handlers.
• Integrated relevant Code of Conduct content and recommended clearer structure and visuals.
• Provided technical expertise on textile waste management and circular economy.
• Coordinated stakeholder input and incorporated feedback into final materials.

The scoping mission examined circular economy and sustainable waste management opportunities in Bangladesh, with a focus on textile waste. It brought together local evidence on textile waste, solid waste and e-waste, including legislation, policies, studies, extended producer responsibility initiatives and relevant stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

• Advised the mission team on local conditions, challenges and circular economy practices.
• Collected and synthesised policy, market and stakeholder information.
• Supported meetings and workshops and documented stakeholder discussions.
• Summarised findings and provided actionable recommendations for project design.
• Acted as a liaison between the mission team and local stakeholders.

The BESTSELLER SWITCH Upstream Circularity Pilot was designed to embed circular economy principles into the upstream stages of BESTSELLER’s supply chain. It focused on identifying, recovering and recycling post-industrial textile waste at source, then transforming it into high-quality raw materials for reuse in garment production.

Working with manufacturing partners, recyclers and other stakeholders, the project established scalable approaches to waste segregation, material recovery and closed-loop recycling. It supported resource efficiency and the transition towards a more circular fashion industry.

Shamiul managed project execution, stakeholder collaboration and capacity building, while providing technical expertise on waste recycling and traceability.

The Circular Fashion Partnership Bangladesh was created to foster a circular economy in one of the world’s leading garment manufacturing markets. It focused on recycling post-industrial textile waste and reintroducing it into production as high-value raw material through collaboration among manufacturers, recyclers, brands and policymakers.

The initiative reduced waste, conserved resources and supported lower environmental impact. It also explored the inclusion of informal-sector workers within a more formal waste management ecosystem, creating potential social and economic benefits alongside environmental progress.

Shamiul oversaw project planning, implementation and stakeholder engagement, helping partners work together towards the programme’s circularity goals.

The project promoted sustainable and circular waste management practices in Cambodia’s textile and garment industry. It focused on improving environmental and social standards, strengthening sustainable production methods and increasing resource efficiency across the post-industrial textile waste value chain.

It addressed waste management, labour conditions and environmental impacts while helping local manufacturers transition towards more sustainable operating practices.

Shamiul engaged sector stakeholders and provided technical expertise to improve industry waste management practices.

The project explored opportunities to integrate circular economy principles into Vietnam’s apparel manufacturing industry. It addressed key waste management challenges by engaging stakeholders, mapping pressure points and identifying critical private and public actors.

A major outcome was the design of a Circular Fashion Partnership framework for Vietnam to promote collaboration, sustainability and circularity within the textile sector.

Shamiul facilitated stakeholder engagement, analysed supply-chain challenges and contributed to the partnership design, ensuring alignment with circular economy goals.

The assignment profiled post-industrial manufacturing waste across H&M’s supply chain, analysing waste types, volumes and material composition. A digital traceability tool supported the collection, tracking and management of waste data, creating more accurate and transparent reporting.

The resulting insights were intended to improve waste management, promote circularity and reduce environmental impact.

Shamiul trained stakeholders to use the digital traceability tool, conducted data analysis and validation, and developed recommendations to improve waste management and circularity.

The assignment developed recommendations for a regulatory framework that enables the recycling of post-industrial textile waste, commonly called “Jhut”, in Bangladesh’s ready-made garment industry.

Scope of work

• Designed a study methodology for robust data collection and desktop analysis.
• Assessed existing regulations, strengths, gaps and obstacles affecting Jhut recycling.
• Proposed an enabling framework, including cost-benefit and gender impact considerations.
• Mapped informal-sector practices, risks, environmental impacts and integration opportunities.
• Investigated barriers to recycling blended cotton and polyester and adopting advanced technologies.
• Documented business cases and developed advocacy, incentive and shared-responsibility options.
• Proposed pathways for formalising informal actors and developing sustainable business models.

The Circular Fashion Partnership Cambodia aimed to establish a robust framework for circularity within the country’s textile and apparel industry. Building on Circular Fashion Partnership experience in other regions, it focused on recycling post-industrial textile waste into new products, reducing reliance on virgin materials and minimising waste sent to landfill.

Through collaboration with garment manufacturers, recycling innovators, brands and policymakers, the partnership sought to create a scalable system for textile waste management. It aligned with Cambodia’s sustainability priorities by promoting resource efficiency, reducing environmental impact and supporting green economic growth.

The project implemented a fibre-forward tracing system for U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol cotton across the full supply chain, from raw material sourcing to finished products delivered to Next. It aimed to improve transparency, accountability and supply-chain efficiency while giving stakeholders verifiable data on cotton origin and movement.

Using digital traceability technology and established industry practices, the work supported sustainability compliance and alignment with Next’s corporate responsibility goals.

The project established a fibre-forward traceability system to monitor and document the journey of man-made cellulosic fibres used by BESTSELLER, from origin to finished products. It was designed to strengthen supply-chain transparency, demonstrate compliance with sustainability standards and support responsible sourcing.

Digital tracking technologies and stakeholder engagement created a more reliable and verifiable traceability framework aligned with BESTSELLER’s sustainability goals and growing consumer demand for accountability.

The project developed and implemented a fibre-forward traceability system for man-made cellulosic fibres and recycled polyester used by H&M. It tracked and verified materials from origin through the production of finished goods.

The initiative strengthened transparency and accountability, supported responsible sourcing, and used advanced traceability technology and collaborative partnerships to help meet environmental and social standards and H&M’s sustainability objectives.

The H&M Global Waste Mapping Project identified, quantified and analysed waste generated across H&M’s global supply chain. It developed a fuller understanding of waste streams across supply-chain stages, from material sourcing through finished-product distribution.

By mapping waste across markets, the initiative sought to reveal inefficiencies, promote more sustainable practices and support H&M’s transition towards a circular economy.

This product-backward traceability project supported Marks & Spencer’s Plan A objectives for sustainability and transparency. It mapped the extended supply chain for textile and garment products and aimed to trace as many products as possible back to the raw material’s country of origin.

By identifying fibre origins and analysing supply-chain touchpoints, the project strengthened sustainable sourcing, responded to expectations for ethical production and set a benchmark for traceability and accountability in the kidswear segment.

The Carrefour Textiles Traceability Pilot in Bangladesh used Historic Futures’ StringTogether platform to map textile products back to their origin. It improved supply-chain visibility, verified raw-material sources and supported Carrefour’s commitment to ethical and sustainable sourcing.

The pilot also produced practical insight for scaling traceability across Carrefour’s wider global operations.

This pilot strengthened Levi’s supply-chain transparency by tracing raw materials used in selected products. It focused on verifying ethical and sustainable sourcing practices and testing traceability systems that could be scaled for broader implementation.

The H&M Cotton Traceability Project traced cotton used in products back to its country of origin. It strengthened supply-chain transparency, produced actionable insight into fibre sourcing and supported H&M’s sustainability and responsible-production goals.

This initiative traced adidas organic cotton and recycled synthetic materials across the supply chain. It verified material origins, strengthened transparency and accountability, and supported alignment with adidas sustainability objectives.

The BESTSELLER traceability pilot mapped the origins of raw materials used in selected products. It increased transparency, supported sustainable sourcing standards and created a foundation for wider implementation of product and material traceability.

This first Levi’s pilot explored how product components could be traced back to their origins. It tested traceability technologies and frameworks for supply-chain accountability and assessed their potential for future scaling.

The Decathlon Organic Product Traceability Project mapped the supply chain for organic materials used in selected products. It supported compliance with sustainability certifications and promoted transparency from sourcing through production.

The project traced the origins of materials used in Sainsbury’s Tu Clothing products. It supported the company’s ethical sourcing policies and sustainability objectives by increasing transparency and accountability across the supply chain.

The Tesco Cotton Country of Origin Project traced cotton used in selected products back to its country of origin. It strengthened supply-chain transparency and supported Tesco’s ethical sourcing, sustainability and accountability goals.