Abstract

The study aimed to examine the barriers to embracing enzymatic processing in the garment industry in a developing country. We used the case of Bangladesh, which has the largest garment sector in the world. The research used semi-structured interviews with ten high profile figures in the industry, comprising scientists, manufacturers, enzyme traders and policymakers.
We found economic, sociocultural, informational and policy-related barriers to the adoption of enzymatic processing. Attending to each element would benefit manufacturers primarily; this will help identify its strengths and weaknesses to ensure the effective implementation of enzymatic textile processing to obtain optimum results. The study also found that manufacturers’ desire to help improve environmental performance is a factor which could motivate them in adopting green manufacturing innovation. It is expected that regulatory frameworks that encourage innovation - particularly from high social responsiveness and compliances as well as economic and financial incentives - would motivate manufacturers to develop sustainable environmental management strategies that enhance their ability to compete in global markets.