The small town of Arayampathy on Sri Lanka’s eastern coast was once part of the turf contested by government troops and Tamil separatists in the country’s three-decade civil war.
Now, years after the guns fell silent, the farming and fishing community is an unlikely contender to shape the future of global fashion.
A sprawling garment factory of Brandix, a leader in the local apparel industry, is nestled among ebony trees and flowering plants on a 4-hectare property.
Elephants roam in nearby scrub forests. The facility boasts green credentials to match the setting: Rooftop solar panels keep its machines and air conditioners running, solar tubes light the interior for 1,600 workers per shift, and processing systems treat wastewater.
The entrance sports a plaque conferring a platinum rating from the U.S.-based Leadership in Energy and Environment Design program, the highest for any factory in Sri Lanka.
The factory is not alone in embracing “green chic.”
Many are convinced that greener manufacturing and a commitment to sustainability hold the key to making Sri Lanka’s garment industry more competitive. In turn, a successful green buildup of an industry that already accounts for nearly 50% of Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange income via exports could help put the crisis-plagued economy back on track.
Across the Sri Lankan garment sector — which commands only a small global market share but supplies big-name brands like Gap, Patagonia, Hugo Boss and Victoria’s Secret — factories are following a similar pattern.
“More and more factories have started on this journey to make up for scale by offering sustainable manufacturing products,” said Yohan Lawrence, secretary-general of the Joint Apparel Association Forum, the Sri Lankan garment industry’s top body. “It is becoming the financially correct choice to climb up the value chain by investing in innovation and environmental sustainability.”
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