Study: Garment firms exceed environmental indices

Saipan garment factories use up too much energy and water and generates too much solid waste, according to a study by a U.S.-based environmental consulting firm.

Tetra Tech Em. Inc., which prepared the Green Garments Guidebook, said that garment companies could improve their environmental performance by conserving water and energy, and minimizing waste.

Tetra Tech prepared the guidebook with funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, administered by the CNMI Division of Environmental Agency.

The Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association endorsed the project, with SGMA members providing operating data between May 2004 and May 2005.

The environmental study revealed that Saipan factories use an average of 435 kWh of energy for every 1,000 garments produced. This is 164 kWh in excess of the benchmark.

Averaging 1,773 gallons per 1,000 garment pieces, the manufacturers’ water use exceeds the benchmark by 687 gallons.

As for solid waste, factories generate an average of 200 pounds, 74 pounds over the benchmark.

Tetra Tech also studied the environmental impact of on-site worker housing dormitories, which the firm said was “a smaller, but significant component of the typical overall garment factory in terms of water and energy use.”

Each garment worker living in company-provided housing has an average daily energy use of 4.55 kwh and water use of 72.3 gallons. The benchmarks are 2.99 kwh and 55.6 gallons.

Tetra Tech recommended four ways that the local apparel industry could reduce environmental impact:

– Conduct an energy audit and prioritize actions.

– Conduct a water audit and prioritize actions.

– Segregate and recycle fabric scraps.

– Identify and eliminate the cause of spots quickly and use what spot cleaners are required sparingly. Eliminate chlorinated solvents if at all possible.

“The Green Garments Project aims to help member companies improve their competitiveness and environmental performance by identifying best management practices that conserve water and energy, use less toxic chemicals, and minimize waste,” Tetra Tech wrote.

“Companies that implement the recommended [best management practices] can realize multiple benefits: cost savings, improved worker conditions, reduced risk of regulatory problems, and decreased impact on the local environment and community,” it added.

Patrick Wooliever and Michael Keefe of Tetra Tech are on island to conduct a series of environmental lectures and workshops for local auto repair shops, health clinics, and the Commonwealth Health Center.

They were guests at yesterday’s Saipan Rotary Club meeting at the Hyatt Regency Saipan.