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Brandix first apparel maker in the world to get ISO 50001

28 Jul '11

5 min read

The Brandix Group has achieved another global first for Sri Lanka by becoming the first apparel manufacturer in the world to receive ISO 50001, less than a month after the stringent Energy Management Systems standard was introduced by the International Standards Organisation.

On Thursday 14th July 2011, auditors from Det Norske Veritas (DNV) - Netherlands confirmed that the Brandix Eco Centre at Seeduwa, a 130,000 square foot Green factory producing apparel for Marks & Spencer (M&S) was compliant with ISO 50001:2011, a standard that became official worldwide on 17th June 2011.

With this certification, Brandix also became only the third manufacturing entity worldwide across all sectors of industry to be ISO 50001 certified, and the only apparel producer in this ultra exclusive group.

Due to the fact the Brandix factory had already achieved and maintained compliance well before the standard was released, it was able to obtain this certification in a short time period, whereas normal certification could take up to three months, officials said.

This is the second time that the Brandix Group and its Green factory have achieved global firsts for Sri Lanka's apparel industry. In April 2008 the Brandix Eco Centre became the first apparel factory in the world to receive a Platinum rating from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System of the US Green Building Council (USGBC). It has also been commended as a global model for sustainable production by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and in Britain's House of Lords.

"Periodic achievements of compliance with the world's most stringent environmental standards are important milestones in our road map to reaching the highest possible levels of sustainable manufacture," Brandix Director AJ Johnpillai said. "They are also critical to positioning the capability and commitment of Sri Lanka's apparel industry to eco-friendly operations, and represent a significant competitive advantage."

The latest standard introduced by the International Standards Organisation, ISO 50001: 2011 establishes a framework for industrial plants, commercial facilities or entire organisations to manage energy with a strong focus on continuous improvement. The organisation has announced that the objective of the new standard is to address the present day energy crisis by encouraging greater energy efficiency and thereby achieving reduction in energy consumption by industry.

The Brandix Green factory currently consumes an average 6,800 kWh of energy daily. This represents a saving of 46 per cent after it was redesigned as an eco-friendly manufacturing facility. The factory has also achieved a reduction of carbon emissions by 64 per cent, a reduction of water consumption of 63 per cent and zero solid waste to landfill.

Elaborating on the need for standards such as ISO 50001, Iresha Somaratne, the Head of Environment & Energy Management at Brandix said: "More than one billion people in Africa, Asia and South America have no access to proper energy. To address this problem without increasing carbon emissions, it has been estimated that global industry will have to reduce energy consumption by 40 per cent. At Brandix, we look at local as well as global priorities in our drive for environment-friendly manufacture."

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