ECO-JUTE

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SDGs: Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production

Jute: An eco-friendly alternative for a sustainable future

The Challenge

Jute is vital to the economies of India and Bangladesh. It is biodegradable, absorbs CO2 and releases O2 and N2 in the atmosphere. However, during jute cultivation, jute plants are soaked in water for several days (a process called retting) in order to separate the fibres. This retting process destroys the quality of water and affects fish cultivation. Additionally, during production of Jute Diversified Products (JDPs), producers use dyes and chemicals which can cause negative environmental impacts. Addressing these challenges and encouraging production and consumption of eco-friendly JDPs helps to develop the jute industry in Bangladesh and India, to alleviate poverty and to ensure environmental sustainability.

The Objectives

The project aimed at reducing poverty and promoting economic prosperity by encouraging a switch to more sustainable production and consumption of eco-friendly Jute Diversified Products (JDPs) in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Specific objectives included:

To support 500 JDP-producing SMEs in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India;
To promote eco-friendly production processes (reducing water and energy consumption, chemical residues and greenhouse gases emissions);
To increase the use of environmentally-friendly dyes;
To increase the demand for and sales of eco-friendly JDPs from Bangladesh and India (in Bangladesh, India and Europe);
To increase sales by the target SMEs by 20%;
To receive orders from at least 50 wholesalers for eco-friendly JDPs.