SUSTAINABILITY AND CSR AS CRUCIAL ELEMENTS OF MODERN BUSINESS
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GROWTH THROUGH SUSTAINABILITY TRANSFORMATION WRITTEN BY
MARCUS LAWRENCE PRODUCED BY
NATHAN HOLMES
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Soorty Denim Mill is equipped with the latest Infrastructure w w w.so o r t y. com
SOORTY ENTERPRISES
SOORTY ENTERPRISES IS CONDUCTING AN ARRAY OF INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES AND TECHNOLOGIES, ALONG WITH A ROBUST CSR PROGRAMME, TO ESTABLISH ITSELF AS THE LEADING SUSTAINABLE DENIM MANUFACTURER
T
he denim industry is a notoriously inefficient user of natural resources, but few are more aware, concerned or proactive
about this fact than Soorty Enterprises. While its global operations span Bangladesh, Turkey, the Netherlands and the US, the firm’s deepest roots 04
remain in its home country of Pakistan, a region being disproportionately impacted by climate change relative to its emissions. In 2015, a heatwave in Karachi claimed 2,000 lives and Asad Soorty, Director of Operations at the company, laments that such disasters will only become more frequent. “This coastal city, once with pleasant temperatures and a nice sea breeze, is almost perpetually parched,” he says. “About 60% of the country’s population is food insecure, and almost 45% of kids are experiencing stunted growth. All of this is now; and we haven’t yet moved into the era where Pakistan will be the eighth most climate change-affected country.” He stresses, however, that this exposure to the realities of climate change has not focused the company’s sustainability ambitions on Pakistan, alone. “This is a prime example of a country that
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SOORTY ENTERPRISES
needs to utilise its arable land more effectively: rather than growing cotton,
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of industrial wastewater, globally. Soorty’s efforts to curb its environ-
we should be growing food crops. We
mental impact represent some of the
want to be a part of this change, and
most practical and innovative strate-
we are working hard to disrupt the
gies in the industry, and they are driven
industry. But we don’t see it as a Paki-
by adherence to William McDonough
stan-centric issue. Climate change isn’t
and Dr Michael Braungart’s interna-
a problem bound by borders; unfortu-
tionally-recognised Cradle to Cradle
nately, its solutions are.” He adds that,
(C2C) standards. “We want to have
as a textile company, Soorty stands to
a symbiotic relationship with the en-
make a significant impact: the textiles
vironment,” explains Mr Soorty. “We
industry, by some estimates, produces
think that the C2C design philosophy is
more CO2 than the aeronautical and
the way to go for the entire fashion sec-
maritime industries combined, as well
tor, and it’s a philosophy we subscribe
as being responsible for around 20%
to wholeheartedly.” C2C product certi-
Laser Technology for jeans dry processing is now a commodity in Soorty Enterprises
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘THE SOORTY REVOLUTION’ 07 fication is awarded to products follow-
wards fully sustainable solutions: “We
ing a rigorous assessment procedure
have adopted the Tonello UP denim
across five sustainability categories:
washing technology, enabling us to
material health, material reuse, renew-
process the garments with a liquor
able energy and carbon management,
ratio of 1:2 and thereby process 1kg
water stewardship, and social fairness.
of fabric using just two litres of water.
Soorty’s proprietary Zero Waste Water
In the conventional process, the ratio
dyeing process has been used in a
is as high as 1:8, so we have reduced
range of denim fabrics that have been
water usage in this process by 75%.”
certified Gold against these metrics.
The company is also using nebuliser
The complexities of the next-gen solu-
technology that dyes the garments
tions are explained by Sarfraz Cheema,
through a water-chemical cloud, itself
Head of Sustainability of the garment
saving 95% of the water used con-
division, who is responsible for driving
ventionally. The bleaching process is
Soorty’s manufacturing processes to-
perhaps the most impactful, as it uses w w w.so o r t y. com
SOORTY ENTERPRISES
“ WE EXIST ON MANY PARTS OF THE VALUE CHAIN, HELPING OUR CUSTOMERS TO IDENTIFY THE LATEST FASHION TRENDS AND THE WHITE SPACES IN THEIR MERCHANDISE OFFERINGS” — Asad Soorty, Director of Operations, Soorty Enterprises
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no water at all, Cheema explains. “To bleach, mercerise and decolour the garments, we use ozone, which is a very aggressive gas,” he says. “Ozone makes it possible to complete these processes without any chemicals or water. It is reduced to Oxygen after being used.” Any wastewater is collected and treated at the company’s Effluent Treatment and part of it goes through the reverse osmosis plants for reuse in the manufacturing cycle. Soorty has its own jeans recycling facility, where it collects leftover denims and
6.5mn
metres of fabric capacity per month
1983
Year founded
1,830
tons of yarn capacity per month
creates recycled cotton from it. This
Corporate Communications and CSR
is blended with virgin cotton to mini-
for Social Sustainability and Communi-
mise the need for fresh cotton to be
ty Relations, replies, “I think it depends
grown and processed.
what you mean by ‘success’ – we don’t
Along with its work towards sustain-
view our CSR as separate from the
able manufacturing, Soorty is also
business, because it isn’t. If we don’t
engaged in myriad corporate social re-
exist to have a positive effect on so-
sponsibility (CSR) projects as a means
ciety, there will be no society for us to
to benefit society, alongside mitigating
exist in. If we can do that then yes, we
its environmental impact. When asked
will be successful.” Whatever your defi-
about the company’s successes in this
nition of success, it cannot be denied
area, Mobeen Chughtai, Manager of
that Soorty has conducted a series of
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
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Asad Soorty A graduate of the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley, is an Director at Soorty Enterprises. Asad worked in consulting for a short period of time before realizing that his interests lay elsewhere. He joined his family company in 2015 with a vision to create succession, and thus sustain the company’s inclusive growth. Asad began with a six-month training program where he rotated between the different departments and divisions of the company. This was followed by a six-month stint as Manager Process Excellence at one of Soorty’s production units. These grassroots perspectives, coupled with his strong academic background, have allowed him to settle well into the company and begin taking charge. In his free time, Asad enjoys playing football and volunteering. His passion for volunteering has led him to the Robin Hood Army, where he is an active volunteer and member of the core team of the Pakistan chapter.
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THE ERA OF CONVENTIONAL STONE-WASH IS OVER TAB WASH IS THE FUTURE OF JEANS WASH Proud partner of Soorty for the Chemical Innovations
impactful CSR programmes and initia-
year, we launched a unique project
tives across Pakistan, including those
in Pakistan: the Soorty Enhancing
in education, health and social welfare,
Women Service (SEWS) project. It will
but its CSR program is evolving be-
enable and encourage the employ-
yond conventional interventions. “In the
ability and empowerment of women
last few months, we have focused our
from low-income backgrounds – the
efforts on two primary issues: mitigat-
first such UN SDG-compliant, multi-
ing climate change and empowering
partner venture launched by a for-profit
women,” continues Chughtai. “Female
entity in Pakistan, to help underprivi-
empowerment is of special signifi-
leged families.” Chughtai stresses
cance in the developing world, where
that climate change, however, is the
women find it much harder to secure
core existential crisis of our times,
their God-given rights or access to
and Soorty is leveraging innovative
basic services, such as healthcare,
technologies outside of its manufactur-
education and justice. In August of this
ing processes to address the chal-
“ WE DON’T VIEW OUR CSR AS SEPARATE FROM THE BUSINESS, BECAUSE IT ISN’T. IF WE DON’T EXIST TO HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT ON SOCIETY, THERE WILL BE NO SOCIETY FOR US TO EXIST IN” — Mobeen Chughtai, Manager of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Soorty Enterprises
Ozone Gas is being used to replace conventional bleaching, saving lots of water
E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Sarfraz Cheema As the Chief Operating Officer at Soorty Enterprises, Sarfraz Cheema oversees the production of over a million garments per month. He also serves as the Head of Sustainability for the garments division and strives hard to reduce the overall carbon foot print and set bench marks for the rest of the industry to follow. Sarfraz has been a part of Soorty Enterprises since 2005. Being a chemical engineer, by training gives him an edge in understanding fast moving fashion and the associated wet garment processing. He is considered a pioneering expert in the field, having spent over two decades in the Textiles sector.
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SOORTY ENTERPRISES
lenge head-on. “We are in Phase 2 of our Forest Rescue Initiative, designed to reclaim arable land from the Thar desert,” says Chughtai. “For our tree planting strategy, we have partnered with Forests4All, a plantation network from the Netherlands, along with Danish botanical innovator Groasis to use its patented Waterboxx® technology.” Waterboxx® circumvents the difficulties of limited rainfall and a deep water table by passively watering saplings over the course of a year. “In the two or three months required for a seed12
ling’s roots to reach the groundwater, you must water them. A vast majority of planted saplings simply die off because one: there is no water to give them; and two: there is nobody to water them. With Waterboxx®, you only need to add water once each year,” Chughtai enthuses. “Under this initiative, we also plan on gifting an Urban Forest to Karachi City.” As the company moves to expand its operations in the US, Mr Soorty is confident that the company has a value proposition that will keenly differentiate it in the highly competitive market. “Our company is a global concern, from our multiple country of produc-
Soorty Citizen Alpha Program – Encouraging Industry visit for Students
“ SEWS WILL ENABLE AND ENCOURAGE THE EMPLOYABILITY AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN FROM LOW-INCOME BACKGROUNDS” — Mobeen Chughtai, Manager of Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, Soorty Enterprises
13 E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Mobeen Chughtai Mobeen is a Communications and CSR Specialist with over 13 years of experience in the trade after finishing his training at the prestigious Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) in Pakistan. He has experience handling both ends of the communications chain, having worked as the business reporting lead for Punjab at numerous media outlets and has served as a consultant to the Punjab Government on development communications. Having also served as the lead business developer for his alma mater, he currently heads the Corporate Communications and CSR portfolios at Soorty Enterprises — Pakistan’s largest vertically integrated Denim manufacturer and exporter.
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SOORTY ENTERPRISES
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“ TO BLEACH, MERCERISE AND DECOLOUR THE GARMENTS, WE USE OZONE, WHICH IS A VERY AGGRESSIVE GAS. OZONE MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO COMPLETE THESE PROCESSES WITHOUT ANY CHEMICALS OR WATER. IT IS REDUCED TO OXYGEN AFTER BEING USED” — Sarfraz Cheema, Chief Operating Officer and Head of Sustainability, Soorty Enterprises
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tion model in Bangladesh and Pakistan to our design studios in Manhattan,
ries that go beyond simple compliance.” It is a testament to the depth and bril-
Amsterdam, Karachi and more,” he
liance of Soorty’s CSR and sustain-
explains. “Soorty provides more
ability strategies that they could not all
than just manufacturing. We exist
be condensed into the scope of this
on many parts of the value chain,
profile, although it is abundantly appar-
helping our customers to identify the
ent that the established brands in the
latest fashion trends and the white
US are set for some fierce new com-
spaces in their merchandise offerings.
petition in a world where the conscious
Our strong R&D allows them to have in-
consumer is rapidly becoming king.
novative and high-performance denim, while our responsible manufacturing methods offer fully transparent factow w w.so o r t y. com
Soorty Enterprises Plot 26 Sector 23 Korangi Industrial Area Karachi 74900 Pakistan T +92 21 35061912 www.soorty.com