As Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry responds to growing sustainability and traceability demands, cellulosic fibres are gaining greater attention as a potential pathway towards a more responsible value chain. In this conversation, Engr. Mohammad Mesbah Uddin, Country Manager (Bangladesh Office), China Textile Academy Green Fiber Co. Ltd., discusses the development and potential of Lyocell G Fiber, its applications in Bangladesh, closed-loop production, responsible raw-material sourcing and traceability. He also highlights the importance of technical adaptation in spinning mills and explains how sustainable and functional fibres can support Bangladesh’s transition towards a greener, more competitive textile industry.
TexSPACE Today: Could you briefly introduce your company and its position within the textile industry?
Mohammad Mesbah Uddin: Our company is China Textile Academic Green Fiber Corporation Ltd., commonly known as CTA Green Fiber. We are an entity under China General Technology (Group) Holding Co., Ltd., which is commonly called Genertec. Genertec has several entities, and CTA Green Fiber is one of the textile-related core entities within the group.
Our major product is Lyocell G Fiber, which we commonly call G Fiber. The development of this product is part of a China industry-academia collaboration project. The project received government recognition in China. After completing the necessary operational development, the project received the green signal to operate globally toward the end of 2022. From the beginning of 2023, we started supplying our fiber to international markets, including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, European countries, and markets in the Middle East and North Africa, such as Morocco. We also have a very good business connection with Turkey, which is an important market for us. Our current annual production capacity is approximately 110,000 tonnes per year. We are expanding our production facilities because the demand for sustainable cellulosic fibers is increasing.
TexSPACE Today: There are already globally recognized lyocell producers, what makes Lyocell G Fiber different?
Mohammad Mesbah Uddin: There are several well-known lyocell producers globally. For example, Lenzing has TENCEL™, and there are also Chinese producers such as Sateri that manufacture lyocell fibers. Our strength is that we are not limited to one standard lyocell product. We have developed different categories and variants for different textile applications. We have G-FIBER® THINCELL, G-FIBER® UNICELL, G-FIBER® LF, G-FIBER® NWCELL, , BBCELL, and G-FIBER® RECLECELL.
For example, we have bamboo-based Lyocell BBCELL, which is a very environmentally friendly option because bamboo is a renewable raw material. We also have functional lyocell fibers, including flame-retardant Lyocell (G-FIBER® LR) and antibacterial Lyocell (G-FIBER®AB), which are designed for specific high-performance textile applications and also we have a G-FIBER® RECLECELL, it is a recycled Lyocell processed and produced from waste textiles. We have entered into an agreement with CIRCULOSE®, a breakthrough next-generation raw material made from 100% recycled, cotton-rich textile waste. Originally developed by the Swedish company Renewcell, CIRCULOSE® offers an innovative solution to the growing challenges of raw material scarcity, textile waste, and sustainability, supporting the transition toward a more circular textile industry
TexSPACE Today: What type of Lyocell G-fiber is particularly relevant to the Bangladesh market?
Mohammad Mesbah Uddin: Bangladesh is extremely important because it is one of the world’s major apparel-exporting countries. The country has a very strong textile and garment manufacturing base, particularly in knitwear, woven garments, denim, and yarn production.
For the Bangladesh spinning market, our standard lyocell fiber is particularly relevant. The standard specification is approximately 38 mm fiber length and 1.33 dtex fineness. This specification is suitable for the spinning market and can be used to produce yarn for both woven and knitted textiles. This is one of our core products for the Bangladesh market. For recycled products we recommend G-FIBER® RECLECELL (30% Circulose and 70% FSC certified Wood Pulp)
TexSPACE Today: Why is lyocell considered an eco-friendly fiber?
Mohammad Mesbah Uddin: One of the most important reasons is the closed-loop manufacturing process. In lyocell production, we use NMMO (N-methylmorpholine N-oxide), as the solvent.
Approximately 99.95% of the solvent is recovered and reused. This means that most of the solvent remains within the production system instead of being discharged. The closed-loop process helps reduce waste, water consumption, solvent consumption, and emissions. This is one of the major environmental advantages of lyocell. Most major lyocell producers in the global market also use a closed-loop process, so this is an important characteristic of the lyocell production technology.
Also our raw-material sourcing is supported by FSC certification. The wood pulp can come from responsibly managed sources, including eucalyptus and other tree species. We also pay attention to responsible forestry requirements and the protection of ancient and endangered forests. We are also associated with Canopy Style-related responsible sourcing requirements, which are important for companies using forest-based cellulosic materials.
TexSPACE Today: Traceability is becoming increasingly important for international buyers. How are you addressing this?
Speaker: Buyers want to know where the raw material comes from, how it is processed, and what its environmental impact is. For our products, we have traceability systems that allow information about the source and characteristics of the fiber to be identified. We also use G5 traceability marking, through which information related to the material source, production, and environmental impact can be accessed.
For example, if a product is bamboo-based, the traceability information can identify that origin and provide information about its environmental characteristics. This is particularly important for international buyers because they increasingly need evidence to support their sustainability claims.
TexSPACE Today: How important is circularity for the future of Bangladesh’s textile industry?
Mohammad Mesbah Uddin: Bangladesh is a major apparel-exporting country, and the industry is fulfilling the requirements of many international buyers. But buyer requirements are changing. Buyers are increasingly asking manufacturers to use recycled or more sustainable materials. In some cases, they are asking for approximately 20–30% recycled content, depending on the product and requirement.
For Bangladesh, products such as our bamboo-based lyocell, standard lyocell, Uni-cell, LW Cell, they can provide different solutions.
TexSPACE Today: What should spinning mills consider when processing lyocell?
Mohammad Mesbah Uddin: This is very important, particularly for Bangladesh. A major issue is that some spinning mills are still using relatively old machinery. Some machines in operation were manufactured decades ago. Of course, it is possible to process lyocell on existing machinery, but the machine settings and processing parameters need to be adjusted.
Lyocell has a smooth fiber surface, so we need to pay attention to fiber handling and abrasion. The blow-room and carding processes are particularly important. For example, in certain processing stages, we recommend maintaining a lower speed of approximately 600–700 rpm, whereas cotton processing may commonly use around 1,200 rpm.
If the correct parameters are not followed, the customer may experience problems and think that the fiber is responsible. But in many cases, the actual issue is the machinery setting or processing parameter.
TexSPACE Today: Finally, what message would you like to share with Bangladesh’s textile and apparel industry?
Mohammad Mesbah Uddin: Bangladesh has a very strong textile and apparel industry and is already one of the most important apparel-exporting countries in the world.
The next challenge is sustainability. The global buyers of tomorrow will increasingly ask for traceable, recycled, renewable, and environmentally responsible fibers. Bangladesh has the manufacturing capability and supply-chain position to respond to this demand, but the industry will need to continue developing its technology and technical knowledge. Lyocell G Fiber can be one of the solutions. Through standard Lyocell, Bamboo-based Lyocell, Functional fibers (G-FIBER® FR & G-FIBER® AB), and Recycled products G-FIBER® RECLECELL, we want to provide different solutions for different market requirements.
Ultimately, our objective is not only to sell fiber. It is to work together with spinners, textile manufacturers, garment manufacturers, and brands to build a more sustainable and traceable textile value chain.
