Pakistan’s Artistic Milliners’ Eco-Tech Unit has received LEED Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.
The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) plaque on a building is a mark of quality and efficiency in green building. LEED Platinum is a step up from the Pakistan’s first LEED Gold building that Artistic Milliners established in 2014. The Eco-Tech unit has a daily production capacity of 25,000 garments and employs nearly 3,000 people.
The latest version of the Green Building Council LEED certification–LEED v4 BD+C–is more advanced and transparent compared to previous versions. Artistic Milliners is now one of the five companies in the South Asia Region to be certified for this standard.
According to the Green Building Council, LEED v4.1 includes updated referenced standards and allows projects to earn LEED points through building performance monitoring. The BD+C has particular evaluations for building design and construction.
LEED Platinum scores companies against 58 specific checkpoints on energy, water, innovation and environmental quality. Artistic Milliners said it has scored the highest points ever to be achieved by any company in Pakistan. This was thanks to the building incorporating innovative measures to reduce carbon emissions, save energy, improve water efficiency, reduce waste and create healthy living and working environments compared to conventional buildings.
Water remains at the top of the company’s sustainability agenda. The company has achieved a 50 percent reduction in water. Apparel produced at the Eco-Tech Unit are washed in the specially designed “Smart Laundry,” with washing machines and dryers that have energy and water saving features. The building also has 98 percent rainwater harvesting.
A 62 percent reduction in energy use has come from the use of solar panels, waste-heat recovery boilers and efficient lighting and machinery.
Artistic Milliners Eco-Tech factory also has a biological wastewater treatment plant that eradicates the hazard of chemical sludge at the source. The facility also recycles 85 percent of its water, equaling a savings of 297,500 gallons of water per day. The company has set ambitious target of Zero Liquid Discharge across all its mills and laundries by 2025.
From the social perspective, the factory has a modern daycare center for workers to bring their children to work. The center was established in consultancy with Catco Kids, a firm that is accredited by U.S. Department of Youth and Family Services and Department of Education.
The vertically integrated Artistic Milliners, based in Karachi, spins about 5.3 million pounds of yarn and producing 5.5 million meters of denim fabric per month. The company also has a capacity of 1.8 million garments per month using advanced automated machines.