Factory owners in Bangladesh who adopted eco-friendly techniques wish they hadn’t done so. While green techniques demand heavy expenditure, buyers don’t pay more. There is no special privilege for green garment factories. Buyers do not even consider paying a higher price for factory remediation as recommended by Accord and Alliance.

If anything prices of Bangladesh-made garment items have declined 40 per cent over the last 15 years. Bangladesh has the highest number of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green garment factories certified by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).

Currently, 67 green garment factories are in operation and another 300 are in the process of getting the certification. Of the top ten green garment factories in the world, seven are in Bangladesh. In fact the country has the world's first platinum-rated green denim factory. The world’s highest rated LEED platinum denim factory, knit factory, washing plant and textile mill all are situated in Bangladesh.

Factory owners’ main intent in setting up green factories was to lower the consumption of water and power. They thought branding would give them a mileage in selling goods – but apparently they thought wrong. In South Asia, Bangladesh has taken the lead in green initiatives.