Calls for household-level waste segregation
BM Report:
Environmental experts at a workshop today emphasized the importance of household-level segregation of organic and non-organic waste to tackle the country’s burgeoning plastic waste problem. They highlighted that more than 50% of plastic waste in Bangladesh is not being recycled, posing a significant threat to the environment.
Professor Mohammad Jamal Uddin, an environmental sciences professor at Jahangirnagar University, stressed the need to recycle all plastic waste into long-term use materials to curb environmental degradation. He also suggested that the government could initiate support projects for small and medium plastic recycling industries to produce sustainable and commercially viable plastic products.
The workshop, titled “Innovative Plastic Goods Production and Marketing Linkage,” was organized by Resource Integration Centre (RIC), a local non-governmental organization, under its “Sustainable Enterprise Project (SEP)” in the capital.
Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) Chief Waste Management Officer Md Iftikhar Ahmad Chowdhury and Regional Executive Officer (Region-3) Babar Ali Mir, along with RIC General Manager Alauddin Khan, also addressed the workshop.
Chowdhury stated that the DSCC currently collects a total of 2700-3000 tons of trash, including 15% plastic waste, every day. He underscored the need for awareness campaigns and behavioral change interventions at the root level to encourage household and workplace segregation of organic and non-organic waste.
Emphasizing the promotion of plastic recycled products, Chowdhury noted that even small vendors could benefit from recycling waste if Dhaka residents generated clean plastic waste.
RIC has implemented a sub-project named “Support for Creating Economically, Socially, and Environmentally Friendly Small and Medium Plastic Recycling Industries” in Dhaka’s Lalbag, Islambag, and Kamrangirchar areas.
According to the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA), plastic use in Bangladesh is growing at an alarming rate of 20% per year. The association predicts that this trend will continue, as the country’s per-capita plastic use currently stands at 17 kg, significantly lower than the world average of 45 kg.
The workshop highlighted the urgent need for concerted efforts from individuals, communities, businesses, and the government to address the plastic waste crisis in Bangladesh. Segregating waste at the household level and promoting plastic recycling are crucial steps towards a more sustainable future.
