Plastic recycling plants in Bangladesh are becoming a vital part of the circular economy as foreign buyers are prioritising sourcing plastic products from Bangladeshi manufacturers who use recycled plastic along with virgin materials.

At present about 80 per cent of the plastic waste is collected in the country in various ways and various products are being made through those being recycled into plastic granules.

"We could not imagine what the industrial value of recycle plastic was just 10 to 12 years ago which now has become an important part of the plastic industry," said Shamim Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA).

He frankly disclosed this emerging new business idea and environment protection initiative through a telephonic interview with The Daily Star yesterday.

Around 300 small and medium plastic recycling plants have been set up in the country while conglomerates including Pran-RFL Group and Akij Group have also invested in this sector

Referring to a recent study on the overall plastic industry of Bangladesh, he said around 300 small and medium plastic recycling plants have been set up in the country while conglomerates including Pran-RFL Group and Akij Group have also invested in this sector.

The association estimates that Bangladesh now uses around 40 per cent of plastic waste through recycling plants whereas a World Bank's study found it to be 30 per cent in 2020, said Ahmed.

He finds four reasons for the increase in recycling in Bangladesh – growth of a circular economy, demand for recycled plastic from buyers, growing awareness and the government's National Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management.

According to Shamim, investors are automatically drawn to any manufacturing process that deals with plastic waste recycling.

Buyers now set preconditions when placing purchase orders for manufacturing processes to use at least 20 per cent recycled plastic with virgin materials, he said.

Against this backdrop, plastic exporters are sourcing recycled plastic flakes from local recyclers which in some cases were costlier than virgin plastic, he said.

The national action plan sets a target of recycling 50 per cent of the plastics used by 2025, phasing out single-use plastic by 90 per cent by 2026 and reducing plastic waste generation by 30 per cent by 2030, all from what was in fiscal year 2020-21.

Besides, the government's 8th Five Year Plan aims to phase out single-use plastic like cups, plates, stirrers and cutlery, candy wrappers, sachets, extruded polystyrene, cigarette filters, cotton swabs, water and juice bottles, bags and multilayer plastic packaging.

Meanwhile, the association and the Department of Environment has taken up initiatives to ban use of plastic cutlery, cotton swabs, coffee stirrers and water and juice bottles in coastal areas.

In 2020, a High Court also directed authorities concerned to ban single-use plastic in coastal areas and in all hotels and motels across the country.

And to embrace the country's heritage, many Bangladeshis are starting to use earthen pots, said Shamim.

He, however, acknowledged that the use of plastic and the amount of associated waste generated has increased due to the rapid pace of urbanisation and development despite an increase in waste collection.

The country's annual per capita plastic consumption in urban areas tripled to nine kilogrammes (kg) in 2020 from three kg in 2005.

Dhaka's annual per capita consumption of plastic is 22.5 kg, significantly higher than the national average.

Shamim believes the national action plan's target to phasing out single-use plastic by 90 per cent by 2026 and reducing plastic waste generation by 30 per cent by 2030 would be achieved.

Moreover, the plastic recycling industry will play a vital role in exports as well as creating employment, he said.

To make the initiatives stick there needs to be wider buy-in from all stakeholders, including the government, the private sector, development partners, and citizens, he said.