Major portion of plastic waste not recycled

A major portion of plastic waste ends up in landfills and a substantial amount pollutes the marine environment every year instead of being recycled, according to experts.

"About 293,825 tonnes of plastic waste are recycled per year," said Ferdaus Ara Begum, chief executive officer of Business Initiative Leading Development (BUILD).

Another 207,685 tonnes are leaked into the environment and 319,740 tonnes end up in landfills, she added.

Begum was addressing a dialogue on "Domestic policy dynamics around plastic to textiles value chain in Bangladesh" organised by BUILD at its office in the city's Motijheel yesterday.

She also said a substantial amount has been polluting the marine environment.

According to her, plastic takes 1,000 years to degrade and due to human behaviour, the environment is being littered and polluted with plastic.

Referring to industry insiders, Begum informed that about 50,000 tonnes of waste plastic were recycled per year by polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flake manufacturers and exported to different countries.

A huge amount of plastic waste is being generated, but an insignificant amount is being recycled, even though there is enormous local and global demand for recycled products, she said.

Addressing the dialogue, Anwar ul Alam Chowdhury Parvez, president of the Bangladesh Chamber of Industries (BCI), said microplastic, which cannot be seen by the naked eye, is a matter of concern for the human body as well as the marine environment.

However, he said, the entrepreneurs who came forward to recycle plastic waste should be incentivised through tax holidays or cash incentives.

He also assured that the BCI would extend cooperation to the entrepreneurs for the expansion of their capacities.

Parvez further said Bangladesh is not responsible for global warming and its effects but is a major victim of its impacts.

Asif Ibrahim, founder of BUILD, said Bangladesh was at a crucial juncture in its journey toward developing a circular economy, where sustainable practices and policy dynamics around recycling could play a vital role.

In a circular economy, resources are continuously cycled back into production proposes, reducing waste and minimising environmental impacts, he said.

By introducing tax incentives for businesses that adopt sustainable practices and recycling technologies, the government could promote innovation in circular process, Ibrahim said.

He also suggested introducing a green fund, which would include tax breaks for companies investing in green technologies or penalties for excessive waste generation.

Shamim Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said around 99 percent of solid plastic waste is being recycled, and it has led to the creation of an industry and generated employment.

He also said there is a lot of scope for investors as developed countries encourage the use of recycled products, particularly Europe.

They prefer recycled plastic products than virgin ones as it is a part of environment conservation, he said.

Among others, Partick Shroder, senior research fellow at Chatham House, Abu Monjur Sayed, deputy general manager of the SME foundation, Ragib Ibnul Asif, deputy director of the sustainable finance department at the Bangladesh Bank, Abu Mukhles Alamgir Hossain, director of the Export Promotion Bureau, and Sultana Akter, deputy secretary of the export wing at the commerce ministry, were present.