Every time we shop for groceries, it appears that plastic is an inevitable part of the experience. While many companies are slowly implementing upscaling, introducing paper bags and biodegradable plastic, consumers are often unaware of their overall plastic consumption. Bazar365 is an online marketplace targeting to mitigate this lack of awareness by creating an eco-friendly space for customers to fulfil their responsibilities. Bazar365's model aligns with SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production. They are tackling this goal by creating a greener shopping experience and an eco-friendly marketplace.

The business was conceptualised when Muntasir Rashid Bhuiyan and Alec Mithun took the initiative and decided to work towards one of the most pressing issues not only in Bangladesh but around the world — saving the environment. With the goal of creating an environmentally friendly ecosystem, Bazar365 was put into action giving customers the magical power to save the environment.

Plastic is a man-made problem. Daily, we contribute to plastic consumption, thereby affecting the entire planet. Bazar365, the country's first eco-friendly online grocery and business model, is offering a solution to recycle its used plastic. The company enables its customers to check their plastic footprint and be conscious of their use of plastic.

Many online marketplaces are offering convenient and easy grocery shopping. However, what sets Bazar365 apart is its green initiative and the emphasis they place on plastic management awareness. Starting with allowing their customers to keep track of the amount of plastic they use, to giving them the opportunity to recycle the plastic, customers have the option to avoid sending plastic into landfills and have the power to save the environment from their homes.

When you get your delivery, you will inevitably find some plastic packaging. However, the store's policy allows you to save the plastic, and make a return during the next delivery. In doing so, you can collect reward points, which can later be used as a discount for your deliveries. As for the other waste material, it is passed onto their permitted recycling partners who ensure the safe disposal of immensely harmful material, fulfilling the main purpose of Bazar365. Long-time customers received plant pots made from returned plastic. Essentially, the customer does not have to look too far to live a greener lifestyle with Bazar365, that too, with added cost-efficient benefits.

To ensure food safety, using biodegradable plastic is paramount. At Bazar365, they are used to package poultry and meat, and customers do not need to return them. Additionally, the packaging also targets to reduce waste and move towards plastic-free packaging. Furthermore, all the products are acquired from authorised sources.

To maintain transparency and an ethical code, Bazar365 plans to open up its warehouse to customers so that they can visit and see how the manufacturing and packaging are done. Another step on the business's agenda is to reuse low-value plastic like candy wrappers, which cannot be properly recycled and does not even have a resale value. The business wants to utilise these plastics to develop a kind of grocery bag and add it to its return policy.

Bazar365 hopes to expand within the Dhaka division in the next couple of months and hopes to go nationwide in the next two years. Customers can order from their website through Facebook Messenger or their hotline number. For customers living abroad who are looking to send groceries to their parents back home, a WhatsApp number is also available.

Photo: Bazar365