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Who will save our villages from plastic pollution?

Who will save our villages from plastic pollution?
Our villages are silently suffering due to plastic pollution, which is causing our lands to lose fertility. FILE PHOTO: STAR

Plastic pollution is one of the rapidly growing major environmental concerns worldwide. In our country, it has become a serious environmental challenge as well. We are one of the top countries in the world that mismanages plastic waste. Reports show that Bangladesh generates around 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, and around 14 million polybags are used daily in Dhaka.

According to a study by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), a family in Dhaka city uses five polythene bags on average per day. In a recent roundtable discussion hosted by UNOPS Bangladesh, an estimated five times more plastics will end up being in the Bay of Bengal in 2025 than in 2010.

Single-use plastics and polybags alarmingly keep polluting our cities, towns, countryside, rivers, and canals. Newspapers frequently publish reports focusing on plastic pollution in urban and city areas, but there is almost no discussion about the growing plastic pollution in the countryside.

However, it is evident that plastic pollution is no longer an urban problem alone. Slowly, our villages are dying because of plastic litter. It is affecting the rural environment, people's health, and the sustainability of rural communities.

There is no provision for waste collection and management services in the bazaars and small towns in rural areas. There is no designated dumping area. People simply throw away plastic wherever they finish using it. The sustainable, natural lifestyles often associated with rural communities are no longer there.

In rural areas and bazaars, the small grocery shops are often obscured by hanging packets of chips, dalbhaza, jhalmuri, and other items. The shop owners, consumers, and companies profiting from these products all seem oblivious to the environmental costs of the plastic packaging.

Once in the villages, people used to go to weekly bazaars with a basket made of cane or bamboo, but now carrying that basket is out of fashion, and people go shopping every day and carry things in single-use polythene bags as these have become the only comfortable and presentable means.

While the situation in urban areas is also concerning, there are at least some mitigating factors. Urban areas have cleaners who sweep the roads every morning, shops equipped with garbage bins, and growing public awareness about the importance of proper waste disposal. But none of these exist in rural areas.

Our villages are silently suffering due to plastic pollution, which is causing our lands to lose fertility. It has made our bazaars and surrounding places dirty and unhealthy. During the rainy season, plastic waste blocks drainage and sewage systems as well as rivers, leading to severe waterlogging, deadly flooding, and the increased spread of diseases. This issue is not just limited to visible pollution; some recent studies have detected microplastics in human blood, indicating the pervasive and insidious nature of plastic contamination.

Plastics have become an inseparable part of our lives, both in cities and villages. Plastic pollution is not a problem in our country alone. Globally, we produce around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. Modern life is unthinkable without the use of plastic. But the silent disaster this is causing is unimaginable, especially in developing countries like ours where civic sense is yet to grow in people.

We were the first country to ban polythene bags and single-use plastics in 2002. However, the law was poorly implemented and failed to bring about significant change. Last year, the interim government, once again, decided to enforce the ban on single-use plastics, starting with plastic grocery bags. Unfortunately, this initiative also seems to be ineffective. Plastic manufacturers have urged the government to delay the implementation of these measures until after 2030, citing the lack of practical alternatives currently available in the market.

Practical solutions to this problem are required rather than just implementing bans. We need to stop this slow disaster, but this is not an overnight task. Better management of plastic waste and public awareness should be prioritised. We need a comprehensive awareness campaign across the country to increase plastic literacy among people.

Companies that profit from cheap plastic packaging should be held accountable and contribute to public awareness-raising campaigns in the villages. Non-governmental organisations can also play a crucial role in supporting these efforts. Schools and colleges in rural areas can carry out cleanup initiatives with their students to build awareness. If we all become responsible plastic users and dispose of garbage in designated places, much of this problem can be mitigated, and we can keep our surroundings clean and green.


Parvez Uddin Chowdhury is a development worker and climate enthusiast.


Views expressed in this article are the author's own.


Follow The Daily Star Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions, commentaries, and analyses by experts and professionals. To contribute your article or letter to The Daily Star Opinion, see our guidelines for submission.


 

Comments

Who will save our villages from plastic pollution?

Who will save our villages from plastic pollution?
Our villages are silently suffering due to plastic pollution, which is causing our lands to lose fertility. FILE PHOTO: STAR

Plastic pollution is one of the rapidly growing major environmental concerns worldwide. In our country, it has become a serious environmental challenge as well. We are one of the top countries in the world that mismanages plastic waste. Reports show that Bangladesh generates around 3,000 tonnes of plastic waste every day, and around 14 million polybags are used daily in Dhaka.

According to a study by the Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO), a family in Dhaka city uses five polythene bags on average per day. In a recent roundtable discussion hosted by UNOPS Bangladesh, an estimated five times more plastics will end up being in the Bay of Bengal in 2025 than in 2010.

Single-use plastics and polybags alarmingly keep polluting our cities, towns, countryside, rivers, and canals. Newspapers frequently publish reports focusing on plastic pollution in urban and city areas, but there is almost no discussion about the growing plastic pollution in the countryside.

However, it is evident that plastic pollution is no longer an urban problem alone. Slowly, our villages are dying because of plastic litter. It is affecting the rural environment, people's health, and the sustainability of rural communities.

There is no provision for waste collection and management services in the bazaars and small towns in rural areas. There is no designated dumping area. People simply throw away plastic wherever they finish using it. The sustainable, natural lifestyles often associated with rural communities are no longer there.

In rural areas and bazaars, the small grocery shops are often obscured by hanging packets of chips, dalbhaza, jhalmuri, and other items. The shop owners, consumers, and companies profiting from these products all seem oblivious to the environmental costs of the plastic packaging.

Once in the villages, people used to go to weekly bazaars with a basket made of cane or bamboo, but now carrying that basket is out of fashion, and people go shopping every day and carry things in single-use polythene bags as these have become the only comfortable and presentable means.

While the situation in urban areas is also concerning, there are at least some mitigating factors. Urban areas have cleaners who sweep the roads every morning, shops equipped with garbage bins, and growing public awareness about the importance of proper waste disposal. But none of these exist in rural areas.

Our villages are silently suffering due to plastic pollution, which is causing our lands to lose fertility. It has made our bazaars and surrounding places dirty and unhealthy. During the rainy season, plastic waste blocks drainage and sewage systems as well as rivers, leading to severe waterlogging, deadly flooding, and the increased spread of diseases. This issue is not just limited to visible pollution; some recent studies have detected microplastics in human blood, indicating the pervasive and insidious nature of plastic contamination.

Plastics have become an inseparable part of our lives, both in cities and villages. Plastic pollution is not a problem in our country alone. Globally, we produce around 400 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. Modern life is unthinkable without the use of plastic. But the silent disaster this is causing is unimaginable, especially in developing countries like ours where civic sense is yet to grow in people.

We were the first country to ban polythene bags and single-use plastics in 2002. However, the law was poorly implemented and failed to bring about significant change. Last year, the interim government, once again, decided to enforce the ban on single-use plastics, starting with plastic grocery bags. Unfortunately, this initiative also seems to be ineffective. Plastic manufacturers have urged the government to delay the implementation of these measures until after 2030, citing the lack of practical alternatives currently available in the market.

Practical solutions to this problem are required rather than just implementing bans. We need to stop this slow disaster, but this is not an overnight task. Better management of plastic waste and public awareness should be prioritised. We need a comprehensive awareness campaign across the country to increase plastic literacy among people.

Companies that profit from cheap plastic packaging should be held accountable and contribute to public awareness-raising campaigns in the villages. Non-governmental organisations can also play a crucial role in supporting these efforts. Schools and colleges in rural areas can carry out cleanup initiatives with their students to build awareness. If we all become responsible plastic users and dispose of garbage in designated places, much of this problem can be mitigated, and we can keep our surroundings clean and green.


Parvez Uddin Chowdhury is a development worker and climate enthusiast.


Views expressed in this article are the author's own.


Follow The Daily Star Opinion on Facebook for the latest opinions, commentaries, and analyses by experts and professionals. To contribute your article or letter to The Daily Star Opinion, see our guidelines for submission.


 

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শিক্ষার্থীরা রাজনৈতিক দল গঠনে প্রস্তুত: ফিন্যান্সিয়াল টাইমসের পডকাস্টে ড. ইউনূস

সুইজারল্যান্ডের দাভোসে বিশ্ব অর্থনৈতিক ফোরামের বার্ষিক সম্মেলনে গিয়ে ফিন্যান্সিয়াল টাইমসের পডকাস্টে যোগ দেন ড. মুহাম্মদ ইউনূস।

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