Managing Plastic Wastes

Plastic bottles and polythene bags are everywhere now and they have become a part of our daily life. Though there is a nearly two-decade old ban on the use of polythene shopping bags in Bangladesh, both manufacturers and consumers do not seem to be concerned about it. To see the real picture of the availability of poly bags in the local market, this correspondent recently visited some markets in the capital and talked to manufactures, environmental groups, experts and officials regarding the use of plastic products and their proper management to keep our environment safe.

Anis Mia, 22, a fishmonger at Gopibagh kitchen market was putting fresh fish in disposable polythene bags for his customers. “There is no other suitable means (like cloth or paper bags) for our customers to carry home fresh produce. Besides, most of them do not bring any shopping bags with them when they come to the market. So, we have to offer them poly bags,” Mia said regarding use of the banned item.

Meanwhile, Shankar Kumar Biswas, a customer, was seen buying rice and oil from a grocery store at the market, but he did not have any shopping bag with him. So, the shopkeeper, Akash Hossain, had to pack the items in poly bags for his regular customer. When asked why he did not carry a reusable shopping bag, Biswas, a 67-year-old retired banker, replied: “Once, I used to carry a shopping bag made of jute. But gradually, I gave up the practice. Now, I do not bring any bag from home as every shopkeeper gives me a plastic bag for free with my purchases. It is more convenient.”

Hossain, the 22-year-old shopkeeper, explained how they could provide poly bags free of cost: “We buy the bags for Tk 120 per kilogramme from a local supplier. So, each bag costs us about 25 paisa only. Besides these bags, we also have paper bags. But most of our customers prefer plastic bags.”

The government in January 2002 banned the production, sale and use of polythene bags less than 55-micrometre (micron) thick under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (1995). In addition, another law, named ‘Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010’, was later enacted making it mandatory to use jute in packaging. However, it is clear that neither law is being followed or implemented properly.

While talking to The Weekend Independent, a polythene bag supplier at Gopibagh market, who requested that his name not be used, said most of the factories that are still making thin polythene bags are located at Chawkbazar, Bakshi Bazar, Lalbagh, Shahid Nagar, Islambagh and Swari Ghat areas of Old Dhaka. Buyers come there from different parts of the country to place orders for bags. Suppliers purchase the bags for Tk 60 to Tk 90 per kg at wholesale rate, he added.

Akram Hossain, 33, owner of Akram Plastics at Chawkbazar, said over mobile phone, “We have almost all sizes of polythene bags in our shop. If you want, you can come or send someone at Masjid Goli. I am going to send one of my staff there. He will receive your order,” said Hossain. But when he realised he was talking to the press, he cut off the phone call.

On the other hand, Saiful Uddin, owner of Ziauddin and Co at Bakshi Bazar, who supplies poly bags to RMG (readymade garments) factories, said he is manufacturing plastic bags legally. “We maintain every rule and regulation regarding production of polythene bags in our factory. We do not produce the thin shopping bags that are available in kitchen markets. The police can better say who are producing that illegal stuff,” said Uddin, 38.

However, Muradul Islam, inspector (investigation) at Chawkbazar Police Station, denied the existence of illegal poly shopping bag factories in his area. “As far as I know, there are no such factories in my area. The Department of Environment conducted raids here two years ago. But recently, they have been no such activities,” Islam said.

About regulating plastic products, Sultan Ahmed, director general, Department of Environment (DoE), said, “Only the production and distribution of polythene shopping bags (less than 55 microns) are illegal and the punishment is a Tk-5,000 fine and six months’ imprisonment.”

The DG also informed that they organise regular mobile courts to check the production and supply of the banned product. “We carry out raids regularly to catch those who engage in such activities. Local business owners also help us and they also inspire others not to produce such harmful products in their factories,” Ahmed said.

“We cannot ignore the presence of poly bag factories in our country as we see they are easily available in our kitchen markets,” M Yusuf Ashraf, former president of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said explaining the reality. “Bangladesh was the first country in the whole world to implement a ban on production and sale of thin plastic bags in 2002. At the time, our manufacturers wanted to resell their bag-making machines to Russia. But due to some strict criteria of the then government, they could not do that. Later on, those old machines were sold to local businesspeople. For that, we can still see the production of illegal poly bags, at very low cost.”

According to Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), an environment protection movement, pollution of the environment by plastic products is a global problem now. A recent study shows sea turtles eating polythene bags flowing into the sea as those are mistaken for jellyfish, Khan said. Plastic pollution hampers the food chain in the ecosystem and thus, disturbs the lives of flora and fauna. It also reduces the fertility of the land and production capacity. So, the less we use plastic products, the better for all of us, he added.  

“About three decades ago, polythene shopping bags were introduced in our country and they replaced the traditional biodegradable jute or cloth bags. Polythene bags are cheaper and so shopkeepers can give it to their customers for free. It is estimated that about five poly bags are used on average daily in every household in the capital,” Khan said.

The Poba chairman believes the law banning plastic bags needs some urgent revisions: “Many years have passed; fruitful implementation of the law has not been seen yet. We think the time has come to amend the law and all relevant authorities should take immediate steps to tackle the wide use of plastic products.”

“We do not have any effective application of this law. There is only one case going on,” added AMA Mamun, a lawyer working for Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), an organisation that is working to protect and conserve our environment.

Of course, polythene bags protect food items from germs and help preserve their freshness for a long time, said Amanat Ullah Khan, a retired professor of the Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka. Khan, who has been working on environmental analysis, climatology, urban planning and climate change for many years, believes the problem with using poly bags is the negative impact on the environment as the products are not biodegradable. Discarded poly bags do not decompose and remain within the soil for many years. Thus, the fertility of farm lands is reduced. “We cannot use polythene bags. We also need to be concerned about proper waste management of polythene refuse,” he added.

According to the environmental expert, plastic pollution has become a threat to people, particularly those living in urban areas. We see regular water-logging in the city and the authorities claim plastic wastes dumped in the drains are responsible for it. Besides polythene, widely used nylon net bags are also non-biodegradable, Khan said.

Meanwhile, this correspondent found many factories recycling used plastic products, such as bottles and poly bags, which are collected by ragpickers from garbage dumps or the river. The mostly nameless factories make everything from shopping bags and kitchenware to toys and hair accessories with the crudely recycled plastic.

Khan suggests applying modern technology to reuse and recycle plastic wastes to protect the environment. Alternatives to plastic products should also be made easily available. “Besides, people should change their mindsets and resume the practice of taking their own shopping bags when going to the market,” he added.

M Yusuf Ashraf, who is also a director of FBCCI (Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry), agreed with Khan’s suggestion: “Till now, there is no good alternative packaging material for industrial products besides plastic. So, we think proper management of plastic wastes is urgently required for protecting the environment. Even if the government adds extra tax to bear the cost of waste management, we are ready to comply,” Ashraf added.

Meanwhile, Mubarak Ahmad Khan, a scientist of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), has invented a jute-based biodegradable poly bag, named ‘sonali bag’, which can be a suitable replacement for harmful polythene bags. “There is no any better alternative to jute poly bags as low-cost and environment-friendly carriers. The owners of supermarkets and garments factories are coming to me to place orders. We haven't fixed the price yet. But of course, we will consider keeping the price low. We hope sonali bags will be made available in the local market soon,” said Khan, scientific adviser of BJMC.

Regarding waste management in the capital, Khandoker Millatul Islam, an additional waste officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), said, “Our waste collectors sort out plastic wastes after collecting garbage from city households. There are many recycling factories that collect and recycle plastic wastes to make new products. So, when we finally get household garbage from our collectors, the amount of plastic products is very small. We then deposit the garbage at dumping sites at Matuail in Demra near the capital. You can see many ragpickers at the garbage dumps who pick non- biodegradable wastes to resale.”

“At Matuail, there are separate spaces for different types of wastes. Generally, we dump medical wastes in one place and there is a JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) project to manage those. Using Japanese technology, the wastes are being recycled. The good news is that with the cooperation of some international aid organisations, a proposal for a project named ‘waste energy’ has been submitted to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) to produce fertilizer, gas and electricity from rubbish,” the DSCC official added.

To combat plastic pollution globally, this year World Environment Day will be observed on June 5 with the theme ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’. The slogan of the day is: If you can't reuse it, refuse it. That is very relevant for Bangladesh today. n

Photos: File, Internet.

Managing Plastic Wastes

Plastic bottles and polythene bags are everywhere now and they have become a part of our daily life. Though there is a nearly two-decade old ban on the use of polythene shopping bags in Bangladesh, both manufacturers and consumers do not seem to be concerned about it. To see the real picture of the availability of poly bags in the local market, this correspondent recently visited some markets in the capital and talked to manufactures, environmental groups, experts and officials regarding the use of plastic products and their proper management to keep our environment safe. Anis Mia, 22, a fishmonger at Gopibagh kitchen market was putting fresh fish in disposable polythene bags for his customers. There is no other suitable means (like cloth or paper bags) for our customers to carry home fresh produce. Besides, most of them do not bring any shopping bags with them when they come to the market. So, we have to offer them poly bags, Mia said regarding use of the banned item. Meanwhile, Shankar Kumar Biswas, a customer, was seen buying rice and oil from a grocery store at the market, but he did not have any shopping bag with him. So, the shopkeeper, Akash Hossain, had to pack the items in poly bags for his regular customer. When asked why he did not carry a reusable shopping bag, Biswas, a 67-year-old retired banker, replied: Once, I used to carry a shopping bag made of jute. But gradually, I gave up the practice. Now, I do not bring any bag from home as every shopkeeper gives me a plastic bag for free with my purchases. It is more convenient. Hossain, the 22-year-old shopkeeper, explained how they could provide poly bags free of cost: We buy the bags for Tk 120 per kilogramme from a local supplier. So, each bag costs us about 25 paisa only. Besides these bags, we also have paper bags. But most of our customers prefer plastic bags. The government in January 2002 banned the production, sale and use of polythene bags less than 55-micrometre (micron) thick under the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act (1995). In addition, another law, named Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010, was later enacted making it mandatory to use jute in packaging. However, it is clear that neither law is being followed or implemented properly. While talking to The Weekend Independent, a polythene bag supplier at Gopibagh market, who requested that his name not be used, said most of the factories that are still making thin polythene bags are located at Chawkbazar, Bakshi Bazar, Lalbagh, Shahid Nagar, Islambagh and Swari Ghat areas of Old Dhaka. Buyers come there from different parts of the country to place orders for bags. Suppliers purchase the bags for Tk 60 to Tk 90 per kg at wholesale rate, he added. Akram Hossain, 33, owner of Akram Plastics at Chawkbazar, said over mobile phone, We have almost all sizes of polythene bags in our shop. If you want, you can come or send someone at Masjid Goli. I am going to send one of my staff there. He will receive your order, said Hossain. But when he realised he was talking to the press, he cut off the phone call. On the other hand, Saiful Uddin, owner of Ziauddin and Co at Bakshi Bazar, who supplies poly bags to RMG (readymade garments) factories, said he is manufacturing plastic bags legally. We maintain every rule and regulation regarding production of polythene bags in our factory. We do not produce the thin shopping bags that are available in kitchen markets. The police can better say who are producing that illegal stuff, said Uddin, 38. However, Muradul Islam, inspector (investigation) at Chawkbazar Police Station, denied the existence of illegal poly shopping bag factories in his area. As far as I know, there are no such factories in my area. The Department of Environment conducted raids here two years ago. But recently, they have been no such activities, Islam said. About regulating plastic products, Sultan Ahmed, director general, Department of Environment (DoE), said, Only the production and distribution of polythene shopping bags (less than 55 microns) are illegal and the punishment is a Tk-5,000 fine and six months imprisonment. The DG also informed that they organise regular mobile courts to check the production and supply of the banned product. We carry out raids regularly to catch those who engage in such activities. Local business owners also help us and they also inspire others not to produce such harmful products in their factories, Ahmed said. We cannot ignore the presence of poly bag factories in our country as we see they are easily available in our kitchen markets, M Yusuf Ashraf, former president of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said explaining the reality. Bangladesh was the first country in the whole world to implement a ban on production and sale of thin plastic bags in 2002. At the time, our manufacturers wanted to resell their bag-making machines to Russia. But due to some strict criteria of the then government, they could not do that. Later on, those old machines were sold to local businesspeople. For that, we can still see the production of illegal poly bags, at very low cost. According to Abu Naser Khan, chairman of Poribesh Bachao Andolon (Poba), an environment protection movement, pollution of the environment by plastic products is a global problem now. A recent study shows sea turtles eating polythene bags flowing into the sea as those are mistaken for jellyfish, Khan said. Plastic pollution hampers the food chain in the ecosystem and thus, disturbs the lives of flora and fauna. It also reduces the fertility of the land and production capacity. So, the less we use plastic products, the better for all of us, he added. About three decades ago, polythene shopping bags were introduced in our country and they replaced the traditional biodegradable jute or cloth bags. Polythene bags are cheaper and so shopkeepers can give it to their customers for free. It is estimated that about five poly bags are used on average daily in every household in the capital, Khan said. The Poba chairman believes the law banning plastic bags needs some urgent revisions: Many years have passed; fruitful implementation of the law has not been seen yet. We think the time has come to amend the law and all relevant authorities should take immediate steps to tackle the wide use of plastic products. We do not have any effective application of this law. There is only one case going on, added AMA Mamun, a lawyer working for Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA), an organisation that is working to protect and conserve our environment. Of course, polythene bags protect food items from germs and help preserve their freshness for a long time, said Amanat Ullah Khan, a retired professor of the Department of Geography and Environment, University of Dhaka. Khan, who has been working on environmental analysis, climatology, urban planning and climate change for many years, believes the problem with using poly bags is the negative impact on the environment as the products are not biodegradable. Discarded poly bags do not decompose and remain within the soil for many years. Thus, the fertility of farm lands is reduced. We cannot use polythene bags. We also need to be concerned about proper waste management of polythene refuse, he added. According to the environmental expert, plastic pollution has become a threat to people, particularly those living in urban areas. We see regular water-logging in the city and the authorities claim plastic wastes dumped in the drains are responsible for it. Besides polythene, widely used nylon net bags are also non-biodegradable, Khan said. Meanwhile, this correspondent found many factories recycling used plastic products, such as bottles and poly bags, which are collected by ragpickers from garbage dumps or the river. The mostly nameless factories make everything from shopping bags and kitchenware to toys and hair accessories with the crudely recycled plastic. Khan suggests applying modern technology to reuse and recycle plastic wastes to protect the environment. Alternatives to plastic products should also be made easily available. Besides, people should change their mindsets and resume the practice of taking their own shopping bags when going to the market, he added. M Yusuf Ashraf, who is also a director of FBCCI (Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry), agreed with Khans suggestion: Till now, there is no good alternative packaging material for industrial products besides plastic. So, we think proper management of plastic wastes is urgently required for protecting the environment. Even if the government adds extra tax to bear the cost of waste management, we are ready to comply, Ashraf added. Meanwhile, Mubarak Ahmad Khan, a scientist of Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC), has invented a jute-based biodegradable poly bag, named sonali bag, which can be a suitable replacement for harmful polythene bags. There is no any better alternative to jute poly bags as low-cost and environment-friendly carriers. The owners of supermarkets and garments factories are coming to me to place orders. We havent fixed the price yet. But of course, we will consider keeping the price low. We hope sonali bags will be made available in the local market soon, said Khan, scientific adviser of BJMC. Regarding waste management in the capital, Khandoker Millatul Islam, an additional waste officer of Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), said, Our waste collectors sort out plastic wastes after collecting garbage from city households. There are many recycling factories that collect and recycle plastic wastes to make new products. So, when we finally get household garbage from our collectors, the amount of plastic products is very small. We then deposit the garbage at dumping sites at Matuail in Demra near the capital. You can see many ragpickers at the garbage dumps who pick non- biodegradable wastes to resale. At Matuail, there are separate spaces for different types of wastes. Generally, we dump medical wastes in one place and there is a JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) project to manage those. Using Japanese technology, the wastes are being recycled. The good news is that with the cooperation of some international aid organisations, a proposal for a project named waste energy has been submitted to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) to produce fertilizer, gas and electricity from rubbish, the DSCC official added. To combat plastic pollution globally, this year World Environment Day will be observed on June 5 with the theme Beat Plastic Pollution. The slogan of the day is: If you cant reuse it, refuse it. That is very relevant for Bangladesh today. n Photos: File, Internet.