Aarong has reported significant environmental gains from its Bring Your Own Bag (BYOB) campaign, saying the initiative has helped save nearly 4.68 million paper bags over seven months while generating over Tk 2.89 crore to fund sustainability projects across Bangladesh.
At a press briefing held at the BRAC Centre in Dhaka, the organization addressed public concerns, clarified misconceptions, and outlined the impact of its initiative aimed at reducing paper bag consumption and promoting more sustainable consumer habits.
Launched to discourage unnecessary use of single-use paper bags, Aarong introduced a nominal charge on shopping bags from September 2025, while offering Tk 15 cashback to customers who bring their own bags.
Over the seven-month period from September 2025 to March 2026, Aarong said the initiative helped save 46,79,721 paper bags compared to the same period last year an estimated equivalent of 6,000 trees. During the same period, Tk 2,89,90,812 was generated from paper bag sales, which the company said will be fully reinvested into environmental and afforestation projects.
Aarong Managing Director Tamara Hasan Abed said during a presentation, “We have always maintained that the proceeds from paper bag sales will not be treated as profit. This money will be directed toward environmental initiatives.”
She added that the campaign aims to revive older, more sustainable consumption habits. “We want to bring back the habit of carrying your own bag, and encourage the next generation to adopt it as well,” she said.
Describing the broader environmental concern, she said, “We have seen a realization that our current lifestyle is not sustainable for the planet,” adding that excessive consumption of paper bags must be reduced.
She further noted that most customers have supported the initiative. “Most of our customers are conscientious citizens who support Aarong’s sustainability philosophy,” she said.
However, she also acknowledged challenges during the campaign period, including incidents involving retail staff. “Unfortunately, in some cases, our staff were verbally abused and even physically harassed,” she said, adding that many frontline employees are students working part-time.
On feedback and conduct, she said, “We welcome feedback through multiple channels including customer service hotlines, in-store systems, and social media, but harassment and non-consensual filming of employees are unacceptable.”
She added, “We remained patient throughout the Eid period, as we planned to address everything at the appropriate time.”
Building on the BYOB campaign, Aarong announced three major environmental initiatives funded through bag sales revenue.
These include a Tk 1 crore allocation to BRAC’s Ultra Poor Graduation Programme, where 40,000 women will receive 80,000 saplings combining fruit trees for nutrition and timber species for long-term income.
“We are providing support to women in extreme poverty through fruit and timber saplings that can improve nutrition and become future assets,” Tamara Hasan Abed said.
The company also announced a Habitat Co-Creation initiative in the Barind region to address water scarcity and ecological degradation. The project will focus on irrigation support and plantation of 50,000 trees in Rajshahi’s Barind tract.
Additionally, Aarong will collaborate with Mission Green Bangladesh to develop two Miyawaki forests in Demra and Rupganj, planting around 20,000 trees to create dense urban micro-ecosystems.
On the initiative, she said, “The Miyawaki forests will help improve air quality and biodiversity in densely populated areas.”
She added that discussions are ongoing with universities and local authorities to finalize project locations.
Reaffirming Aarong’s broader environmental direction, she said the organization is committed to reducing its ecological footprint across its supply chain through initiatives such as paperless billing and sustainable production practices.
“This initiative is part of our long-term commitment to a greener and more resilient Bangladesh,” she said.
Speaking about the Barind restoration initiative, Khondaker Hasibul Kabir said the project goes beyond tree plantation and aims to restore ecological knowledge and community connections with nature. He said food forests are being created through dense plantation, adding that early results show visible ecological recovery with wildlife gradually returning to restored areas.
The briefing concluded with a call for continued public engagement through official channels, while discouraging misinformation and disruptive behaviour.