Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (Bela) Chief Executive Syeda Rizwana Hasan on Wednesday said plastic is not a cheap product.
“While it may seem inexpensive, its detrimental long-term effects are enormous,” she said.
She said this while delivering a keynote speech during a discussion held at the Brac Centre in Mohakhali on Wednesday.
“Proliferation of plastic and polyethene use and pollution remains unchecked due to a lack of political will,” she added.
“Some 3,000 factories are producing 14 million polythene bags in the country daily. She suggested using environment-friendly biodegradable indigenous materials like jute, fabrics etc, for product packaging and everyday shopping instead of single-use plastic. This approach, she noted, would not only protect the environment but also contribute to the expansion of domestic products,” she said.
In an effort to tackle plastic pollution, top local and multinational companies formed the Bangladesh Sustainability Alliance (BSA) in November 2023 in the presence of the-then Special Envoy to the Prime Minister on Environment and Climate Change Saber Hossein Chowdhury, MP, who has become the minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The program Sustainability Shorts was launched with a discussion on Plastic and the Environment. Sustainability Shorts is an endeavour to amplify messages around sustainability and cascade best practices among communities.
Asif Saleh, executive director of Brac said: “BSA serves as a platform where diverse perspectives on preventing plastic pollution and protecting the environment are welcomed and encouraged.”
During her keynote speech, Syeda Rizwana Hasan presented various facts and data, emphasising the domestic and international laws related to plastic pollution and the necessity of ensuring proper plastic waste management.
She pointed out that between 2005 and 2020, per capita consumption of plastic products in Bangladesh increased from 3kg to 9kg, with a significant portion ending up in land and rivers. She highlighted existing positive laws in the country to regulate the arbitrary use of plastic products, which requires proper law enforcement to halt plastic use and ensure effective waste management. Challenges such as insufficient market monitoring and budget constraints in plastic waste management were also acknowledged.
Representatives from various organisations, including Brac Enterprises, PRAN-RFL, Bangladesh Petrochemical Company Ltd, and Marico Bangladesh, participated in this session along with young climate activists.
The Bangladesh Sustainability Alliance is the first of its kind initiative that brings together businesses and other organisations to address the Sustainable Development Agenda on a broader scale. The Alliance brings together diverse perspectives, resources and expertise from multiple stakeholders to accelerate progress on sustainable development in order to meet the greatest societal and planetary challenges. The thematic areas of work are Biodiversity, Nature, Livelihoods and Waste Management.
The founding members of the Alliance are BRAC, Pran-RFL, Standard Chartered Bangladesh, Unilever Bangladesh Limited, Bangladesh Petrochemical Company Limited, and Marico Bangladesh Limited.
