Despite the versatility of its use, plastic has quite quickly proven itself to be one of the biggest contributors to the current state of pollution in Bangladesh.
Earlier this year, tourist trawlers were temporarily banned in the Kalagachhi and Dobeki tourist centres due to widespread discarding of various plastic products by tourists, most of which were of the single-use variety. This is exactly the reason why we agree with the experts who are calling for a ban on single-use plastic items in the Sundarbans -- one of the world's largest mangrove forests -- and the nation’s coastal areas.
Plastic products leave an indelible mark on not just the environment but also on public health. In fact, according to the World Bank, Bangladesh’s annual per capita plastic consumption in urban areas increased from 3kg in 2005 to 9kg in 2020. This has resulted in a situation where about 646 tons of plastic waste is collected in the capital city alone on a daily basis, which is 10% of all waste generated in Bangladesh.
The proliferation of plastic in practically every facet of our lives, coupled with the constant state of disrepair that our waste management system is endemic to, results in a veritable public health disaster by exacerbating issues such as water-logging.
Something's got to give.
A blanket ban on single-use plastics in places such as the Sundarbans is the perfect jumping off point. However, a blanket ban on plastic itself is much less realistic, what we need is to slowly phase out over-reliance on plastic by adopting more sustainable materials to manufacture products such as disposable bags. A resuscitation of jute, to that end, could prove to be a solution.
Thursday, March 20, 2025
