Every year Bangladesh loses more trees, more green space, and more natural protection against a warming planet.
Rivers swell, floods intensify, and summers grow harsher.
Climate scientists repeatedly warn that countries like Bangladesh stand on the frontline of the global climate crisis -- yet the changes needed to slow the damage often begin with something surprisingly small.
Sometimes it begins with a shopping bag.
That is why popular fashion brand Aarong’s recent decision to stop providing free shopping bags deserves more attention than the immediate frustration it has triggered among some customers.
While many shoppers see it as an inconvenience, the policy actually represents a broader shift toward sustainable habits -- one that has already transformed consumer behaviour in many countries around the world.
When Aarong announced its “Bring Your Own Bag” campaign on July 1, 2025, the message was simple but powerful: From September 1, customers will be encouraged to bring their own reusable bags instead of relying on disposable ones.
Paper bags will no longer be given free of charge, and a small fee will apply to both paper and reusable options.
The reasoning is straightforward.
Producing just 700 paper bags requires cutting down a 15- to 20-year-old tree. Multiply that by thousands of bags used daily in major retail outlets, and the environmental cost becomes impossible to ignore.
More importantly, Aarong says 100% of the money collected from bag sales will fund tree-planting projects across Bangladesh.
To reward environmentally-conscious shoppers, the retailer will also offer a 15-taka discount to customers who bring their own bags.
But beyond the policy itself lies a larger question.
Is Aarong doing something unusual?
The answer is simple: No. In fact, what Aarong is introducing is a practice that has already become common in many parts of the world.
A global trend, not experiment
Although this initiative may appear new to many Bangladeshi consumers, it is already well established in many countries.
In the United Kingdom, for example, the government introduced a charge on single-use plastic carrier bags in 2015.
The results were dramatic.
Within a few years, plastic bag usage at major retailers dropped by more than 98%, falling from billions of bags annually to only a fraction of that number.
The impact was not limited to waste reduction.
The policy also raised millions of pounds for environmental and community projects.
Since the charge was introduced, retailers have donated more than £225 million to good causes from bag-charge proceeds.
Across the UK, the change also triggered a cultural shift. Shoppers began carrying reusable bags as part of everyday life.
Similar policies exist across Europe.
Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland introduced bag charges even earlier, with studies showing reductions of around 70% in plastic bag use within the first few years.
In many cities in the United States, including California and New York, stores either charge for disposable bags or ban them entirely.
In India, several states have implemented strict restrictions on single-use plastic bags, pushing consumers to carry reusable alternatives.
From personal experience, the concept is hardly surprising.
A few years ago I spent several months in South India.
Carrying reusable shopping bags there is simply part of everyday life.
I remember always keeping two folded cloth bags inside my shoulder bag, one for groceries and another for clothes or other purchases.
The same thing was true in Delhi. If you forgot your bag, you either paid for one or carried your items by hand. Nobody found this unusual.
Whereas in Bangladesh, when Rumin Farhana MP carried her purchased items in hand, it sparked trolling and became a subject of social media chatter.
It was simply normal behaviour.
That cultural shift did not happen overnight. It took years of policies, campaigns, and small behavioural nudges.
But today, reusable bags are second nature for millions of shoppers.
Build a habit
In Bangladesh, however, the reaction to Aarong’s decision reveals something important.
When I recently visited one of its outlets, I overheard customers expressing frustration about the lack of free bags. Some even felt the company was being unfair.
What was missing from many of these conversations was the environmental context.
Bangladesh is one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Rising temperatures, flooding, and extreme weather events are already affecting millions of people.
Yet when a retailer takes a small step toward reducing waste, public reaction can still be resistance.
This is unfortunate because Aarong’s policy is not about selling bags.
The 15-taka discount offered to customers who bring their own bags clearly shows the real intention: Encouraging a behavioural change.
In other words, Aarong is trying to build a habit.
This is also where the government could play a crucial role.
Bangladesh’s newly elected government has repeatedly emphasized environmental protection and climate resilience as national priorities.
Policies aimed at reducing waste, protecting natural resources, and strengthening climate adaptation have been highlighted in various public statements and development strategies.
But meaningful environmental change rarely comes from government action alone.
Retailers, brands and consumers must also participate.
One practical step could be for the government to sit down with major retail chains and shopping brands to develop a joint national policy on shopping bags.
Such a policy could include three simple principles:
This would create consistency across the retail sector and accelerate the cultural shift already underway.
A cultural change begins
Ultimately, Aarong’s initiative is not revolutionary in the global context.
But for Bangladesh, it represents the beginning of something important.
Environmental awareness often spreads through small changes in everyday habits.
A reusable bag may seem insignificant, but multiplied across millions of shoppers, it can dramatically reduce waste and resource consumption.
Someone has to take the first step.
In this case, Aarong appears to be doing exactly that.
Today people may complain about the inconvenience. Tomorrow they may simply bring their own bags.
And perhaps a few years from now, carrying a reusable shopping bag will feel just as normal in Dhaka as it does in Delhi, London, or Stockholm.
When that happens, we may look back at this moment and realize that the change started with something very simple -- a bag that was no longer free, but carried a greater purpose.
For a country on the frontline of climate change, that is a habit worth building.
Anando Mostofa is News Editor at Dhaka Tribune.
