DHAKA, Oct 8, 2022 (BSS) - Speakers at a seminar today stressed the need for finding an innovative and smart solution for ensuring a sustainable waste management including plastic waste management in the country.
They made the call at a high-level multi-stakeholder' seminar titled "Enabling Policy for Sustainable Plastic Waste Management" jointly organized by the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) and Unilever Bangladesh held at a hotel here.
LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam spoke at the seminar as the chief guest. Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin, Senior Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office Md. Tofazzal Hossain Miah spoke as special guests. The event was presided over by FBCCI President Md. Jashim Uddin.
Speaking on the occasion, the LGRD Minister said, "We will have to find innovative and smart solutions for Waste Management. Moreover, waste collection is currently not considered to be sustainable as it is still not viewed as a business proposition."
He said an effective solution would be to follow the circular system which ensures that the consumption of plastic does not increase and moves towards a sustainable waste management model.
"We must also empower the value chain actors and provide holistic support to the informal sector, comprising the micro entrepreneurs, scrap dealers and waste pickers. This informal yet important sector must be facilitated, and a proper structure should be developed for our own sake."
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Md. Shahab Uddin said, "Waste Management is a complex process as it has multiple industries and stakeholder involvement. Our focus is to co-create policies that are practical and effective, in consultation with stakeholders, including brand owners, to intervene in the value chain."
He said there is a need to identify the mechanisms and institutional arrangements necessary to co-devise a circular plastic economy.
"Implementation of the action plan also requires the allocation of budget and resources leveraging both public and private finance. We hope that this plan will help the government achieve its vision and become a role model for other countries." Shahab added.
Senior Secretary of PMO Tofazzal Hossain Miah said that the Bangladesh government's Vision 2041 has incorporated plastic waste management in its Sustainable Urbanisation goals. "Managing plastic waste capability and efficiency will be required if we want to upgrade our country to a high-income country."
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In his welcome speech, FBBCI President Md. Jashim Uddin said that it is very common that plastic usage will increase with per capita income and GDP, so the use of more plastic is a good sign for the economy.
"Using more plastic is not the problem, rather, plastic waste management is the main challenge. One key area for intervention is mass awareness creation about waste disposal. If we could segregate waste at source like in developed countries by increasing the engagement of people, we would be able to implement a sustainable model for plastic waste management." He added.
The FBCCI chief also said that waste segregation at source makes waste recycling viable. "We need to create awareness among mass people about how to segregate and dispose of waste and that is the biggest challenge for us."
Unilever Bangladesh CEO and Managing Director Mr. Zaved Akhtar at his presentation, mentioned that they have taken a few pilot projects in collaboration with city corporations. "If our voluntary initiatives do not get proper facilitation, other organizations will not be encouraged to participate. We must understand that one or two organizations would probably not be able to solve the problem, it would require the whole business community to come forward and contribute."
While delivering the keynote paper, Professor Dr. Ijaz Hossain, Panel Advisor, FBCCI and Former Dean, Faculty of Engineering, BUET said "The government has taken few good initiatives to address waste management in Bangladesh. However, the main challenge is the lack of technical and financial capability of the municipalities to collect waste from households and process unsegregated mixed waste,"
In the short-term, he said Material Recovery Facility (MRF) can be installed and thus Revised Derived Fuel (RDF) can be produced from the waste at a lower cost.
Shamim Ahmed, President of Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BPGMEA) said that the plastic sector acts as the co-driver of all other industries. Hence, the government should invest more in infrastructure development in sustainable waste management, he added.
He also urged the government to provide incentives and tax rebate facilities on the private sector initiatives in the production of plastic waste materials.
In the panel discussion Eun Joo Allison Yi, senior environmental specialist of the World Bank reaffirmed the commitment of the World Bank.
"We stand ready to work with the government of Bangladesh as well as the private sector to help program and finance complementary investments to strengthen plastic waste management," Allison added.
The World Bank official said the lending agency would also work with the government of Bangladesh for transitioning to a circular economy by promoting new jobs and business innovation in plastics alternatives, invest in city corporations zones, coastal areas to integrate plastics waste education and cleanup, and coordinate policy frameworks to enable and accelerate action for the benefit of environment and people and green growth in Bangladesh.
Iqbal Habib, FBCCI panel expert and joint secretary of Bangladesh Environment Movement, Md. Moinul Islam, Urban Planner, Narayanganj City Corporation (NCC) and Khadem Mahmud Yousuf, managing director and CEO of Bangladesh Petrochemical Company also participated in Panel Discussion.
FBCCI senior vice president Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, vice presidents Salahuddin Alamgir, Md. Amin Helaly, Md. Habib Ullah Dawn, directors and secretary general of FBCCI Mohammad Mahfuzul Hoque attended the seminar.
The seminar was moderated by Shamia Akther, director and head of communication and partnerships of Unilever Bangladesh.
