B’desh can produce huge RDF, alternative to coal, from municipal garbage: Expert

BSS, Dhaka :
The country could manufacture Refused Derived Fuel (RDF), alternative to coal from soiled plastics currently disposed off as municipal garbage in the landfill sites in huge quantity.
According to a latest baseline survey on the potential of RDF, Bangladesh can produce 3.5 lack tons of RDF annually replacing 35 million USD worth coal every year. The raw material for the environmentally friendly fuel is abandoned in the country as about 166 tons of soiled plastic is being disposed off in the landfill site everyday in the Dhaka city alone.
Waste Concern , a national research based organization has conducted the baseline study to assess the amount and the price of soiled plastic and other waste with high calorific value suitable for the production of potential energy source like RDF.
The Executive Director of Waste Concern, Mr. A. H. Md. Maqsood Sinha while sharing the findings of the survey informed BSS today that soiled plastic can be utilized to produce cheaper fuel suitable for brick, cement and glass manufacturing industries apart from improving the environment, creating jobs for the poor.
Mr Sinha said Urban Solid Waste Management has become a major concern for the cities and towns of Bangladesh. With the conventional system of collection, transportation and crude dumping of waste, municipal areas of Bangladesh are generally facing a rapid deterioration of environmental and sanitation condition. Under such situation the production of RDF would bring about multidimensional benefits for the nation.
The survey also found that seventy to eighty percent of the municipal waste is organic and the rest has validity to recyclables like paper, plastic, tin cans and metals, glass, aluminium, iron and others. Unfortunately, due to lack of segregation of waste at source, a large portion of these valuable recyclables are becoming soiled and loosing value. The study is funded by ICCO Cooperation, a Dutch organization.