Corporate brands must stop polluting the air by not taking off plastic waste

Five local and global brands are responsible for producing more than half of all the single-use plastic waste in Bangladesh fuelling the climate crisis and creating an environmental catastrophe. The country has become one of the top plastic-polluting countries due to the mismanagement of plastic waste. Around 646 tonnes of plastic waste are collected daily in Dhaka city but only 37.2 percent of it is recycled.

A study finding showed that Coca-Cola (20.78 per cent), Pepsico (15.60 per cent), Pran-RFL group (9.63 per cent), Unilever (6.5 per cent) and Partex Group (5.08 per cent) are producing around 58 percent of the total plastic waste. The plastic pollution scenario in Bangladesh is becoming more dangerous gradually as per capita consumption in urban areas tripled in the last 15 years.

The study also showed that Coca-Cola, a multi-national brand, has again retained the highest position as the top polluter of single-use plastic for the 5th time in a row. Around 30,862 pieces of plastic waste were collected by the volunteers in three cities and the total weight of the collected waste was measured to be 166kg. The audit record identified major 38 local and 14 international companies producing near about 220 brands in total.

Single-use plastic has disastrous consequences not only for the environment but also for human health. Corporate firms must take responsibility for the plastic pollution they are causing. These companies have flooded our market with non-recyclable single-use items and multi-layer tiny sachets or packets. It is quite surprising to see the same corporate polluters are responsible for plastic pollution in Bangladesh five times in a row. Over 4,000 chemicals have been identified that are potentially present in plastic packaging or used during its manufacture. At least 148 of these chemicals have been identified as hazardous to human health or the environment and can cause endocrine disruption, which can lead to cancer, birth abnormalities, immune system disorders and developmental problems in children.

The companies are responsible for ruining our rivers and water bodies and making the era “waste age” an excuse for profit.