Experts call for prompt ban on use of plastic
News Desk :
Environmental activists and experts have urged the government to impose an immediate nationwide ban on single-use plastic with strict enforcement.
They made the call at a policy dialogue on “Plastic Pollution Towards Plastic Treaty Negotiation, organised by Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) in the city on Wednesday, reports UNB.
Addressing the event, Saber Hossain Chowdhury MP, Chairman of the Standing Committee on the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, said that plastic pollution is a vital problem for both humanity and the environment.
He said reducing plastic pollution requires collaboration between the government and the public, eventually leading to a global agreement.
Syed Marghub Murshed, chairperson of ESDO and former secretary of the government, who chaired the policy dialogue, said that it is quite alarming that Bangladesh is one of the most plastic-polluted nations in South Asia.
He said plastic exerts a significant influence on the environment.
“We’ve already put a stop to the use of polythene bags.
Despite our efforts, plastic pollution remains a problem we cannot solve.”
Dr. Mahfuzul Haque, Adjunct Faculty, Department of Sociology, BUP, and former secretary of the government, said: “When each person makes environmentally conscious choices, it adds up to a significant positive impact on the environment. Small actions, like reducing single-use plastics, using alternative products, and choosing to refill, can collectively result in substantial changes.”
SK Rafiqul Islam, Chief Controller, Office of the Chief Controller of Imports & Exports, mentioned that the rivers of Bangladesh are a representation of the country’s scenic beauty since it is a riverine country.
However, plastic pollution mostly contaminates these rivers.
“We need to stop plastic pollution at the source and properly segregate our waste at the source” he said.
It was informed in the function that Bangladesh banned plastic bags two decades ago, but non-biodegradable items are still found in kitchens, public spaces, and upscale retail centers.
Polythene bags are still being made, bought, and used in Bangladesh despite being banned in 2002.
The government of Bangladesh has been sluggish in implementing this law to be advantageous.
Last year, a study of ESDO revealed that each day, 18 transboundary rivers in Bangladesh carry approximately 15,345 tons of single-use plastic waste of which 2802 tons originate from India and Myanmar.
2519 tons come from India and 284 tons from Myanmar.
Approximately 2.6 million tons of single-use plastic waste enter the Bay of Bengal every year, of which nearly half a million tons are trans boundary wastes.
The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change reportedly gave all parties concerned instructions to prohibit using single-use plastic totally from 12 coastal areas of Bangladesh by 2023 following an order from the High Court published in this gazette.
Only four months remain in 2023 as of August 2023, yet the implementation process is moving very slowly.
