Bangladesh stands at a pivotal moment in its development journey. Our nation has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies globally over the last three decades, with an annual average GDP growth rate of 5.6 percent, expanding its economy from $30 billion in the early 1990s to approximately $450 billion today. This remarkable progress has led to significant improvements in socio-economic outcomes, better living standards, and increased per capita income, with GDP per capita reaching $2,687 in June 2022 and $2,529 in 2023. Our export demand has also seen substantial growth, with total exports reaching $57.55 billion in 2023, largely driven by the rapid expansion of apparel exports, making Bangladesh the second-largest apparel exporter globally. As we prepare for our graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status in 2026, having consistently met the United Nations' criteria, this progress signifies a new era of prosperity and opportunity. However, with this economic advancement comes increased consumption, including a surge in plastic use. Plastic, despite its environmental challenges, has become an indispensable material in modern life due to its durability, low cost, and widespread availability. It offers practical advantages in ensuring product quality and ease of transport across various industries. However, the mismanagement of plastic waste has resulting in long-lasting consequences.
This year’s World Environment Day, with the theme of 'Beat Plastic Pollution', serves as a critical moment for reflection on the collective responsibility towards our planet. The lack of an organized plastic waste management system extends far beyond the visible litter. The mismanagement of plastic waste does not just result in an isolated environmental concern; it also worsens the crisis of climate change, the crisis of nature, land and biodiversity loss. This interconnectedness highlights a significant truth: addressing plastic waste is not just an environmental clean-up effort, but a direct contribution to broader climate action and biodiversity preservation.The global plastic pollution crisis is particularly evident in Bangladesh, given its unique social and environmental situation. This pollution directly impacts daily life in our cities, due to clogged drainage systems, contaminating vital waterways, and exacerbating urban flooding during monsoon seasons. The scale of the challenge in Bangladesh is starkly illustrated by statistics. According to the World Bank, the nation has experienced a rapid growth in plastic consumption, with per capita plastic consumption in urban areas tripling over the last 15 years, rising from 3 kg per year in 2002 to 9 kg per year in 2020 nationally. In Dhaka alone, the average consumption reached 22.25 kg per year in 2020, more than three times the national urban average, having increased from 9.2 kg annually in 2005. Despite this alarming surge, national recycling rates have not kept pace; in 2020, only about 37% plastic waste produced was recycled, a steep drop from 51% in 2006, although we are much ahead than the global average of 9%. This decline in recycling rates, even as consumption escalates, points to a widening gap between the amount of plastic consumed and the capacity for effective waste management. Annually, an estimated 87,000 tons of single-use plastic waste is generated in Bangladesh.
As Bangladesh’s largest plastic recycler, I can share some insights on where the challenges in recycling lies. One of the most significant barriers to effective recycling is the quality of feedstock–that is, clean plastic for recycling. Due to the lack of source segregation at the household level, most plastics are contaminated with wet waste that needs multiple rounds of cleaning to be ready for recycling. The cleaning process consumes large amounts of water and energy, which could have been put to better use. The entire plastic waste value system would significantly improve with this one change in our citizen’s behavior. The city corporations also have a significant role to play here. By training the waste workers and conducting mass-scale, -term behavior change campaign, the city corporations can create accountability within the jurisdiction.
Another barrier to effective recycling is the raw material supply gap. The country faces an annual demand for around 2 lakh tons of plastic scraps against a meager supply of 70,000 tons. This substantial deficit is a direct consequence of insufficient collection systems and low consumer awareness.
The third barrier is the lack of formalization within the plastic waste management sector. Around 90% of the recycling businesses in Bangladesh are informal, which results in the lack of regulation, lack of access to finance and capital, and business expansion.
Finally, the critical, yet often overlooked and vulnerable role played by Bangladesh's informal waste collection sector needs to be highlighted. Their invaluable contribution to diverting waste from landfills is immense, yet they often face severe health and safety risks, lacking formal recognition or benefits. This reliance on a large, informal workforce that lacks formal recognition and benefits presents a significant social equity challenge.At PRAN-RFL Group, we currently recycle around 40,000 tonnes of plastic annually, which is transformed into valuable resources, preventing waste from polluting the environment, and have invested BDT 320-350 crore in our plastic recycling project. Our recycling operations directly employ 1,200 people and indirectly support another 10,000 individuals, providing livelihoods and contributing to economic empowerment within communities.
The process involves collecting used plastic items from our network of dealers, collectors, plastic product factories, and 10 collection centers nationwide and recycling it to make raw materials for new plastic goods. This approach also yields economic advantages for Bangladesh. By producing raw materials from recycled waste, foreign exchange savings are generated, estimated at approximately Tk 400-450 crore annually, which would otherwise be spent on importing virgin raw materials.
We also engage the public to foster responsibility towards plastic waste. Currently, we are piloting a consumer Buy Back program, with plans to expand it across Bangladesh this year. Our 'Let's Save the Planet' campaign, launched in 2023, has mobilized employees and citizens to clean plastic waste from all over Bangladesh. The campaign also honored 12 plastic collectors, acknowledging their contribution to the environmental ecosystem and economy. We also engage with educational institutions, such as a recent partnership with Dhaka University and UNIDO, to train over 500 student leaders across the campus on segregation and plastic waste management practices.
Through consumer engagement and recycling operations, we align our work to Bangladesh's National Action Plan for Sustainable Plastic Management (2021) and the ongoing development of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) directives, and our existing collection and recycling infrastructure reflects the principles of the directive. As experts suggest, formalizing the informal waste sector can significantly increase incomes for these vital workers and improve overall environmental outcomes. PRAN-RFL supports initiatives that formalize this workforce, ensuring they receive recognition, safety, and benefits.
Overcoming plastic pollution is a monumental task that demands the concerted effort of all stakeholders: government, industry, communities, and individuals. It is crucial to draw lessons from past experiences, such as Bangladesh's 2002 plastic bag ban. Despite initial success, this ban ultimately unraveled due to weak enforcement. Thus, it is important to acknowledge that banning plastic goods without providing a cost-effective and widely available alternative will prove to be unfeasible and only increase the inequalities in the informal sector. By acknowledging these complexities, we can frame proactive measures as conscious efforts to advocate for a more robust, collaborative, and sustained approach to plastic management.
For individuals and businesses alike, the fundamental principles of plastic reduction and responsible consumption must be embraced. The 3Rs, ‘Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle' serves as a guiding principle for a paradigm shift in the relationship with plastics. Consumers need to actively participate in proper waste segregation and recycling initiatives, and to consciously choose products from companies demonstrating a genuine commitment to sustainability.Achieving a truly circular economy and beating plastic pollution for good requires continued innovation, strategic investment, and unwavering collaboration across all sectors. Writer Kamruzzaman Kamal is the marketing director of PRAN-RFL Group.