Mohammed Ferdous Hasan with over 22 years, he has acquired a vast expertise in the areas of Business Development, Key Account Mana- gement, as well as Risk Management in different sectors. Prior joining Krones Bangladesh Limited, he was the Area Director, Chattogram at Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh. Throughout his illustrious career, Mr. Ferdous worked for Eastern Bank, BRAC Bank & IDLC Finance and successfully carried out various significant roles as SME Area Head, Corporate Area Head, and Corporate Unit Head & Branch Manager.
In a conversation with Prisila,correspondent,Asia Business Outlook Magazine. Ferdous shared his views on how do we characterize the concept of the circular economy, particularly concerning the management of plastic waste and the improvements are needed to support circular economy practices.
Technology integration for monitoring via GPS tracking of waste transportation vehicles to ensure proper disposal at designated centers and not in open dumping grounds or water bodies
What is the current situation regarding plastic littering in Bangladesh, and how do you characterize the concept of the circular economy, particularly concerning the management of plastic waste?
Plastic pollution has become an increasingly severe issue in Bangladesh, as rapid economic expansion has led to sharp rises in plastic consumption without the waste management infrastructure to support it. Annual per capita plastic use in urban areas has nearly tripled over the past 15 years to 9 kg in 2020. But only 31% of the 977,000 tons of plastic consumed in Bangladesh is recycled. The rest ends up littering cities, countryside, rivers and canals, clogging drainage and causing flooding.
The concept of a circular economy offers solutions tailored to this plastic waste crisis. Its core principles are reducing waste and pollution through smarter design and keeping materials circulating in the economy at their highest value for as long as possible.
Concerning plastic waste management, this entails reducing single-use and unnecessary plastics, establishing effective collection systems, significantly improving recycling rates, and finding alternative materials. Essentially transitioning from the standard linear economic model of taking resources, making products, and disposing of them after a single use, to a circular model where resources remain in use through reuse, repair, and recycling.
How are industries in Bangladesh currently handling plastic waste, and what changes can be made to align with circular economy principles?
Currently industries in Bangladesh do not adequately manage the end-of-life impacts of the plastic products and packaging materials they churn out. For example, in Dhaka only about 37% of the over 600 tons of plastic waste generated daily is recycled.
To align the plastics industry with circular economic principles, producers need to take responsibility for their products and packaging through the entire lifecycle and after use. This producer responsibility is formalized under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations which make companies accountable for collecting and recycling their plastic waste.
Transitioning to circularity requires industries to rethink product and packaging design to minimize material usage and optimize for recyclability. Manufacturing processes should integrate recycled materials as inputs wherever possible instead of virgin plastic resin.
Companies can also explore alternative materials that are compostable or more environmentally friendly compared to conventional plastic.
In parallel, investments by the private sector in collection systems and sorting/recycling infrastructure needs to scale up significantly. Formalizing the informal waste picking sector into these systems is also key. This will help Bangladesh work towards national targets of 50% plastic recycling and 30% waste reduction by 2025 and 2030 respectively.
How developed is the waste management infrastructure in Bangladesh, and what improvements are needed to support circular economy practices?
Bangladesh's waste management infrastructure is still developing, and significant improvements are required to enable effective plastic waste collection, sorting, and recycling to support a transition to a circular economy.
Currently, waste collection reaches only about 50-60% of urban populations. Open dumping and burning of waste is prevalent. There is a lack of source segregation of waste for recycling. Investments are needed to procure equipment for improved waste collection and transportation. More advanced sorting and recycling centers need to be established to process collected plastic waste efficiently.
Specifically for plastics, informal waste pickers who sell to scrap dealers account for most recycling rather than any formalized municipal recycling schemes. Better integration of this informal sector into the formal waste management systems via public- private partnerships could boost plastic recycling rates.
Additionally, policy and regulatory frameworks like the Solid Waste Management Rules need robust enforcement. Mandatory waste management plans for cities above a certain population threshold need to be implemented.
With the above steps to improve waste capture, diversion, and recycling, Bangladesh can work towards national targets of 50% plastics recycling by 2025 and 30% total plastic waste reduction by 2030. The end goal is to institute circular economy closed loops where post-consumer plastic waste gets channelized back into manufacturing new products and packaging.
How can enforcement mechanisms be strengthened to ensure compliance with circular economy principles?
Some ways enforcement mechanisms can be strengthened to ensure compliance with circular economy principles around sustainable plastic waste management include: Stringent penalties and fines for violations of existing policies like the ban on select single-use plastics, recycling targets for producers, proper waste disposal at facilities etc. Fines should act as effective deterrents.
Improved monitoring and oversight mechanisms via regular reporting requirements and environmental audits of production facilities, waste management sites, recycling centers etc. to check adherence.
Suspension of licenses and permits for persistent offenders or gross violations instead of just collecting fines.
Technology integration for monitoring via GPS tracking of waste transportation vehicles to ensure proper disposal at designated centers and not in open dumping grounds or water bodies.
Collaboration between environmental regulatory bodies like the Department of Environment (DoE), standards organizations, municipal authorities and industrial associations for information sharing and coordinated deterrence of non- compliance across sectors.
Establishing public grievance redressal mechanisms via helplines and mobile apps where citizens can report incidents of errant plastic waste disposal for prompt penal action.
Rigorous awareness drives to educate both industries and citizens on the environmental impacts of irresponsible plastic usage and disposal so they recognize the importance of compliance.
With multipronged deterrence mechanisms as outlined above imposed through legislation, Bangladesh can ensure high compliance rates with circular economy principles across plastic lifecycles. This will be key to achieving substantial reductions in plastic pollution.
"Robust EPR programs will ensure manufacturers manage end-of-life plastics by supporting collection systems and investing in recycling infrastructure"
What is your vision for the future of plastic waste management in Bangladesh, considering the successful implementation of circular economy principles?
My vision for Bangladesh's plastic waste management aligned with circular economy principles is the establishment of closed-loop value chains where post-consumer plastic waste gets channeled back into manufacturing new products and packaging. Some key aspects include:
The successful realization of circular economy approaches can make Bangladesh a world leader in sustainable plastic waste management and pave the way for a greener economy.
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