Mymensingh, 15th February, 2020: Single Use Plastic Pollution is an emerging environmental concern. Every year more than 87000 tons of Single Use Plastic is being discarded in Bangladesh according to a study report of Environment and Social Development Organization – ESDO in 2019. Considering the serious health threats posed by plastic, manufacture and use of single use plastic should be banned immediately in order to discuss the issue, an open forum entitled “Single Use Plastic: Hidden Costs of Health and Environment ” was organized by – ESDO in association with
Mymensingh City Corporation at Mymensingh City Corporation Auditorium on Saturday, 15th February 2020. Upon the revelation of detrimental impacts of single use plastic upon health and environment, the participants urged for immediate preventive actions in this regard for the sake of
public health and welfare.

Considering the existing scenario of single use plastic usage in Bangladesh, experts and activists present in the open forum, highlighted the urgency of banning single use plastic in Bangladesh. In this regard, implementation of the recent High Court rulings to ban single use plastic by 2021 was greatly emphasized by all. Former Secretary of People’s Republic of Bangladesh and the Chairperson of ESDO Syed Marghub Murshed graced the event as the Chief Guest. He solicited the authority to take rigorous initiatives in outlawing single use plastic in Bangladesh. He said that “Single-use plastics
represent the epitome of today’s throwaway culture. Most of our plastic ends up in landfills, oceans, waterways and in environment causing massive environmental pollution. The government should take immediate actions to implement the high court order to ban single use plastic by 2021.”

Single Use Plastic Pollution is a growing threat to human health and environment. Plastic pollution can afflict land, waterways and oceans. However, the chemical structure of plastics makes them resistant to natural degradation processes upon disposal. Billions upon billions of non biodegradable single use plastic items are choking our oceans, lakes, and rivers and piling up on land resulting in infertility and degradation. This greatly impacts our environment and poses potential threats to the
health of human and other living beings.

Md. Mokhlesur Rahman, Former Additional IGP, Bangladesh Police attended the event as Guests of Honor. Dr. Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General at ESDO, Siddika Sultana, Executive Director of ESDO and other members of the ESDO team were present in this Open Forum. Stakeholders from different sectors: including experts, activists, academicians, policy makers, media and general mass were also present in the event.

Dr. Shahriar Hossain, Secretary General of ESDO expressed his concern by, “Bangladesh must immediately ban single-use plastics, or we risk being overwhelmed by illegal imports of plastic scraps from India where single use plastic has been banned recently. Banning single-use plastics is a necessary move to protect health and environment fortunately, cost-effective alternatives are available in many parts of our country.”

Considering the gravity of the plastic situation, ESDO, along with the other NGO’s did a writ petition to the High Court of Bangladesh in 2019. This resulted in a High Court order to the authorities concerned to enforce ban on polythene bag and stop using single-use plastic by 2021 on 6 January. Ahead of the Dhaka City Corporation Election 2020, ESDO started campaigning against laminated election posters and other plastic coated materials based on which the High court issued another regulation. On January 22, the High Court ordered the authorities concerned to immediately stop production and display of laminated election posters in order to save environment. The court also asked the authorities to properly dispose the laminated posters which have already been produced and
displayed throughout Dhaka.

Although Bangladesh banned single-use plastic shopping bags in 2002, the country has fallen behind in regulation since then. According to the experts, the country is at the verge of experiencing major environmental havoc in the upcoming years owing to plastic pollution. Moreover, Government
regulation to ban use, manufacture and import of single use plastic is a necessary step to help improve the situation to a great extent.

More than 150 participants from different stakeholder groups were present in the open forum demanding for a sustainable solution to single use plastic pollution in Bangladesh.

Background Information:
In 1989, under the leadership of Dr. Shahriar Hossain a few enthusiastic people initiated anti polythene campaigning in Bangladesh. ESDO is the first organization initiated campaign against the single use plastic shopping bag in 1990 and organized a nation-wide anti-polythene campaign. After long efforts ESDO is succeeded to ban the production and use of polythene in January 1, 2002 in Dhaka city and March 1, 2002 in countrywide. Now ESDO is focusing on banning single-use plastics (SUP).

For more Information:
Sharmin Ashrafi
Jr. Program Associate, ESDO
E-mail: sharmin@esdo.org
Mobile: 01557019412