To raise public awareness about the hazardous environmental consequences of using single-use plastic products and to make people understand the importance of waste segregation, Environment and Social Development Organization (ESDO) held a day-long mobile and signature campaign to gain public support for “Banning Single-use Plastic and Support Waste Segregation” on February 14, 2022, at multiple locations around Dhaka city.
The campaign began at TSC, the University of Dhaka at 10 a.m. ESDO team consisting of four members and two volunteers gathered public opinion on the consequences of plastic toxicity and the importance of waste segregation and collected signatures through this campaign. The majority of individuals praised ESDO’s work and voiced their concerns about the damaging effects of plastic waste on the environment and the importance of segregating these hazardous wastes from the source to keep ourselves and our environment safe. They urged the government to Impose proper legislation to ban single-use plastic and make alternative items easily available to the general public.
People voluntarily engaged in this day-long mobile and signature campaign. More than__ individuals signed the petition in support of the effort. The campaign began at TSC and traveled via New Market and ended at Rabindro Sarobor, Dhanmondi around 5 p.m.
Background information
ESDO is successfully running community mobilizing and awareness-raising campaigns. In 1990, we launched the “Anti-Polythene/Plastic Campaign,” which resulted in a nationwide ban on polythene shopping bags. Since its foundation in 1990, ESDO has been working tirelessly to ensure biodiversity. It was the first group to launch an anti-polythene campaign in 1990, which led to the total prohibition of polythene shopping bags in Bangladesh in 2002. Following ESDO’s persistent advocacy, the Bangladeshi High Court has ordered the concerned authorities to phase out single-use plastic products from the coastal area by December 31, 2022. ESDO has put in a lot of effort to make the ban on single-use plastic goods a reality.