Single-Use Plastic Free Fair – A very needed initiative of time!
Entrepreneurs demand the support of the Government to promote their environment friendly products
Dhaka 4th June 2022: Entrepreneurs displayed alternatives to single-use plastic products at the country’s first-ever plastic-free fair on National Level. Environment and Social Development Organization – ESDO is kicking off a two-day long country’s first ever National Single-use Plastic Free fair on National level on 4th and 5th June 2022 at WVA Auditorium, Dhanmondi – 27, Dhaka.
Syed Marghub Murshed, Former Secretary of Bangladesh and Chairperson of ESDO, formally inaugurated the fair. “ESDO has been fighting plastic pollution for a long time. In addition, they are attempting to promote products that may conveniently replace single-use plastic products. This event will serve as an excellent platform for our country’s plastic alternative producers to promote their work and make their products available on the market.
The focus of the fair is to exhibit alternative products of single-use plastic like cloth bags, paper packaging, paper cups, paper straws, leaf packaging, leaf cutleries, reused items, i.e., new clothing items made of used materials, or new blankets made of used clothes, etc. to shift people’s mind set up that single-use plastic free living is possible. This will also be a platform to promote the entrepreneur participants and their creativity. Additionally, people who are ready to refuse single-use plastics will get to know where to get the alternative products through this fair.
Md. Imran Hossain, owner of Bright Areca Ltd, one of the plastic alternative companies, presented plates made of areca leaves. “The usage of single-use plastic plates has become pretty prevalent nowadays,” he says. “People use them practically every day since they are convenient. They should be aware, however, of the environmental and human health risks posed by single-use plastics. If foods are being heated in a plastic plate, it can leach chemicals or can break into microplastic whereas the plates made out of areca leaves are heatproof.” he added.’
Tanvirul Karim of Choroighor showcased products made of wood, bamboo, coconut and cloth. He said, “We are always seeking for such opportunities that can help us to display our products which can someday contribute in protecting our environment by phasing out single use plastic products.”
At the fair, ESDO displayed plastic free alternatives such as bamboo straws, cloth bags for grocery shopping, meat preserve bags made out of cloths for frosting, etc. These products clearly indicates that we can stop being dependent on plastic products and move towards a phase where single-use plastic is not at all necessary.
The fair was attended by Zero Waste project Beneficiaries, CBO members’, local volunteers; Community people, Celebrities, and print and electronic media.
Background
Zero Waste is a philosophy and a designed principle that goes beyond recycling to take a “whole system” approach to the flow of resources and waste through human society. It attempts to guide people to emulate sustainable natural cycles, where discarded materials become resources for others to use. Environment and Social Development Organization-ESDO launched a unique and innovative project titled “Building Zero Waste Communities for a Pollution-Free Environment in Bangladesh”.
For more information please contact:
Khalilur Rahman
Sr. Program Associate – ESDO
Email: info@esdo.org,
khalilur@esdo.org
Mobile: +8801726053420
