The government has taken initiatives to cut single-use of plastic by 90 percent within 2026, said Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md Shahab Uddin today (Feb 16).  

He was addressing a seminar as chief guest at a hotel in the capital.

Besides, the government has the plan to increase the recycling of plastic waste to 80 percent by 2030 and reduce the generation of plastic waste to 30 percent during the period, the minister said. 

In this regard, a three-year action plan has been formulated to check single-use plastic in coastal areas and increase the use of environment-friendly and biodegradable materials, he said.

The Minister said to manage solid waste, hazardous waste management regulations, 2021 have been formulated and waste treatment rules are being updated.  

“The goal of the government’s National 3R Policy for waste management is to completely eliminate waste disposal on open land, rivers, streams, canals and plains and to encourage waste recycling through mandatory separation of waste at source and to create a market for recyclable products,” he added. 

The environment minister said pollution control requires law enforcement as well as the cooperation of the commoners. 

Chaired by Environment, Forest and Climate Change Secretary Dr Farhina Ahmed, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Deputy  Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Habibun Nahar, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Local Government Division Secretary Muhammad Ibrahim, Additional Secretary of the ministry Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Director  General of the Department of Environment (DoE) Dr Abdul Hamid, Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Md Selim Reza and BUET’s retired professor Dr Ijaz Hossain.

At the event, the regulations related to solid waste management and the work plan were presented by Deputy Secretary of the ministry Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury and DoE Deputy Director Abdullah Al Mamun.  

The models and recommendations of different countries were presented by executive director of West Concern Abu Hasanat Md Maksud Sinha, while the plan of the local government department was presented by additional secretary Mustakim Billah Farooqi.  

BDST: 1829 HRS, FEB 16, 2023
MSK/SMS