UNB, Dhaka :
Though its production and use were banned nearly 16 years back, polythene shopping bags still rule the market like a popular item, thanks to the authorities concerned for sleeping at the wheel.
When Bangladesh slapped the ban on polythene bag of less than 55 micron thickness in January 2002, it was first country in the world to do so and the move was widely hailed as a major step towards reducing environmental pollution. In support of the 2002 ban, the government in 2010 enacted another law, titled the ‘Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010’ for the compulsory use of jute in packaging products instead. The use of polythene bags and one-time-use plastics is rampant now, thanks to non-enforcement of the law.
In a report published ahead of Tuesday World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said, “In Asia, several countries have attempted to control the manufacture and use of plastic bags through levies, and some governments already introduced plastic bag ban more than a decade ago, such as in Bangladesh.
Nonetheless, the enforcement of regulations has often been poor, and single-use plastic bags continue to be widely used and mismanaged despite prohibitions and levies.”
In contrast, UNEP observed, another Asian example is Japan, where no ban is in place on single-use plastic, but thanks to a very effective waste management system and a high degree of social consciousness, the country accounts for relatively limited leakages of single-use plastics in the environment.
Upon inspecting various kitchen markets in the city’s Baridhara Notun Bazar and Gulshan areas, it was seen that polythene bags are being used to pack almost any product, such as meat, fish or other grocery items.
Milton, a retailer at Notun Bazar, told UNB that it is easier to pack goods using polythene bag, while there is also no viable alternative to it. Environment and Forests Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud told UNB that though there is a regulation regarding the use of polythene it cannot be actively enforced for lack of manpower. Despite the shortage, he said, they try to conduct anti-polythene drives frequently.
The minister also said that the mushrooming of small-scale polythene manufacturing factories always tend to produce them from different locations, making it difficult to trace and catch them. He added that the Ministry of Jute and Textiles are close to making jute-derived poly bags, which can be an effective replacement for polythene bags. Asked why the drives are so few in number, he cited the lack of coordination issues in assigning a magistrate and a team of police to conduct mobile drives as major reasons in addition to inadequate manpower. Mentioning that polythene bags are blocking the drainage system in cities and towns, he stressed the importance of raising awareness among the city’s residents about the harmful nature of polythene.
Though its production and use were banned nearly 16 years back, polythene shopping bags still rule the market like a popular item, thanks to the authorities concerned for sleeping at the wheel.
When Bangladesh slapped the ban on polythene bag of less than 55 micron thickness in January 2002, it was first country in the world to do so and the move was widely hailed as a major step towards reducing environmental pollution. In support of the 2002 ban, the government in 2010 enacted another law, titled the ‘Mandatory Jute Packaging Act 2010’ for the compulsory use of jute in packaging products instead. The use of polythene bags and one-time-use plastics is rampant now, thanks to non-enforcement of the law.
In a report published ahead of Tuesday World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said, “In Asia, several countries have attempted to control the manufacture and use of plastic bags through levies, and some governments already introduced plastic bag ban more than a decade ago, such as in Bangladesh.
Nonetheless, the enforcement of regulations has often been poor, and single-use plastic bags continue to be widely used and mismanaged despite prohibitions and levies.”
In contrast, UNEP observed, another Asian example is Japan, where no ban is in place on single-use plastic, but thanks to a very effective waste management system and a high degree of social consciousness, the country accounts for relatively limited leakages of single-use plastics in the environment.
Upon inspecting various kitchen markets in the city’s Baridhara Notun Bazar and Gulshan areas, it was seen that polythene bags are being used to pack almost any product, such as meat, fish or other grocery items.
Milton, a retailer at Notun Bazar, told UNB that it is easier to pack goods using polythene bag, while there is also no viable alternative to it. Environment and Forests Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud told UNB that though there is a regulation regarding the use of polythene it cannot be actively enforced for lack of manpower. Despite the shortage, he said, they try to conduct anti-polythene drives frequently.
The minister also said that the mushrooming of small-scale polythene manufacturing factories always tend to produce them from different locations, making it difficult to trace and catch them. He added that the Ministry of Jute and Textiles are close to making jute-derived poly bags, which can be an effective replacement for polythene bags. Asked why the drives are so few in number, he cited the lack of coordination issues in assigning a magistrate and a team of police to conduct mobile drives as major reasons in addition to inadequate manpower. Mentioning that polythene bags are blocking the drainage system in cities and towns, he stressed the importance of raising awareness among the city’s residents about the harmful nature of polythene.
