Prof. Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder :
The last Earth Day’s theme was “End Plastic Pollution” as the environmental contamination is expanding worldwide due to the widespread use of plastic. Plastics and plastic products have been increasing in use and manufacture worldwide for the last 50 years. However, the truth is that public awareness can potentially save us from impending tragedy.
According to study, plastic garbage in Dhaka alone has increased from 178 tons per day in 2005 to 646 tons per day in 2020. Bangladesh’s waste management system is ineffective, resulting in a lack of efficient separation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable elements. As a result, non-biodegradable plastic remains in the soil, contaminating it with one of the elements of the environment. Plastic is being discarded into the water. Additionally, this plastic is being deposited at the river’s bottom. Around 13 feet of polythene has been deposited at the bottom of the Buriganga River, and approximately 100 crore polythene bags have been scattered across Dhaka’s soil. Although microorganisms are incapable of decomposing polythene, these polythenes are gradually absorbed into the air and water by the weather. It also returns to the list of animal foods as a food dynamic cycle. As a result, the ecosystem and animals are under serious threat. Besides, uncontrolled polythene use is contributing to increase waterlogging. Excessive use of plastic is responsible for 80 per cent of Dhaka’s waterlogging. These plastic accumulations are clogging drains and canals. At the moment, around three million tissue bags are offered daily in the country.Every day in the country, over 30 lakh tissue bags are made and marketed, there is a group of dishonest businessmen operating in the market under other names other than polythene, but whose main ingredients are synthetic fibers such as polyester (PES), polypropylene (PP), polyamide, rayon. According to a study conducted by BUET’s Department of Chemical Engineering, polythene bags have been blamed for inflicting harm on the environment and public health.
Plastic is not only confined to the manufacture of items, bags, or bottles; its numerous applications have become a source of concern. Recent research has revealed an exponential increase in the use of micro-bits, a microscopic plastic particle used as a cosmetic ingredient. Face wash, body wash, toothpaste, and detergent are just a few examples. These common household goods are dumped in various ways into sewers, ponds, canals, and other bodies of water. According to a study of fish by ESDO, microbeads have been observed in the stomach, mouth, and even fish eggs. Aside from that, the use of polymers and plastic items results in a variety of health concerns in the human body. Plastics typically enter the human body through three pathways: air, water, and the food chain. Chemicals utilized in the production of plastic products are extremely hazardous to human health. Plastic products are responsible for the development of both permanent and temporary disorders in the human body and their complications. Cancer, asthma, skin illnesses, birth deformities, genetic alterations, and other major health concerns are just a few of the issues that need to be addressed. According to a recent study conducted by CAPS, microbeads were identified in 51 out of 104 toiletries that were tested. The presence of microbeads in facewashes and scrubs is the most significant of these considerations. The presence of Microbeads has also been observed in soap detergents and toothpaste whereas 86 percent of people in the country have no idea about microbeads.
The tendency toward the use of plastic and plastic products is becoming more prevalent by the day. While the rest of the world strives to reduce the use of plastic, the manufacture and use of plastic is on the rise in our country. A threefold growth in the consumption of plastic in Bangladesh has occurred in the last 15 years!
Bangladesh’s Environmental Protection Act, 1995 (as amended by Act No. 9 of 2002), prohibits the manufacture, import, sale, display, and stockpiling of ecologically hazardous plastics.Violators of this law are liable to Penalty that may be imposed Imprisonment not exceeding 10 years or fine not exceeding 10 lac taka or both. However, despite the law’s existence, its use continues to grow at an alarming rate.
In order to reduce our consumption of plastic, lawbreakers who violate the Polythene Prevention Act must be penalized closely supervised. Jute is a standard choice in Bangladesh, and its use has the potential to lessen the country’s reliance on polythene and plastic. It is now very imperative to take steps to promote the use of jute goods, such as bags and fibre and cotton cloth bags might be a wonderful alternative to polythene bags in such instances. To protect the next generation, not only the government, but also the general public, must be aware of the dangers of plastic use, and we should work to stop the usage of plastics and plastic products.
(Prof. Kamruzzaman Majumder is Dean, Faculty of Science, Chairman, Department of Environmental Science, Stamford University Bangladesh).
