Bangladesh’s northern region has turned into a plastic recycling hub as many people in eight districts are now engaged in turning hazardous waste such as discarded bottles and disposable syringes back into resources for these products. Thanks to the introduction of recycling plants, pollution has decreased at the local level while also generating employment opportunities for many people.
According to a media report on Tuesday, the people of Rangpur and Dinajpur regions seem to have found the plants as a way out of unemployment as nearly 1,000 plastic recycling factories have sprung up across eight districts in the region. Besides, it is also ensuring a cleaner environment in the region. Plastic has long been an integral part of human life across the globe even though its continued use poses a significant threat to the environment. In the absence of proper management, the growing number of discarded plastic products is starting to take its toll in Bangladesh.
Environmentalists said that thousands of tonnes of plastic waste are produced in the country each day. This waste can be found lying on the ground and choking water bodies due to the lack of proper monitoring but with the introduction of recycling plants, pollution has decreased at the local level while also generating employment for many marginal people. The plastic waste is also a major threat to the ecosystem and the idea of recycling discarded plastic products is amazing. The owners of discarded plastic recycling factories collect the plastic waste from the ragpickers to crush them in crumbs. After processing, the plastic chips are sold to factories in Dhaka and other districts that use them to make new products. The innovative business of recycling discarded plastic is changing the quality of life in the region.
It is to be noted that plastic is a widely used item in everyday life and its importance is increasing in the present world. It’s a major headache for developing countries such as Bangladesh. The use of plastic bags has been banned here. Nevertheless, its use is rampant. In order to take advantage of the opportunities for developing plastics recycling factories, the government should stand beside them with a view to creating employment for marginal people and improving the ecosystem in the country.
