The government has planned to increase the recycling of plastic waste to 80 percent and reduce its generation by 30 percent by 2030.
As per the government’s sustainable plastic management action plan, efforts are being made to reduce the use of single-use plastic by 90 percent by 2026.
The government has formulated a three-year action plan to stop the use of single-use plastic in coastal areas. The use of environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials will be increased.
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Md. Shahab Uddin said this while speaking as the chief guest at a seminar on solid waste management held at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargoan in the capital on Thursday.
The Minister of Environment said that in order to manage solid waste, in 2021, in addition to the relate regulations, hazardous waste management regulations, 2021 have been formulated. He also said that 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.
Pollution control requires law enforcement as well as the cooperation of the general public. The minister expressed his hope to be able to achieve a sustainable solution to the problem of solid waste in the near future with the cooperation of the people.
At the event, the regulations related to solid waste management and the work plan of the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change were presented by the Ministry’s Deputy Secretary Mohammad Abdul Wadud Chowdhury and the Deputy Director of the Department of Environment Abdullah Al Mamun.
The models and recommendations of different countries were presented by the executive director of West Concern Abu Hasanat Md. Maksud Sinha, the plan of the local government department was presented by the additional secretary Mustakim Billah Farooqi.
In addition, the representatives of various government and private departments promised to do their duties properly in solid waste management.
The seminar was chaired by the secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Dr Farhina Ahmed, the Deputy Minister of the ministry Habibun Nahar, the Chairman of the parliamentary committee on the ministry Saber Hossain Chowdhury were also present.
The secretary of the local government Division Muhammad Ibrahim, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Iqbal Abdullah Harun, Additional Secretary Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, the Director General of the Department of Environment Dr. Abdul Hamid, Dhaka North City Corporation Chief Executive Officer Md. Selim Reza and BUET retired professor Dr. Ijaz Hossain etc also spoke at the seminar.
