Checking plastic pollution

Bangladesh reportedly produces around 87,000 tonnes of single-use plastic waste annually. Mercy Tembon, World Bank's Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, said that 646 tonnes of plastic waste is amassed per day in Dhaka city. The polythene bags we use every day for various purposes do not decompose easily. Plastic bottles take more than 450 years to get decomposed in the environment.

Due to this plastic pollution, life cycle of animals dwelling in the sea including sharks, dolphin, octopus, and turtle is severely hampered. Plastic worsens the fertility of soils and the productivity of crop plants. We often see that city sewerages are blocked because of plastic waste following which waterlog appears during the rainy season. Plastic pollution also has a serious negative impact for public health. Therefore, effective steps need to be taken as soon as possible for plastic pollution. Recycling of plastic waste could be a solution. Use of single use plastic should be stopped immediately. Biodegradable and environment-friendly bags made of jute and other materials should be increased and incentivised.

Zawadul Karim,

Student of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, Gopalgonj

[email protected]