Multinational companies (MNCs) have expressed concern about continuing their business due to the government's sudden ban on single-use plastic (SUP) without stakeholder consultations.
According to them, operating businesses will be a challenge because of the sudden ban.
Addressing a roundtable organised by Policy Exchange Bangladesh at a hotel in the capital on Thursday, stakeholders shared how they would face various regulatory and fiscal barriers, which might jeopardise business, because of the ban.
Dr Masrur Reaz, founder and chairman of Policy Exchange Bangladesh, moderated the event titled "Policy for progress: Building a sustainable Bangladesh". The programme was a platform for thought leaders, who urged the government to adopt a phase-by-phase approach with a clear definition of what SUP entailed.
Reaz presented the keynote, detailing policy priorities to attract investments to implement a circular economy, incentivise waste pickers, and make pricing policies for water, sanitation, and solid waste management.
"Bangladesh has $172 billion investment opportunities in climate-smart business," he said, citing an International Finance Corporation study.
Debabrata Roy Chowdhury, company secretary of Nestle Bangladesh as well as the director of legal, RSA, and corporate affairs, said the number of SUP items was one of the highest in Bangladesh.
"The number is lower in India, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. There are many recyclable items on the list that must be excluded immediately," he said. He further said Nestle might have to stop its Bangladesh operations if the situation persisted, as production cost would jump by 60 to 70 per cent.
Arafat Jaigirdar, head of external affairs at British American Tobacco Bangladesh, urged the government to frame policies in a participatory manner.
Momshad Ali Khan, country lead at Coca-Cola Bangladesh, said there was no clarification in the SUP definition. He said 100 per cent recyclable plastics were also defined as SUP. "The production of glass bottles from plastic is more hazardous as it emits carbon."
Mohammad Mostafezur Rahman, senior research officer at Waste Concern Consultants, said plastic usage was increasing but the number of recyclers was decreasing, causing a decline in recycling. He said it was important to adopt some upstream policies, such as a buyback policy.
Mohsina Yasmin, a former executive member of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, said there was a serious lack of coordination among government bodies before taking any policy. She said financial, social, and economic impacts must be assessed prior to framing such policies.
Md Fariduddin, a former member of the National Board of Revenue, said, "Imposing taxes suddenly in an irrational way impacts industries."
Shamim Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said plastic consumers were the polluters, not the plastic industry.
"Investors are concerned about the SUP ban imposed without stakeholder consultations. Some 17 items have been defined as SUP, but there is no clarity in the definition," he said.
Mohammed Zahidullah, chief sustainability officer at DBL Group, said industrial symbiosis could be an effective way out. "Under this, one industry will collect raw materials from others' wastes."
He also said DBL was currently producing 150 tonnes of recycled polyester a month from PET bottles.
Coordination among government bodies and stakeholders was key to framing an implementable policy to enable the existing investors to continue their business as well as encourage new investors, he added.
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